How To Write Poems With Artificial Intelligence (Using Google's Verse by Verse)

This blog post was written by a human.

*Please note that exclusively using AI to write and publish text-based content is unethical and should not be done under any circumstance. In this post, I demonstrate how to utilize AI as a tool for writing practice, but I do not condone the use of AI to produce text without extensive editing and human intervention. In fact, I highly advise against it. In absolutely no cases should AI-written content be submitted to editors, agents, or publishers, nor should it be published online or in print materials. AI should never be used to replace the art of writing and storytelling through text. This is just a fun, light-hearted post that shows how writers can experiment with AI to help get their creativity flowing, much like warming up with writing exercises. Please keep in mind that AI use poses various ethical and environmental ramifications. I strongly encourage you to do your own research before trying out the techniques in this blog post for yourself. 

Hi readers and writerly friends!

If you’re new to the blog, thanks for stopping by, and if you’re a returning reader, it’s nice to see you again! In this post we’re going to explore writing poetry using artificial intelligence (AI).  I heard about this from an article a few years ago. I tried to find it, but so many others have come out discussing the same topic since then and it seems it’s been buried in the search results. However, I have linked some particularly interesting articles at the end of this post for further reading. All other articles quoted in this post will be linked at the end as well.

Artificial Intelligence

Before we can create poetry using artificial intelligence, we must first understand what the term means in definition as well as what it means for the future of humanity. Artificial intelligence is changing the world in ways no one can yet fully predict.

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) of Oxford University Press defines artificial intelligence as:

“Noun. The capacity of computers or other machines to exhibit or simulate intelligent behaviour; the field of study concerned with this. Abbreviated AI.” (OED 2008)

Artificial intelligence can also be described as the theory and development of computer systems that are able to perform tasks such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and other tasks that normally require human intelligence. Initially, AI included search engines, recommendation algorithms such as those used by YouTube, Amazon, and Netflix, computer programs that could play games like chess with users. In the last decade, we have seen an emergence of AI applications that can complete a myriad of tasks that typically require human intelligence. These applications include understanding and responding to human speech (apps such as Siri and Alexa), self-driving cars (such as Tesla), and even art making and poetry writing programs (such as the infamous Lensa app and Verse by Verse by Google).

In his article, “Can AI Write Authentic Poetry?” cognitive psychologist and poet Keith Holyoak explores whether artificial intelligence could ever achieve poetic authenticity. In the article, he makes the comparison of AI to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein:

“On the hazier side of the present horizon, there may come a tipping point at which AI surpasses the general intelligence of humans. (In various specific domains, notably mathematical calculation, the intersection point was passed decades ago.) Many people anticipate this technological moment, dubbed the Singularity, as a kind of Second Coming—though whether of a savior or of Yeats’s rough beast is less clear. Perhaps by constructing an artificial human, computer scientists will finally realize Mary Shelley’s vision.” (Holyoak 2022, par.6)

Despite the bleak predictions of how AI may one day replace all human activity, the reality is that this technology is simply not there yet. While AI can simulate human intelligence successfully in many tasks, it is still lacking in the poetry writing department and requires humans to be the editors and final decision makers in the outcome of a poem. Holyoak explains this current iteration of poetry AI being a system that “operates using a generate-then-select method” (Holyoak 2022, par.10).

In his article, Keith Holyoak ponders the validity of AI poetry, functionalism, the Hard Problem of consciousness, and the critical essence or subjective experience within poetry. I have linked his article at the end of this blog post, and I highly encourage you to read it if you’re even remotely interested in these topics.

Users can select up to three poets to serve as their muses. They will provide suggestions as you write. Photo by Payton Hayes.

Google’s Verse by Verse

Verse by Verse is a powerful poetry-writing AI created by Google that produces suggestions line by line, inspired by famed classical poets such as Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. The tool allows users to select up to three poets they want to mimic from a list of twenty-two classical poets.

