Hi there fellow poets,
Here in the Northern hemisphere, it’s the darkest time of the year, so these poetry prompts invite you to spend some time focusing on what “light” means to you. Use them as part of your poetry writing practice, to spark new ideas, or as part of a reflective mindfulness practice.
Some ideas to bring mindfulness to your poetry writing:
- Choose a place to write away from to-do lists and your usual routine
- Do a short meditation or EFT Tapping sequence before your start writing
- Take a deep breath in and out
- Light a candle to signal you’re ready to start
If you’d prefer to write away from a screen, download and print the free PDF below.
Let me know if you use these prompts – I’d love to hear how it goes or read your poems.
Happy writing! Kim xo
Step 1
Before we write a full poem, let’s warm up our poetry muscles with a few exercises.
Free write any words that come to mind when you think of “light.” Don’t self-edit or judge the words – let them emerge onto the page. Write for one minute or until you reach 10 words.
Step 2
Finish these similes related to light. Don’t overthink them – just write down what comes to mind.
- The one candle glows like …
- Stars twinkle like …
- The light, as … as …
Step 3
Let’s generate some more words, but this time we’ll move between the concrete and the abstract. Draw three columns in your notebook (or use the free PDF download below). Label the columns: “concrete nouns,” “abstract nouns,” “verbs.” Focus on one column at a time and set your timer for one minute or write until you reach 10 words in each column.
In the column titled “concrete nouns” write as many objects or tangible items you can think of related to the word “light.” For example: light bulb, headlight. Next, in the column titled “abstract nouns” write 10 or more feelings, ideas, or states of being that are connected to light. For example: hope, warmth. Finally, in the column titled “verbs” write 10 or more verbs connected to light. For example: glow, shine.
As before, don’t self-edit or judge what comes out of your mind or pen. Let the words flow.
Step 4
Now let’s write some poetry, starting with a couplet. Choose one concrete noun, one abstract noun, and one verb from your lists in Step 3 and write two lines that incorporate all three words.
Step 5
Repeat Step 4 with three new words from your list, but this time write a four-line stanza.
Step 6
If Steps 4 or 5 sparked a good poem idea for you, keep writing!
Or, use the full poem prompts below to draft a new poem about light. Interpret the prompts in whatever way feels right to you.
Full poem prompt 1
Write a poem about where you find light on dark days.
Full poem prompt 2
Write an extended metaphor poem about what light means to you. (You can choose one of the ideas you noted in Step 3 or spend a few minutes brainstorming how to finish this line: “Light is …”)
Full poem prompt 3
Write a narrative poem about a time light seemed to be flickering or dimming, but the speaker stayed focused on the light to keep it lit. (For an extra challenge, use the second-person (“you”) or third-person (“she” “he” “they”) pronoun for this poem instead of the first-person “I”.)
Full poem prompt 4
Write a poem about natural light sources. Focus on one light source (the sun or moon, for example) or include as many light sources as you can think of. Try to capture how the light source interacts with its environment, using some hard-working verbs. For example: look at the stars in the night sky and write down 5-10 verbs to describe them. (For an extra challenge, focus on more than one sensory detail in your poem. For example, could you bring in descriptions connected to sound or touch as well as how the light source looks?)
Download a printable version of the prompts here:
Kim T. Harrison 