Great Poets | Young Writers Project

Writing Challenges: Inspiration and ideas to spark your creativity every day

[Art by Alden Bond, YWP]

This challenge flows from a series called THE GREAT POETS CHALLENGE created by YWP's Nightheart to help you discover new poets, explore their styles and become inspired by their works! Find out more here, and respond anytime to any of the great poets. Just include the poet who inspired you at the top of your piece.

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Responses to this Challenge

Oct 14

poem challenge: Great Poets

Elise

Busted

Emulqtion of Nikki giovanni, Cotton candy on a Rainy Day.

I now sit lonesome

in the red brick stairwell where our lips once met

Time after time,

Secrets slipping through our cigarette stained teeth

Concrete stairs lining my peripheral

Reminding me of how far I once fell

Busting my grimy teeth face first

Diving into what I once thought was meant for me.

Posted: 10.14.21

Oct 14

poem challenge: Great Poets

nolanavery

turn my swag on

Live, Laugh, Love.
The beautiful flowers of earth sprout from the seeded soil,
The trees blow back and fourth with the rythem of the wind,
the ocean swells into giant pool along the rock cliffs of life,
Animals be out side asking "where yall at, its ten o'clock theres no one out here this not o'block this no block"
Live, Laugh, Love.

Posted: 10.14.21

Oct 14

poem challenge: Great Poets

Colinzouck

Pablo Naruda Emulation

Inspired By: "Ode to Tomatoes" -Pablo Naruda

Moving up the highway
objects
flying by
cars moving
slower
around me
slithering between
mountain walls
orange trees
it
is autumn
Devil
in
a
new
dress
on
the radio
on a magic
carpet ride
Kanye
and the
boss
Rick ross
Illuminating
my surroundings
with their voices
Driving in a
Cherry red chariot,
excess is just my character
flying down the highway
like the main character
paradise is the destination.

Posted: 10.14.21

Oct 14

poem challenge: Great Poets

SylvanHistorian

An Ode to ‘No. 4’

An Ode to 'No. 4'
inspired by an Ode to Tomatoes by Pablo Neruda

My belly fills up,
with No. 4,
hunger quenched,
providing strength,
the perfect way,
to start my day.

Two eggs,
scrambled please,
they provide me,
with strength,
energy,
making me,
whole.

Bacon,
Four pieces,
their crunch,
holds power,
and life,
and love,
for this world.

Toast,
buttered,
and golden,
and joyful,
the light,
behind the sun,
is restored.

Homefries,
dry,
bad,
the few I ate,
gave perspective.

Water,
The finale to my breakfast,
An interlude between bites,
icy and refreshing,
soothing and relaxing.
cleansing me of sin,
from last night, and all nights before.

Posted: 10.14.21

Oct 05

poem challenge: Great Poets

Emmettlachapelle

The House

[Inspired by "XVII (I do not love you...)" - Pablo Neruda]

The house sits on an empty street,
waiting for a new occupant.
The rooms are lonely,
missing the company of someone.

The house hasn't been seen in years,
it is sad.
It sits in the same spot,
unable to move and find someone.

The house is broken,
with no windows or doors.
It is waiting to be fixed,
by a kind soul with a big heart.

The house has no furniture,
it is missing its character.
The house waits for the inevitable,
the wrecking crew.

Posted: 10.05.21

Oct 05

poem challenge: Great Poets

Sam

Ode to Vermont emulation of Pablo Neruda

The town
filled with people,
midday,
fall
noise is
halved
like
beats by Dre,
its noise
roams
through the streets.
bright colored
leaves fall
listening to the crunch
stepping on leaves
In December,
uninhabited,
streets
full
with no one,
besides,
snowplows
and
snowflakes,
listening to the
crisp crunch of snow

Posted: 10.05.21

Oct 01

poem challenge: Great Poets

annamorton

Morning and night

[Inspired by "Tonight I Can Write (the saddest lines)" -Pablo Neruda]

Today I think of only solemn thoughts.

My mind continuously thinking 'How can one be surrounded by so many, yet feel so alone'

The thoughts swirl inside my head as if they are dancing along my mind

Today I have been thinking only of the saddest thoughts.
The person closest to you, begins to become the farthest away.

Throughout the time my heart was full, and now to walk as if I am missing a piece.
On days like today you would always be so near, holding you close, as if it was all I had.

You were my person, and I began to think I was yours.
How could two become so close without becoming one.

Today my thoughts are thouroughly solemn.
To miss a piece of my heart, when it had once been complete.

When living the same day on repeat, just for you to leave my world even more bland.

Posted: 10.01.21

Oct 01

poem challenge: Great Poets

kaihillier

The Silent Man

The silent man visits me each night. His skin is white, his eyes shine bright. He doesn't want to fight, nor do I. I'm too scared to cry because I don't want to die, but he tells me he already had, and it wasn't so bad. I don't tell my dad, or my mom either, because if I did they'd say "take a breather". The irony there is that he doesn't breathe, and neither can I. He makes my mouth dry, but isn't very sly. He walks right on in, then floats to the sky.

Posted: 10.01.21

Oct 01

poem challenge: Great Poets

perrytheplatypus

Winter

Cold
Winter is coming, famous line, harsh reality
Human migration to the warm side of life
Left to a land baron and cold
thoughts of summer in the minds of all who don't like the snow
out with mittens and jackets and sleds
kids love when snow falls upon them
They'll sled and make snowforts
The smell of winter and the cold touch of ice
Nostalgia well in the making.

Posted: 10.01.21

Jun 08

poem challenge: Great Poets

Sawyer Fell

A Request

"I do not wish to escape to myself, I wish to escape from myself."
- Allen Ginsberg (Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg: The Letters)

do not dwell on my life.

when death licks
the last reminiscence
of marrow from my bones.

when my body erodes
from bone to dust
my shadow will be no more.

when i turn from clay to stone.
do not make a monument of me.
i do not wish to be immortalized

for everything has mortality.
in its own sense.

do not dwell on my life.

Posted: 06.08.21

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