Google’s about section on the Verse by Verse demo page says this of the software:

“Verse by Verse is an experiment in human-AI collaboration for writing poetry. We have created a cadre of AI poets, trained on the poems of many of America's classical poets, to work alongside you in writing poetry.

Each poet will try to offer suggestions that they think would best continue a poem in the style of that given poet. As such, try working with different poets to see whose style best meshes with your own.

Explore what works best for you when composing the poem. You can try using the poets' suggestions (including editing them to better match your style!), or write your own inspired by what they suggest.” (Google)

I conducted a little more research to gain a better understanding of how the AI operates and how best to use it for writing my own poetry. The article “Google’s ‘Verse by Verse’ can help you write poetry” by Aditya Saroha provides insight into how the muses provides suggestions based on classical poets. Saroha said, “Google explained that Verse by Verse's suggestions are not the original lines of verse the poets had written, but novel verses generated to sound like lines of verse the poets could have written. To build the tool, Google’s engineers trained models on a large collection of classic poetry. They fine-tuned the models on each individual poet’s body of work to try to capture their style of writing” (Saroha 2021, par.8-10). So, the poetry that the tool’s muses provide the user with were not actually lines crafted by classical poets, but rather inspired by their individual bodies of work.

In the article, “Google’s ‘Verse by Verse’ Lets You Imitate Writing Style Of Your Favourite Classical Poet” by Rudrani Gupta, provided quotes from one of Google’s software engineers, Dave Uthus where he explained how the AI was trained to write like classical poets. She said, “The suggestions of the new verses are possible because the tool has been ‘trained to have a general semantic understanding of what lines of the verse would best follow a previous line of verse,’ said engineer Dave Uthus. ‘Even if you write on topics not commonly seen in classic poetry, the system will try its best to make suggestions that are relevant,’ he added” (Gupta 2020, par.4). By training the AI in this fashion, the tool allows modern poets to write about modern topics, themes, and concepts, while imitating classical style and voice.

While this software can prove to be a useful writing too, it isn’t intended to replace talented poets. Saroha concludes his article by noting that the tool is meant to aid poets rather than replacing them. He said, “Through the tool, Google aims to ‘augment’ the creative process of composing a poem. Google said Verse by Verse is a creative helper, an inspiration and not a replacement” (Saroha 2021, par.11 ).

Google’s Verse by Verse, an AI poetry-writing tool. Photo by Payton Hayes.

I First Used Verse by Verse In 2020

I was first introduced to Verse by Verse in 2020 and I tried it just to see how effective it could be. At the time, I was really getting into my own religious deconstruction and exploring overt sexuality and expression. As a result, my writing at the time certainly reflected my interests and spiritual journey. I typed in words such as holy, prayer, pleasure, love, lust, sex, worship, devotion, god, and church. The poets I selected as my muses were Whitman, Emerson, and Poe and as I wrote each verse on the left, they provided me with inspiration from the column on the right.

I do not have the original poem the AI created when I first did this exercise in 2020 however, from that, I ended up with the following poem:

PRAYER

"Oh God," she says, hands clasped together, fingers entwined, knees bent.

He doesn't answer; he does.

he answers with earnest, continued, devoted worship

head bowed, eyes closed, his mind devoid of all else but this

—this soul-shaking, earth-shattering pleasure, this blessed communion between man and woman,

the Holy Spirit an undoubted voyeur through the candlelight,

this holy practice wherein they do some of their finest praying. (Hayes 2020)

Revisiting Verse by Verse in 2022

To show you how this AI writes poetry and how it’s suggestions can be effective for your own poetry writing, I decided to give it another go in 2022. Below is a gallery of screenshots from the tool as I entered each verse/line at a time. As you can see, my muses Emerson, Poe, and Whitman all provided me with interesting and unique suggestions to include in my poem.

