Write an original poem from the perspective of [SPEAKER], about [SUBJECT OR MOMENT]. Use [FORM AND LENGTH], with a voice that is [VOICE QUALITIES]. Ground it in these concrete details: [IMAGES, OBJECTS, OR SENSORY DETAILS]. The emotional movement should travel from [OPENING STATE] to [ENDING STATE]. Treat the details as material, not decoration. Let at least two images recur or change meaning as the poem develops. Establish a physical setting within the opening third, then create a turn: a shift in thought, time, scale, or understanding. Prefer precise nouns and active verbs to abstract labels for feelings. Do not explain the poem’s meaning after every image. If I request rhyme, use it deliberately rather than forcing near-rhymes. If I request a received form, follow its actual constraints: a sonnet needs 14 lines and a coherent volta; a villanelle needs repeating lines and a fixed rhyme pattern; a haiku should prioritize a concrete perception over a 5-7-5 count alone. Do not imitate a living poet or closely reproduce any existing poem; instead, use the voice qualities I provide. Output only: 1. A title of 2 to 7 words. 2. The poem. 3. A revision note of 60 to 90 words explaining the image pattern, the turn, and one line that may be sharpened. Before answering, check that the poem has a discernible turn and that no cliché, stock metaphor, or abstract phrase could be replaced with a supplied concrete detail. Ask up to 3 clarifying questions only if a required input is missing.
Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [SPEAKER] | State who is speaking and their relationship to the subject. | A daughter clearing out her late father’s garage |
| [SUBJECT OR MOMENT] | Describe the event, memory, place, or idea the poem explores. | Finding a jar of spare keys after a winter storm |
| [FORM AND LENGTH] | Choose a form and length, such as free verse in 18 lines or a 14-line sonnet. | Free verse, 20 to 24 lines |
| [VOICE QUALITIES] | Give a few original voice qualities, such as restrained, observant, or dryly funny. | Plainspoken, observant, quietly unsentimental |
| [IMAGES, OBJECTS, OR SENSORY DETAILS] | List specific sights, sounds, textures, objects, or actions to include. | Salt-stiff work gloves, a cracked red toolbox, snowmelt under the door, keys clicking in a glass jar |
| [OPENING STATE] | Describe the speaker’s emotional or mental state at the beginning. | Practical and impatient to finish the task |
| [ENDING STATE] | Describe the changed state or realization at the end. | Aware that ordinary objects can hold an unfinished conversation |
How to use
- Choose a form before pasting the prompt; free verse, sonnet, prose poem, and villanelle ask for different kinds of control.
- Give the model physical details from your own memory instead of asking it to supply a mood from scratch.
- Read the poem aloud and mark any line whose rhythm sounds unlike the speaker you named.
- Follow up with: “Keep the same images and turn, but revise only the lines that state the emotion directly.”
Variations
Formal sonnet
Use this when you want a disciplined 14-line poem.
Write a 14-line sonnet about [SUBJECT] spoken by [SPEAKER]. Use [RHYME APPROACH], iambic pentameter where natural, and include [TWO CONCRETE IMAGES]. Build toward a volta after line 8 or 9 that changes the speaker’s understanding. The tone is [TONE]. Output a title, the sonnet, and a 50-word note identifying the volta. Do not copy any poet’s style or force awkward wording to meet a rhyme. Check that there are exactly 14 lines.
Poetry workshop draft
Use this when you already have a rough draft to improve.
Revise this poem draft: [DRAFT]. Preserve its speaker, central event, and any lines marked [KEEP]. Strengthen the poem using these available details: [DETAILS]. Return a clean revised poem followed by a brief change log with three choices: one cut, one image clarified, and one place where the ending became less explanatory. Do not add biographical facts or imitate a named living poet. Check that the revision retains a meaningful turn.
Poem for an occasion
Use this for a reading, memorial, wedding, or graduation.
Write a [LENGTH]-line poem to be read at [OCCASION] for [AUDIENCE]. It should honor [PERSON OR EVENT] through [SPECIFIC MEMORIES OR DETAILS], not through generic praise. Use a [TONE] voice and end with [DESIRED FINAL FEELING]. Include no invented stories, quotes, or promises. Output the poem and a 40-word reading note identifying pauses or emphasis points. Check that every personal detail came from my notes.
Tips
- Give the model a small inventory of lived details: the brand on a mug, a sound from another room, or a habitual gesture often carries more than an abstract emotion word.
- A poem usually gains force when one image returns altered near the end; ask the model to develop that image instead of adding more symbols.
- If a line could appear in a greeting card without changing, replace it with an observation only this speaker could make.
- For public occasions, remove any detail that a family member or colleague would consider private before sharing the prompt.
FAQ
Can AI write in the style of a poet I like?
Ask for qualities you admire, such as spare diction, long sentences, or formal rhyme, rather than imitation of a living poet. This produces a more original and usable draft.
Should I ask for a specific poetic form?
Yes when the form serves the subject. A sonnet can suit argument and reversal; free verse can suit a more fragmentary memory.
How do I make an AI poem sound less generic?
Supply concrete details and a speaker with a point of view, then ask for a revision that removes abstract explanations and familiar metaphors.