30 Day Poetry Challenge in honor of National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month! What began in the U.S. since 1996 has now emerged across the globe as one of the most celebrated months within the literary community. Writers and lovers of poetry alike come together to appreciate each other’s work, create new art, and even collaborate! It’s a wonderful time to connect, share, and create with those who are also passionate about poetry.
There are so many ways to celebrate National Poetry Month. You can read your favorite poetry collection, share a poem with a friend, or even set up a virtual poetry workshop or poetry reading! I’ve decided to celebrate by creating a 30 Day Poetry Challenge. Below is a list of poetry prompts to get you in the habit of writing every day or to try something new with your writing. I will be posting one prompt each day all month long on my Instagram. Join me in celebrating poetry for the month of April and be sure to follow me and tag me in your works!
30 Poetry Prompts
Write an ekphrasis poem (a poem about a painting, sculpture, or work of art).
Write an ode to your favorite childhood toy
Write a haiku about any form of water (oceans, river, fountains, etc.)
Write a list poem of a series of objects in your home.
Write a poem describing what you ate for breakfast.
Write a descriptive poem about your favorite place you once traveled to.
Use vivid imagery to describe the sunset.
Write a poem about writer’s block.
Write a love poem between two objects or elements of nature (birds and flowers, the trees and the wind, etc.)
Choose your favorite poem. Take the last line of each stanza and make that the first line of your stanzas. You can mirror the form of the original piece and put a contemporary spin on it.
If the rain was a person, how would it sound? act? feel?
Write another list poem, listing everything you’re grateful for.
Write a poem with dialogue between you and an animal.
Write a poem directed to someone who has passed away. What would you tell them?
Write a poem showing what solitude means to you.
Write an acrostic poem where the first line starts with the first letter of your friend or loved one. Write about a memory you had with them or a series of memories, then send it to them!
Write a poem while listening to your favorite song.
Take a walk or go to the park. When you return, write a poem about it. Show us what you saw and how you felt, or what you were thinking about.
Write a poem using only questions that you would ask someone you admire.
Find the nearest book. Turn to a random page. Create a blackout poem using only words from that page.
Write a shape poem about the moon.
Write a poem without using any pronouns.
Pick an inanimate object. Write a poem about it without telling us what the object is. Can the reader guess what it is?
Write a poem about a childhood memory without using any adjectives.
Pick your favorite flower. Write a poem describing it without using any colors.
What’s something you’re really good at? It could be as simple as listening or parallel parking. Write a how-to poem.
Pick your favorite story, movie, or book. Reference it within a poem but create an alternate ending.
Finish a crossword puzzle, then write a narrative poem using all the words in that puzzle.
Choose an old poem and write it in reverse. Make the last line the first. Revise it into a new poem.
Write the poem you’ve always been afraid to write.
If you miss a day, don’t worry! Write two poems the next day or just pick up from where you left off. There’s no strict rules or regulations. This is more of a guideline to help you get your creative juices flowing and share your poems with others. So grab a hot cup of tea or coffee, your favorite notebook, and let’s get started!