Tips For Writing Supernatural-Themed Poetry

Exploring the supernatural in your poetry provides endless writing possibilities, letting you unlock rich worlds to pull creative inspiration from. So, if you’re bored by the mundane, escape the normal world with these tips for writing supernatural-themed poetry.

Explore a specific aspect of the supernatural world

Whether you’re fascinated by ghosts, enamored by land spirits and deities, or spellbound by witches, as you begin writing about the supernatural, focus on one aspect of this ethereal world to explore. Doing so provides a starting point and helps you effectively focus your poetry. 

Research your own heritage

Personalize your supernatural poetry by researching myths and stories of the supernatural in your own heritage. Ask family members, read a book on the topic, or simply turn to Google. As you research, consider taking inspiration from seasonal stories and traditions. 

Incorporate symbolism and metaphor

From ghosts to tarot to general witchy energy, the supernatural world lets you add some magic to your poems by incorporating symbolism and metaphor. Ghosts might represent the past in your poetry. Tarot cards are all about symbolism:what sort of hand were you dealt? Witches can serve as a metaphor for power, connection to nature, and sisterhood. 

Read poetry with supernatural themes

Reading genre-specific poetry is one of the simplest ways to learn how to write about different topics. Studying supernatural-themed poems, therefore, can spark creative inspiration you otherwise wouldn’t have experienced.

Pull from your own experiences

Have you ever felt a departed loved one guiding you through challenging times? Perhaps you’ve visited a notoriously haunted location and caught a glimpse of something ghostly? Or, maybe you’ve dreamt something that came true? As you delve into the supernatural in your poetry, writing poems based on your own experiences can add a grounding element of relatability to your work, which allows your readers to connect more deeply with your poetry.

To help you start writing, here are some detailed prompts based on topics from these tips:

• Perhaps each line of your poem dedicated to a loved one who passed away will include signs they’ve sent you from beyond. As you write, captivate your readers with detailed imagery, painting a poignant picture of these magical moments.
• Tell your version of a ghost story by relying on metaphor. Visiting a haunted house might represent how your regrets or mistakes haunt you—ghostly forms can symbolize these specific memories, referring to yourself or a former partner as a phantom, for example.
• Cast a spell over your readers with a witch poem. Imagine you’re practicing witchcraft by creating a spell, each line of the poem a different ingredient that will heal you.
• After digging into your heritage, write a poem about a specific deity or land spirit. Choose a goddess or mythological being whose story or characteristics you connect with. Then, draw creative parallels between yourself and your poem’s subject.

Whether you create your own supernatural world or simply capture an otherworldly moment in a poem, we hope these tips inspire you to explore these themes in your writing. If you’d like to challenge your writing in other ways, check out our many writing tip blogs.