PoemsBrowse PoemsSlamsFresh DropEchoes
LearnWriting TipsPoetry TermsPoets & ArtistsBooksFor Teachers
ExplorePoetry GenomePoem MapEchoesTake ActionGroups
AboutWrite a PoemDonateSign UpLog In
← Back to Poems
Free Verse

UNWRITTEN

by Dressedin.mistakes

I press a pen to paper like pressing a knife to my skin I bleed on the page, convincing myself of the idea I’m trapped in; And when it all fails, I do it again. When will I stop the cycle? At the end of it all, I’ll be long forgotten But I write anyway. And when I ask myself: “Why?” I respond with quiet. I press a pen to paper like pressing a gun to my head— Because I told myself, “My words are power.” But my hands are cowards. The paper is crumbling The pen is leaking But I can’t stop The endless seeking, For something that makes me whole.
©All Rights Reserved

Something wrong with this poem?

Share

Replies are closed for this poem.

enjambmentmetaphorrepetitionsimileidentityselfelegypersonificationspiritualwriter's blockfree versesad

If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988, 24/7. Crisis Text Line — text HELLO to 741741.

Dressedin.mistakes

I AM A MINOR hi! My names is Emily, but you can call me Wren, too. I write gothic literature <3 Find even more of my writing on storybird (DressedinMistake) or AllPoetry (Dressedin.mistakes)

View all poems →
▾ This Poem's Voice

Your Poem's Voice

PersonalThemeAbstract

Deeply personal struggle with writing; some universal philosophical questioning about purpose.

SparseMeasureDense

Multiple interconnected ideas: writing as self-harm, cyclical failure, forgotten legacy, powerlessness, existential seeking.

DarkSentimentBright

Predominantly dark: self-harm imagery, cowardice, failure, desperation, existential emptiness.

StillEnergyExplosive

Intense metaphors, sharp syntax, repetition creates urgency; fragmented lines amplify tension.

MicroLengthEpic

15 lines; fits mid-length range (16-30 approximate, borderline).

PlainFigurativeOrnamented

Rich similes (pen as knife/gun), personification (paper crumbling, pen leaking), metaphors throughout.

LyricVoiceDramatic

Pure lyric first-person introspection; internal emotional monologue without narrative or dramatic personas.

Free Verseidentityelegyspiritualsimilemetaphorpersonificationrepetitionenjambment

How do we analyze poems? →

▸ Artist Match

Your Poem Sounds Like...

Poets

Anne Sexton97%
Classic Poet

You share Anne Sexton's pacing and emotional tone.

Kaveh Akbar94%
Classic Poet

You share Kaveh Akbar's pacing and emotional tone.

Kara Jackson72%
Contemporary Poet

You share Kara Jackson's thematic depth and perspective.

All Music

Gracie Abrams80%
Pop Artist

You share Gracie Abrams's pacing and scope.

Olivia Rodrigo79%
Pop Artist

You share Olivia Rodrigo's pacing and perspective.

RAYE76%
R&B Artist

You share RAYE's figurative language and perspective.

Comments (1)

Nightshade-444
Your poems just keep getting better and better. I really like this one.

Log in to leave a comment.