A Creative Twist on Found Poetry for National Poetry Month

A Creative Twist on Found Poetry for National Poetry Month

Since April is National Poetry Month, I wanted to share a beautiful, creative idea that has totally refreshed one of my favorite poetry activities—and it just might do the same for you.

If you’re not already following Paul Damien Elegy, go do that right now. I absolutely love listening to him recite poetry—his delivery is so thoughtful and rich with emotion. You can find him on Instagram and YouTube, and he’s become a regular inspiration in my own teaching.

Recently, I came across this video of his that stopped me in my tracks—in the best way. In it, Paul takes lines from various poems and weaves them together into one stunning compilation. It’s a new spin on Found Poetry, and it came together beautifully. Even better? It’s something ANY student can do too.

What is Found Poetry?

Found poetry is a creative process where students take lines from existing poems—or any kind of text—and blend them together to form a brand-new, original piece. The beauty of this approach lies in how it encourages close reading, interpretation, and creativity, all while honoring the original authors through proper citation.

Why My Students (and I) Love Found Poetry

Found Poetry has always been a favorite in my classroom because it takes the pressure off of coming up with something completely original. It gives students a chance to be creative with what already exists—reframing it, reworking it, and ultimately making it their own.

What I love about it, especially this version, is that it challenges students to dig deep into:

• Word choice
• Mood
• Tone
• Citation (yes, even in poetry!)

It’s a low-barrier, high-engagement way to build critical reading and writing skills. And it’s just plain fun.

The Inspiration: A Human Touch to a Beautiful Compilation

Here’s what Paul Damien Elegy shared about the piece:

“I got inspired to record this video after seeing a clip with the same verses from momentary existentialism’s page, with an AI voiceover. I thought maybe it might need a little bit of a human touch haha. It is a beautiful compilation of verses from different sources, that I believe were put together by the same page, and that I will reference down below as well.”

Here’s the result—a blend of voices from different poets that come together to form a new kind of story:

She guessed my favorite color first try.
But between you and me… I didn’t even have a favorite color until she yelled out ‘yellow!’ She was excited and smiling like a little kid. So I told her she was right, and I haven’t seen yellow the same since. It’s in everything. I could probably live in it now.
— Arabic poem from اللون الآخر by إحسان عبد القدوس

She is the most beautiful pattern of beauty on the fabric of love.
— Imran Shaikh

She was a poem and a painting too. Everything she said sounded like a song, every silence was the music too.
— Akshay Vasu

She’s an old soul with young eyes, a vintage heart, and a beautiful mind.
— Nicole Lyons

Isn’t that gorgeous?

Bring This to Your Classroom (Free Lesson Included!)

Inspired by this piece, I created a FREE lesson and set of handouts to help you and your students try out this poetic collage technique in your own classroom. It’s simple, meaningful, and perfect for celebrating National Poetry Month.

Whether your students are seasoned poets or brand-new to poetry, this activity meets them where they are. It includes a presentation that introduces Found Poetry and includes Paul’s sample video. I also included handouts for students as well!

👉 Download the Free Found Poetry Lesson Here

I hope this brings a little magic to your classroom like it did to mine. Wishing you a joyful and creative Poetry Month!

Want more ideas?

If you enjoyed using Found Poetry as a structured way to introduce creativity, you might also like this post from The English Teacher Vault on an alternative to the traditional “Where I’m From” poem. In it, teachers are introduced to “My Honest Poem” by Rudy Francisco, a contemporary spoken-word mentor text that gives students a fresh format for writing personal poetry while still providing the supportive structure many learners need.

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