These high school poems were written for the kinds of English assignments where we were told to write something poetic, whether or not we had anything poetic to say.
Looking back, I can see that even when I wasn’t trying to be personal, my natural personality still came through. The structure and the prompts shaped the work, but what was going on in my life during high school had a way of sneaking in anyway. These poems became early exercises in rhythm, repetition, and metaphor. They gave me a way to explore language and emotion, even before I had the confidence or vocabulary to fully express what I was feeling.
THOUGHTS
Love and friendship bridge all space Make the world a better place. To have joy one must share it, Happiness was born a twin. Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others Cannot keep it from themselves.
This was likely written for a prompt about writing “truths” or life advice. It’s short, sincere, and idealistic—exactly the kind of poem you’d write when trying to sound wise in a high school classroom. The structure keeps it clean, and the tone makes it memorable.
NONSENSE
I’m in captivity to my perplexity. They say I need humility to attain immortality. My captivity has lasted an eternity. It was a terrible calamity, when my adversity became an extremity. I guess I should affect a gravity to receive a principality, but because of my iniquity, they sent me importunity. They think they have lots of equity— only, they really have enmity. I’ll say goodbye, until my ability enables me to come to an affinity with my adversary.
This one still makes me smile. The assignment was to write a poem using a single suffix—I chose “-ity.” We had to make the poem rhyme, at least loosely, and still have it make some kind of sense. It wasn’t just about listing words; the goal was to create something that flowed. I remember really leaning into the rhythm, trying to make the repetition feel intentional rather than just mechanical. It ended up being a strange mix of vocabulary play and poetic experiment, in hindsight, it taught me how sound and structure can shape a piece even when the meaning is abstract.
MOODS
Blue is the color of my sadness. Green is the shade of my jealousy. Yellow means I’m deliriously happy. Red shows my anger and my joy. Brown is evidence of my drabness. Black shows sophistication. Colors—the essence of my moods.
I’m almost certain this was written in response to a prompt about using metaphor or sensory language to describe emotions. It’s a basic list poem, but it works. Each color stands in for a feeling, and the poem doesn’t over-explain.
Mini-Lesson: What Early high school Poems Reveal About Voice
Whether written for a prompt, a worksheet, or a ten-minute in-class sprint, these poems show how form creates focus and sometimes unexpected honesty. Even when poems aren’t emotionally driven, they’re still powerful learning tools.
This mini-lesson looks at how each poem uses structure, sound, or metaphor to make meaning, and gives you ways to write from those same starting points now.
Try This
- Constraint as Discovery: Choose a single suffix like “-ment,” “-ing,” or “-ion” and write a poem using words that share that ending. Let rhythm guide the meaning.
- Color as Emotion: Write a list poem using colors to describe emotional states without naming the emotions. For example: “Green feels like waiting too long in line.”
- Respond to a Younger Voice: Revisit one of your earliest poems or journal entries. Write a new piece next to it that responds, updates, or reframes it.
Reflection Prompt:
Even if you don’t have older poems or writing to look back on, think about how you approach writing today. What patterns do you notice in your voice, such as structure, sound, tone, or the kinds of words you return to?
Is there a rhythm you tend to use without thinking? A kind of mood you write best in? A certain image or phrase you often reach for?
Take a moment to notice what your current writing already reveals about your voice. You may be more consistent than you realize.
Download the Free PDF
Click here to download the mini-lesson as a printable PDF
🌐 Want to see what young writers are creating today? Visit Young Writers Project, a nonprofit writing community that supports student voices through prompts, publication, and mentorship.
Share Your Thoughts
Do you have poems from high school or early writing hiding in a drawer? Take a look at them with fresh eyes. Comment below or try one of the writing exercises and share what you discover.
📚 If you’d like to see how structure and emotion show up in other early poems, check out this earlier post featuring pieces like “Daddy’s Girl” and “Boxed Love,” along with another mini-lesson and download.
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