Write Your Own Light: Poetry Prompts and Exercises

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:

PoetryPrompts-WriteYourOwnLight-PRINTDownload

Who Lives Here? Forest Creatures Writing Warm-Ups

Hi there fellow poets and writers. Have you ever taken a walk through a forest in fall and wondered who – or what – might live inside an old tree trunk or under a cozy looking rock? Use the photos and prompts below to spark your creativity as you write about the creatures – real or imagined – who live in the forest.

The prompts are suitable for beginner as well as more experienced writers in any genre looking for short warm-up writing exercises or prompts for generative writing practice. The “Play Some More” prompts can also be used to practice connecting a character to a setting, and invite you to get even more curious about the characters you create.

Scroll to the end to find a free printable PDF version of these prompts if you’d prefer to write away from your screen.

Happy writing! Kim xo

Who lives in this hollowed out tree?

Set your timer for 3 minutes and free write about who or what might live here.

forest writing prompts

Play Some More

Answer the following questions to learn more about your character and how they live in the hollowed tree:

  • How tall is your character?
  • What do they wear?
  • What are their feet like?
  • Do they need any special features to avoid getting wood splinters?
  • If you were to thread a camera into the tree cavity, what would you see? (I.e., what does their “home” look like inside?)
  • How do they get from the tree to the ground?
  • What is their name?

Who lives in this rock hole?

Set your timer for 3 minutes and free write about who or what might live here.

forest creatures writing prompts

Play Some More

Answer the following questions to learn more about your character and how they live in the hole in the rock:

  • Does your character have skin or another covering on their body? What does it look like?
  • What sound does it make when your character walks or moves around?
  • Does your character live alone or with others?
  • Is the rock a temporary home or a permanent home?
  • What does your character feel about the rock? (I.e., do they enjoy living there? Is the rock their dream home?)
  • How old is your character?
  • What is their name?

Who lives in this upturned tree?

Set your timer for 3 minutes and free write about who or what might live here.

Play Some More

Answer the following questions to learn more about your character and how they live in the upturned tree:

  • In the image, human eyes see rocks and moss – what does your character see when they look at this image? (For example: are there buildings or pieces of furniture that are invisible to the human eye?)
  • How does your character use the moss? Is moss a practical resource in their world or maybe revered as sacred?
  • When and how does your character sleep? What does their bed or sleeping area look like?
  • What does your character do during the day – or night? Do they have a job?
  • How does your character get around? Do they use any type of motorized transportation? What does this look – and sound – like?
  • What is your character’s name?

Who lives in this discarded metal object?

Set your timer for 3 minutes and free write about who or what might live here.

forest creatures writing warm ups

Play Some More

Answer the following questions to learn more about your character and how they live in the discarded metal object:

  • To the human eye, this looks like a discarded appliance of some sort, but what is it really and how does your character use it?
  • Does your character live here alone or with others?
  • Is your character hiding from someone or something? If so, what protections have they put in place in and around their home?
  • What does your character do in winter? Do they feel the cold? How do they stay warm, if needed?
  • How does your character communicate with others? Do they speak a language? What are some of the sounds or words?
  • How does your character record important information? Do they write or use another means?
  • What is your character’s name?

Download a printable version of the writing warm-ups here:

WarmUps-ForestCreatures-WhoLivesHereDownload

All photos in this post are copyright (c) Kim Harrison, 2025.

What Do You See, Jack O’Lantern? Poem, K-2

Hi fellow teachers! Happy – almost – Halloween! “What Do You See, Jack O’Lantern?” is a short Halloween themed poem that can be used as a time filler, a post-recess moment of calm and focus or a fun twist on a poem read aloud. Some curriculum tie-ins could include point of view (POV), perspective, personification, inference, and creative writing (language arts), imagining and drawing pictures of Halloween (visual arts) as well as measuring and shapes (math).

See the teaching ideas below and grab the PPT version or print-ready PDF with some fun activity ideas for Grades K-2 as well as for ESL and ELL students. 

You have full permission to use the poem for teaching purposes within any educational setting, including online learning and homeschool.

Let me know if you use the poem – I’d love to hear how it goes.

Watch a video of the “What Do You See, Jack O’Lantern?” poem below. This “Poetry Pause with Dr. Kim” version includes a short interactive mindfulness introduction before the poem:

What Do You See, Jack-O’-Lantern?

I see little striped shins
and boots made of straw

I see scary shark fins
and socks with a jaw

I see tapping twice twins
and sweets on the floor

I see everyone wins
who knocks at my door!

Original poem by Kim T. Harrison. Video created in Canva.

Download a PDF, black & white, printable version of the poem:

PRINT-JackOLanternDownload

Download a PPT slide version of the poem:

PPT-JackOLanternDownload

Teaching Ideas

  • As a bell ringer or post-recess moment of focus. Let the video play while you tidy or prep.
  • As the introduction to a Halloween creative writing or visual arts activity: For example, brainstorm with students other items connected to Halloween (spiders, ghosts, cobwebs, witches, etc.) and then ask them to write a poem or draw a picture about Halloween night from the perspective of that item. Scaffold the activity by brainstorming things the Halloween item (now the speaker of the poem) might see. Depending on the grade, you could also brainstorm some rhymes and ask students to create a rhyming couplet starting with “I see + item”
  • To complement language arts assignments and activities, including those focused on point of view (POV), perspective, and personification: Ask students, Who is the “I” in this poem? / Who is the speaker? Can pumpkins really speak? (personification) What other Halloween objects could we personify?
  • Reading out loud or performance practice – use the poem as pairs or full class reading out loud or performing activity
  • To complement math activities – ask students to guess then measure how far away the Jack O’Lantern is from the trick or treaters knocking at the door. Thinking about what Jack O’Lantern can see from his perspective, what shapes make up some of the items he sees? What other shapes might he see on Halloween?

Happy Teaching! Kim x