How to Center Gratitude in Your Poetry Practice

Gratitude is more than a nice gesture. Practicing gratitude regularly can reap many benefits, from stronger relationships to better moods and even improved physical health. Plus, the spirit of gratitude can easily be imbued into your writing, both in content and intention. In this article, we’ve rounded up 5 ideas and prompts for centering gratitude in your poetry practice. 

Keep a gratitude journal.

A gratitude journal is a popular approach for centering gratitude in both life and writing. Every day, try to write down at least one thing you’re grateful for. Be sure to make note of the little things—these small details can be used later as fodder for poems. 

Keeping a gratitude journal is a great way to cultivate true presence, a key ingredient in creativity. As the poet Marala Scott says in a Read Poetry interview: “Gratitude is not solely about what others do for me. It’s about appreciating that I wake up, when every minute, there is someone who didn’t. It is appreciating my life, my family, taking care of my health, showing empathy, being humble, loving people, and knowing that my relationship with God is paramount. The way I find gratitude is by being present, so I can see, feel, and experience it rather than allowing the moments that I should appreciate most to escape me.” 

Write an ode.

An ode is a lyrical poetry form that typically celebrates something, such as a person you love or an object with sentimental value. The poet Pablo Neruda is well known for his use of the ode form, collected in a book of Odes to Common Things, in which he celebrates small things such as his socks, an onion, or a large tuna in the market. 

Try picking one of the little details you’ve been collecting in your gratitude journal and writing an ode to give thanks and celebrate it. 

Share poems as gifts and thank-yous.

Gratitude isn’t just an introspective exercise. When you’re grateful for friends and family, one of the best ways to express that gratitude is with gifts or thank you notes. If you want to incorporate gratitude into your poetry practice, a great way to do so is by addressing a poem to one of your loved ones. Give it to them as a birthday gift, a thank you for their helping hand, or just because. 

If you’re stuck, try one of these 4 writing prompts to inspire gratitude. 

Do a metta meditation before writing. 

Metta, also known as loving-kindness meditation, is a specific form of meditation in which you focus on sending positive, loving energy towards yourself and others. Metta is a great way to cultivate gratitude and compassion, especially toward folks with whom you don’t always see eye-to-eye. 

To practice metta meditation, bring to mind any person—yourself, a friend, a neutral stranger, or someone with whom you have a difficult relationship—and repeat kind, loving phrases directed at them like, “May you be happy. May you be well. May you be safe. May you be peaceful and at ease.”

Try practicing metta and then writing about your experience—you may end up with a deeply heartfelt, gratitude-inspired poem. 

Read and share poems you love.

Individual poets don’t exist in a vacuum. Most of us remember the first poem that captured our eyes and ears—maybe “Hope is the Thing with Feathers” by Emily Dickinson or “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll—and most of us still enjoy reading and networking with contemporary poets like Rupi Kaur, Amanda Lovelace, or one of the many anonymous poets who regularly post on digital writing forums and social media.

The poems and poets you love help shape your voice, and it’s important to express gratitude for them as well. One of the best ways to do this is to find creative ways to share their work, whether on social media, at open mics, or with friends and neighbors. If you haven’t read much poetry in a while, try starting with one of these 4 poems to help you lean into gratitude. 

Thank you, reader—and happy writing!

We hope these tips inspire you to continue cultivating thankfulness, joy, and compassion in your own life through poetry. If you enjoyed this and want more along the same vein, get more ideas for centering gratitude in your poetry practice here.