Poems to Help You Listen to Your Intuition
Learning to listen to your intuition is an often confusing, rocky journey. Drowning out the noise and trusting your gut despite outside opinions or messages can prove difficult—but when you’re constantly being pulled in different directions, following your intuition is an empowering act of bravery.
Whether in your writing craft, when navigating relationships, or while considering pivotal life choices, your intuition can pave a clear path forward. To support you in this practice, we’ve compiled a list of poems about trusting your intuition.
For writing
Letting intuition guide your writing can assist in every part of the process, allowing your words to flow freely. Trusting your first instincts about a piece’s angle, word choice, and structure can help you confidently develop your unique voice, hone your craft, and prevent writer’s block.
This sentiment is evident in Mary Oliver’s “The Journey.” In the excerpt below, Oliver celebrates connecting with one’s own voice instead of adopting others’. Most writers can relate to this struggle, which Oliver clearly and poignantly captures.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own
For navigating relationships
Navigating relationships is a central part of life. Developing bonds with others has its ups and downs, and those experiences often force you to heal and grow. Following your intuition is an important part of this process: it can help you know when to set boundaries and which relationships to invest in or let go of.
In this relatable poem from the sun and her flowers, Rupi Kaur communicates this important message about intuition: being comfortable with trusting your inner voice instead of fulfilling others’ needs at the cost of your own.
“it was when i stopped searching for home within others
and lifted the foundations of home within myself
i found there were no roots more intimate
than those between a mind and body
that have decided to be whole”
For life decisions
Whether in your career or personal life, making important decisions often feels stressful and uncertain. Using your intuition as a guide can help ease those worries.
Robert Frost’s iconic “The Road Not Taken” epitomizes trusting your intuition during these pivotal moments. After choosing an unconventional path, the subject’s life drastically changes. “I took the one less traveled by” suggests that the speaker listens to their intuition as opposed to the obvious, common choice. Many of us can recall a choice we made based on intuition with similar results—a decision that altered the trajectory of one’s life.
…I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Hopefully these poems inspire you to always trust your gut. Following your intuition is an imperfect process, so remember to give yourself a break throughout your journey. When you’re feeling lost, reference these works for encouragement.