I used words and phrases that came to mind, without rhyme or reason. I typed out ten verses and my chosen muses produced three lines each to help inspire my poem. Below are the twenty-seven lines from each poet in the right column (totaling eighty-one lines among my muses).

Ralph Waldo Emerson Muse

Tides of the hands of the bold,

Tides of the North wind, and to woods

Tides of the hands of the snow;

Hearing a weary weary voice at happy eve,

Hearing a happy poet recount

Hearing a weary poet high

Whilst upper wits, and for their memory ave

Dwarfed for thy harp to willing hand;

Victor over war’s enchanted lid

Spreading their scent through a ian gold;

House in for the blood of their delight,

Bright with homage to their well-known delight!

Wield these young honey wine for their delight:

Escort and beauty for their sick delight:

Their shining beauty to each youthful lamp  

Knew that their roar and pulse of kindred air:

Wield these first tones that shine through speak;

Bright with homage to their well-known delight!

Soothes with their shining sorrow;

Mixed with sand by other true delight.

Scent with thy summer horn.

Spreading their scent through fancy and desire;

Stream through thy friendship to the upper air,--

Beer and cup from every cottage beams–

Freedom and beauty for a delicate beams.

Strewed the wide wave with their enchanted maids;

Mixed with sand by other true liberty.

Walt Whitman Muse

Entering my feet over the prairies,

Wherein each stands or sweeps in the though,

Entering my feet upon the prairies

Splashing the waves with a yellow light,

Splashing the waves over the beach at night,

Splashing the river with a mystic midnight light,

Gave up the mighty and diverse hand

Rose the old drunkard, with a long side,

Making the young land tremble for the soul;

Wherein I feel so certain and happy,

Wherein all women pass from the world,

Encircled by a servant at hand;

Encircled by a servant at hand;

Making a song of a open air;

E’er lashes and clothes without wealth.

Thunder on stride on stride on lean words:

Rich greenish drift and the measureless light;

Wherein I understand each breath and the age;

Encircled by a delicate mouth and hand.

Mighty and perfect pour through the night.

Perfume the white arms of the summer night

Rich with ample forms and barbarian words,

Rich and perfect play for other globes!

Light the world with a mystic motion;

Encircled by a world in other bay;

Encircled by a perfect float in the air;

Encircled by a perfect float in the air:

Edgar Allan Poe Muse

Which fall’st into this world like rain

When in an happy Runic rhyme,

Wherein my youth and dreams and words,

Light as the lavas of summer air

Drowning a wild feeling with the sound

Tempting and dreaming in this passionate light

Filled with deep thoughts of thee.

Brought a silver, silken rest.

Brought a silver silken veil of light,

Beside the dames that gilded each bright noon,

Filled with light of life and light!

Brought down the world to me with their delight;

Put my own solace to a golden light,

Brought a silvery silken veil of light,

Hold about my fingers with their delight,

Divulge this secrets of that lovely isle!

To breathe those voice of thine. The lovely light

Nor ask the riches of the summer air;

To breathe those kisses of the summer air.

Sorrow with its own light eye.

Filled with light of many eyes.

A fountain of light. No living light

Hold about my fingers with their delight

Hold about my fingers as a crown.

Brought on a throne in their elysian air;

To breathe those kisses of the jewelled air;

To breathe those voice of thine.The lovely light

So, the muses definitely wrote…something. It’s not necessarily poetry —yet.

From those lines, I narrowed them down to my favorites in the following lines:

Wield these young honey wine for their delight:

Their shining beauty to each youthful lamp  

Splashing the river with a mystic midnight light,

Wherein I feel so certain and happy,

Encircled by a delicate mouth and hand.

Light the world with a mystic motion;

Tempting and dreaming in this passionate light

Brought a silver silken veil of light,

Put my own solace to a golden light,

Brought a silvery silken veil of light,

Hold about my fingers with their delight,

To breathe those kisses of the summer air.

