Poetry is a wonderful way to express your feelings and creativity, but starting out can sometimes feel overwhelming.
If you’re new to poetry, trying out different exercises can make it easier and more fun.
These activities will help you practice and improve your poetry skills, inspire new ideas, and help you find your own voice.
In this blog post, we’ll go through 27 poetry exercises for beginners.
Each exercise is designed to help you build your skills and spark your creativity.
From simple prompts to more hands-on activities, these exercises will help you get comfortable with writing poetry and make the process enjoyable.
Grab your pen and paper, and let’s start exploring the world of poetry together!.
1. Five Senses Poem
Write a poem using all five senses. Describe something using sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.
How to do it: Pick an object or place. Write one line for each sense. For example, if you choose an apple:
“The apple is bright red. It makes a crisp sound when I bite it. It smells sweet and fresh. The juice tastes tangy on my tongue. Its smooth skin feels cool in my hand.”
2. Acrostic Poem
Create a poem where the first letter of each line spells out a word.
How to do it: Choose a word. Write it vertically down the page. Use each letter to start a new line of your poem. For example, using “CAT”:
Cuddly and soft
Always purring
Tiny paws padding around
3. Haiku
Write a short poem with three lines. The first line has 5 syllables, the second has 7, and the third has 5.
How to do it: Think of a simple idea or image. Count the syllables in each word as you write. For example:
Raindrops on flowers (5)
Glistening in the sunlight (7)
Nature’s tiny gems (5)
4. Rhyming Couplets
Write pairs of lines that rhyme with each other.
How to do it: Think of two lines that end with rhyming words. Repeat this process to create more couplets. For example:
The sun shines bright in the sky
Birds spread their wings and fly
5. Color Poem
Write a poem about a color without naming the color.
How to do it: Choose a color. Describe things associated with that color without saying its name. For example, for the color blue:
Ocean waves and summer skies
Forget-me-nots and butterfly wings
6. Emotion Poem
Write a poem about a feeling without naming the emotion.
How to do it: Pick an emotion. Describe how it feels in your body and mind without using the emotion’s name. For example, for happiness:
Lips curving upward
Shoulders light as feathers
Heart dancing in my chest
7. Alphabet Poem
Write a 26-line poem where each line starts with a different letter of the alphabet, in order.
How to do it: Begin your first line with ‘A’, the second with ‘B’, and so on. Don’t worry about rhyming. For example:
Always looking up at the stars
Believing in wishes from afar
Counting the constellations bright…
8. Object Poem
Write a poem from the perspective of an everyday object.
How to do it: Choose an object in your room. Imagine you are that object. What would it say? How would it feel? For example, as a chair:
I stand here day and night
Supporting tired bodies
Welcoming all who seek rest
9. Nature Walk Poem
Take a walk outside and write about what you see, hear, and feel.
How to do it: Go for a short walk. Jot down notes about things you notice. Use these notes to create a poem when you return. For example:
Crunching leaves beneath my feet
Wind whistling through bare branches
A squirrel scurries by with acorns
10. Simile Poem
Write a poem using similes (comparisons using “like” or “as”).
How to do it: Think of something you want to describe. Compare it to other things using “like” or “as”. For example:
My dog is as playful as a bouncing ball
His fur is like soft cotton
His bark is as loud as thunder
11. Metaphor Poem
Create a poem using metaphors (direct comparisons without “like” or “as”).
How to do it: Choose something to describe. Say it is something else to create an image. For example:
My mind is a butterfly
Flitting from thought to thought
Ideas bloom like flowers in its path
12. List Poem
Make a poem by listing related things.
How to do it: Pick a topic. List items related to it, one per line. Add descriptive words to make it more poetic. For example, a list of favorite foods:
Creamy chocolate melting on my tongue
Crunchy apples bursting with juice
Warm bread fresh from the oven
13. Opposite Poem
Write a poem where each line contradicts the previous one.
How to do it: Start with a statement. Then write its opposite. Continue this pattern. For example:
I am happy
I am sad
The sun is shining
The rain is falling
14. Sound Poem
Create a poem focusing on sounds and rhythm.
How to do it: Use words that make sounds when spoken. Try to create a rhythm with your words. For example:
Tick tock goes the clock
Drip drop falls the rain
Swish swash swim the fish
15. Question Poem
Write a poem made up entirely of questions.
