50 Poetry Prompts to Awaken Your Inner Muse

Good poetry is difficult to create. And that sounds like a massive understatement.

But, we argue, it's actually the opposite.

We believe that letting the mind wander and recording that journey is a fantastic way to uncover your deepest thoughts and convey universally poetic truths.

But how do you get started?

Writing prompts are a great way to break through our mental barriers and start freewriting. Once you're in the zone, the thoughts and feelings and ideas will flow.

Try some of these poetry writing prompts gathered by the Freewrite team.

1. Write a poem from the perspective of an abandoned building.
2. Describe your most vivid childhood memory using only the 5 senses.
3. Imagine you're walking down the street when you see a stranger you recognize. Describe the feeling.
4. Write a poem addressed to your future self.
5. Create a poem comprised only of questions.
6. Think of your favorite piece of visual art. Create a poem that describes the way it makes you feel.
7. Write a sonnet about the moment just before dawn.
8. Pick a color. Write a poem describing that color to someone who has never seen it. Repeat this with all the colors of the rainbow.
9. When was the last time you felt truly alive? Describe it.
10. Pick a food you've never tried before. Write a poem about what it tastes like.
11. Write a poem using only words that begin with the same letter.
12. Capture the sound of water in a haiku.
13. Write about the sound of rain on different surfaces.
14. Pick a historical event and write about the event from an imaginary perspective.
15. Write about the scientific method.
16. Depict the passage of time using imagery of everyday objects.
17. Write about the spaces between things.
18. Describe a feeling that doesn't have a name.
19. Write an ode to the room you're currently sitting in.
20. Imagine the secret life of plants. Write about it.
21. Write out a conversation you wish you had.
22. Take an imaginary reader along on a journey that changed you.
23. Pick an animal in the zoo, and write a poem from its point of view.
24. Write a haiku about the moment a leaf detaches from its branch.
25. Think of your favorite song. Write a new 3-4 verses for it.
26. Write down your vision of home using only concrete imagery.
27. Pick a language you don't know. Write a poem in that language without looking up any words.
28. Rewrite your favorite movie into an epic poem.
29. Compose a poem using only single-syllable words.
30. How does the wind make you feel? Write about it.
31. Choose an old photograph and write a poem about it.
32. Write a poem retelling a traditional folk tale.
33. Create a poem about the relationship between humanity and technology. Write one that's positive and one that's negative.
34. Write a love poem to your very first crush — whether that's a cartoon or a real person.
35. Compose a poem that messes with the concept of time.
36. Create a poem where punctuation changes its meaning.
37. Write about the inheritance of trauma or joy.
38. Try to write a limerick.
39. Pretend it's the first day of winter. How do you feel?
40. Create a poem that personifies moonlight.
41. Describe a summer thunderstorm.
42. Choose a family recipe and create a poem that incorporates it.
43. Track the journey of shadows across a space throughout the day.
44. How do you feel right now? Write a poem about it — but don't use the word "I."
45. Write a poem that doesn't rhyme. Then rewrite the poem to rhyme.
46. Write about the relationship between clouds and the sky.
47. Tell a story from the point of view of an inanimate object within your line of sight.
48. Write a haiku about the space between raindrops.
49. Compose a poem about the relationship between humans and animals.
50. Write a poem from the point of view of a shadow.

Now that you've been inspired, the next step is writing consistently! Writers who use our Freewrite distraction-free writing tools have seen their word counts double. Could a Freewrite be right for you?!

Learn more about the "Draft First, Edit Later" Freewrite philosophy that drives prolific output. And, check out the Freewrite Alpha for an on-the-go writing partner.

Find more writing prompts here.

And for physical prompts you can keep on your desk, check out the Words Are Hard Creative Prompt Pack from Freewrite.