Writing your own poem

Anyone can write a poem. You do not need to rhyme, and you do not need fancy words. You need a clear subject, sharp images and careful choices about where each line ends.

Practise this lesson free (7 questions)

Start small and specific

Poems work best when they zoom in. Not 'nature', but 'a spider's web after rain'. Not 'friendship', but 'the bench where we always sit'.
Jot down what you can see, hear, smell, touch and taste, then pick the freshest details.

Tools to try

ToolExample
Imagery (simile, metaphor, personification)The moon is a coin dropped in a puddle
Sound (alliteration, onomatopoeia)the hiss and hush of the sea
Line breaksEnding a line on an important word makes the reader pause on it
RepetitionRepeat a key line to build feeling
A formA haiku in English is usually 5, 7 and 5 syllables

Draft, then sharpen

1. Write freely, without judging.
2. Cut words that add nothing ('very', 'really').
3. Swap clichés ('as cold as ice') for fresh images.
4. Read it aloud and listen: where should it pause?
5. Choose a title that adds something, not just a label.
Worked example

Write a haiku about a rainy morning (5, 7 and 5 syllables).

  1. Line 1, 5 syllables: Grey rain on the glass (grey-rain-on-the-glass).
  2. Line 2, 7 syllables: my cat follows each raindrop (my-cat-fol-lows-each-rain-drop).
  3. Line 3, 5 syllables: racing to the edge (ra-cing-to-the-edge).

Answer: Grey rain on the glass
my cat follows each raindrop
racing to the edge

Key idea

Choose a small, specific subject. Use fresh images, sound and careful line breaks. Draft freely, then cut, sharpen and read aloud.

Quick check

Try two quick questions

See if it has sunk in. Answers are marked straight away.

Extra practice

2 more questions

Try each one, then tap to check.

  1. Which is the weakest subject for a short, vivid poem?

    1. Everything in the universe
    2. A spider's web after rain
    3. A dropped ice cream
    4. An empty swing at dusk
    Show the answer

    Answer: Everything in the universe

    A huge subject is hard to make vivid.

  2. Which phrase is a cliché?

    1. the fridge hummed its night song
    2. rain stitched the window
    3. as busy as a bee
    4. a moon like a fingernail clipping
    Show the answer

    Answer: as busy as a bee

    Clichés are overused.

Check you have got it

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Practise this lesson free (7 questions)All KS3 English lessons

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Sources and references

Checked by the GCSE-ready editorial team, 17 October 2026. Last updated 2 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.

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