How to do it: Think of a topic. Ask questions about it, one per line. For example, about the night sky:
Why do stars twinkle?
How far away is the moon?
Can dreams touch the clouds?
16. Memory Poem
Write about a strong memory from your past.
How to do it: Close your eyes and recall a vivid memory. Describe the sights, sounds, and feelings associated with it. For example:
Grandma’s kitchen, warm and bright
Cookie smell fills the air
Laughter echoes, pure delight
17. Dream Poem
Write about a dream you’ve had or make up an imaginary dream.
How to do it: Describe the strange and wonderful things that happen in dreams. Don’t worry about making sense. For example:
Flying over rainbow fields
Talking to smiling clouds
Trees dance and sing below
18. Shape Poem
Write a poem in the shape of its subject.
How to do it: Choose an object. Write your poem in the outline of that object. For example, a poem about a tree in the shape of a tree:
Leaves
rustling
in the breeze
branches reaching
high
towards
sky
trunk
strong
roots
deep in
the earth
19. Repetition Poem
Use repetition to create rhythm in your poem.
How to do it: Choose a word or phrase to repeat.Use it at the start, end, or throughout your poem. For example:
Waves crash, waves retreat
Sands shift, waves crash
Gulls cry, waves retreat
Sun sets, waves crash, waves retreat
20. Dialogue Poem
Write a poem as a conversation between two things or people.
How to do it: Pick two characters. Write their conversation as a poem, alternating lines. For example, between the sun and moon:
Sun: I light up the day with my golden rays
Moon: I bring calm to the night with my silver glow
Sun: I warm the earth and help plants grow
Moon: I guide sailors and inspire lovers
21. Seasons Poem
Write a poem describing the four seasons.
How to do it: Dedicate one stanza to each season. Describe its unique features. For example:
Spring bursts with new life
Flowers bloom, birds return
Summer heat shimmers
Beach days and ice cream
Autumn leaves turn gold
Crisp air and pumpkin spice
Winter blankets all in white
Cozy fires and hot cocoa
22. Nonsense Poem
Create a fun, silly poem that doesn’t need to make sense.
How to do it: Let your imagination run wild. Use made-up words and crazy ideas. For example:
The flibbertigibbet danced with glee
On top of a purple polka-dot tree
While zippity zoppity zoomers flew by
Singing flapdoodle songs in the sky
23. One Word Poem
Write a poem where each line is just one word.
How to do it: Choose a topic. Express your thoughts using single words, one per line. For example, about rain:
Clouds
Gather
Dark
Heavy
Drops
Fall
Splash
Puddles
Grow
24. Reverse Poem
Write a poem that can be read forwards and backwards.
How to do it: Write your poem normally. Then try to arrange the lines so they make sense when read in reverse order too. For example:
Day turns to night
Stars appear bright
Moon rises high
Sun fades from sky
25. Recipe Poem
Write a poem in the style of a recipe.
How to do it: Choose something non-food related. Write instructions for “making” it as if it were a recipe. For example, a recipe for happiness:
Mix one cup of laughter
With a tablespoon of kindness
Sprinkle in some friendship
Stir with love and care
Bake in the warmth of family
Serve with a smile
26. “I Remember” Poem
Start each line with “I remember” and write about your memories.
How to do it: Begin each line with “I remember.” Write down memories as they come to you. For example:
I remember the smell of fresh-cut grass
I remember chasing fireflies at dusk
I remember the taste of homemade cookies
I remember the sound of my mother’s lullaby
27. Found Poem
Create a poem using words and phrases from a non-poetic source.
How to do it: Take a newspaper article, advertisement, or any non-poetic text. Choose words and phrases from it to create your poem. Arrange them in a new order. For example, from a weather report:
Scattered showers
Partly cloudy skies
Gusty winds
Chance of rainbows
Temperature rising
Conclusion
Starting with poetry can be exciting but also a bit challenging, especially if you’re new to it.
The 27 poetry exercises I’ve covered are meant to help you practice, boost your creativity, and gain confidence in your writing.
By regularly trying these exercises, you’ll explore new techniques, discover your own style, and enjoy the process of writing poetry.
The aim of these exercises is to help you learn and experiment with poetry, not just to write perfect poems.
Each exercise is a chance to try new things and have fun with your writing.
Keep experimenting and stay inspired, and you’ll continue to grow as a poet.
Happy writing!