There are 400 poetry writing prompts in the book 1200 Creative Writing Prompts. These are the first fifty.
1. Write a descriptive poem about a banana split: three scoops of ice cream with banana halves on either side and a big mound of whipped cream on top laced with chocolate sauce and sprinkled with chopped nuts—all topped off with a plump red cherry.
2. Use all of the following words in a poem: tapestry, sings, eye, din, collide, slippery, fantasy, casting, chameleon, lives.
3. Write a poem about somebody who betrayed you, or write a poem about betrayal.
4. Write a poem using the following image: a smashed flower on the sidewalk.
5. The hallmark of great poetry is imagery. A truly compelling poem paints a picture and invites the reader into a vivid scene. Choose an image or scene from one of your favorite poems and write a poem of your own based on that image.
6. Use all of the following words in a poem: scythe, fresh, bloody, dainty, screaming, deadly, discovery, harrowing.
7. Write a poem about one (or both) of your parents. It could be a tribute poem, but it doesn’t have to be.
8. Write a poem using the following images: a “no smoking” sign and a pair of fishnet stockings.
9. You’re feeling under the weather, so you put the teapot on. Soon it starts to scream. Write a poem about the sound of a whistling teapot.
10. Use all of the following words in a poem: stem, canvas, grain, ground, leather, furrow.
11. The beach, the mountains, the vast sea, and deep space are all great for tributary poems about places. Write about the city you love, the town you call home, or your favorite vacation destination.
12. Write a poem using the following image: a pair of baby shoes.
13. Some poems are more than just poems. They tell stories. Try writing a poem that is also a story, a play, or an essay.
14. Use all of the following words in a poem: elegant, hips, fern, listless, twisting, bind, surprise.
15. Write a poem about the first time you experienced something.
16. Write a poem using the following image: a torn photograph.
17. Although holidays have deeper meanings, we like to truss them up with a lot of decadence and nostalgia. All that food! All those presents! Oh, what fun it is…Write a poem about the holidays.
18. Use all of the following words in a poem: burnt, spacious, metropolis, pacing, fiery, cannon.
19. Write a poem about an inanimate object. You can write a silly poem about how much you admire your toaster or you can write a serious piece declaring the magnificence of a book.
20. Write a poem using the following image: a small rowboat tied to a pier, bobbing in the water under darkening skies.
21. Now that time has healed the wounds, write a poem to someone who broke your heart long ago.
22. Use all of the following words in a poem: deadline, boom, children, shallow, dirt, creep, instigate.
23. Write a poem about streets, highways, and bridges.
24. Write a poem using the following images: a broken bottle and a guitar pick.
25. Write a poem about the smell of cheesy, doughy, saucy, spicy pizza baking in the oven.
26. Use all of the following words in a poem: green, loudly, tub, swim, sultry, sharp, throw.
27. Write a poem about something that scares you.
28. Write a poem using the following image: a rusty handsaw.
29. Imagine you are twenty-five years older than you are now. Write a poem about your life.
30. Use all of the following words in a poem: haunt, long, water, dream, waste, back, push, breathe, chase, where, packed, glass.
31. The most traditional odes extol the virtues of a loved one. Whom do you love? Tell that person why with a poem.
32. Write a poem using the following image: a camel walking across the desert.
33. Think back to the most wonderful place you’ve ever been. What was the weather like? What did you do there? What did you see?
34. Use all of the following words in a poem: dash, hard, staple, billboard, part, circle, flattened.
35. You don’t have to know or love someone to pay tribute to them. Write a poem honoring one of your heroes—someone who has, from a distance, made a difference in your life.
36. Write a poem using the following image: a clearing deep in the woods where sunlight filters through the overhead lattice of tree leaves.
37. Write a poem about the fizzing sound of cola being poured into a glass full of ice cubes.
38. Use all of the following words in a poem: heart, rose, twisted, stars, fire, nibble, eyes, parched, dance, chaos.
39. Write a poem about the wind or the sky.
40. Write a poem using the following image: an owl soaring through the night sky.
41. There is always anticipation before a first date or an important meeting. Anticipation can even precede watching a movie. Write a poem in which anticipation is the main emotion and include a detailed description of the setting. Don’t forget to stimulate the five senses.
42. Use all of the following words in a poem: humanity, hunger, equality, power, greed, redemption, freedom.
43. Write a poem honoring something that can’t be seen or touched: honor, passion, curiosity, or loyalty.
44. Write a poem using the following image: a partially deflated basketball.
45. Even though it’s freezing outside, people are out and about, bundled up and chattering among themselves. Write a poem about pedestrians in the winter.
46. Use all of the following words in a poem: ball, surf, concert, barbecue, sand, over, net.
47. Write a poem to or about someone you despise or believe is evil. What happens when you look at your enemy and search for his or her merits? Can you see the good in someone you view as bad?
48. Write a poem using the following image: a circus clown removing his or her makeup.
49. You’re digging your fingers through a box of hot, buttered, salted popcorn in a dark movie theater. Describe the sensation in a poem.
50. Use all of the following words in a poem: forward, song, dip, along, race, pick, surge.