Here, you could put these lines back into the AI to see what you get. I decided to rework them myself to make them less abstract. The lines crossed out above, I ended up using below. I kept my first verse, “feminine beauty dressed in light” and used that as the first line for the poem.

Feminine being dressed in light

To breathe those kisses of the summer air

Held about her fingers my delight

Washed softly away my every care

Encircled by a delicate mouth and hand

Wherein I feel so happy and certain

Her shining beauty imprinted in the sand

She is most deserving of devotion

You don’t have to use all of the lines the muses provided you with. As you can see, I have only used a handful here. This poem isn’t complete, but you get the idea. I’m going to set these lines aside for use with another poem later.  The suggestions from the muses in the tool may not have been completely sensible or eloquent, but its a great starting point for poets who may be stuck. It’s also a great way to practice mimicking your favorite classical poet’s writing style if you’d like. Although AI cannot yet write poetry that is indistinguishable from human poetry, it can certainly serve as a useful tool in your own poetry practice.

The next time you find yourself stuck on a line, try using AI to help you finish out your poem! If you try this, leave your work in the comments below! What was your favorite line the muses came up with? Let me know below!

Thank you for reading this blog post and if you’re interested in reading more about AI poetry or delving deeper into the sources I mentioned above, check out the bibliography and further reading sections below! Additionally, if you’d like to read similar posts, check out the related topics section. Lastly, if you want to read more posts from me, check out my recent blog posts.

Bibliography

• Saroha, Aditya. “Google’s ‘Verse by Verse’ can help you write poetry.” The Hindu, November, 28, 2021. (Paragraphs 8 and 10-11).

•  Google, “Verse By Verse” Google AI: Semantic Experiences. (AI Writing Tool and About Section). 

• Hayes, Payton. “Google’s Verse by Verse.” Photos, January, 16, 2023 (Photo Gallery).

• Holyoak, Keith . “Can AI Write Authentic Poetry?” The MIT Press Reader, December 7, 2022. (Paragraphs 6 and 10).

• Oxford English Dictionary, third ed.  (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008), s.v. “artificial intelligence, n.” 

• Danilyuk, Pavel.  (@pavel-danilyuk), “Robot Holding a Red Flower.” Unsplash photo," May 28, 2021. (Thumbnail photo). 

• Gupta, Rudrani. “Google’s ‘Verse by Verse’ Lets You Imitate Writing Style Of Your Favourite Classical Poet.” She The People. November 26, 2020. (Paragraph 4). 

Further Reading

• “Can a machine write better than you?—5 Best (and worst) AI Poem generators.”by Sara Barkat,  September 27, 2022. 

• “How I Use Artificial Intelligence as a Conversation Partner to Write Poetry.” by Lance Cummings, September 9, 2022. 

• “Google’s New AI Helps You Write Poetry Like Poe.” by Matthew Hart, November 24, 2020. 

• “Can AI Write Poetry? — Look at the Examples to Decide.” by Kirsty Kendall,  May 4, 2022.  

• “Why Tomorrow’s Poets Will Use Artificial Intelligence.” by Lance Cummings,  July 1, 2022.  

• “What Happens When Machines Learn To Write Poetry.” by Dan Rockmore,  January 7, 2020.

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• Check out my other Writing Advice and Artificial Intelligence (AI) blog posts!

Recent Blog Posts

This blog post was researched, written, and published by a human author without the assistance of generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI). Gen-AI models are trained on text written by humans, therefore, the presence of specific punctuation, verbiage, tone, or predictable, marketing-style phrases alone are not sufficient indicators of gen-AI usage. I implore readers to use context clues, critical thinking, pattern recognition, research, and employ their best judgement when determining the validity of human authorship of print and digital media today. If you want to learn more about my stance on gen-AI and it’s role in media and the publishing industry, I plan to release a blog post on this topic very soon, so stay tuned for that. This disclaimer will be updated once that post goes live. In the meantime, I will continue to be transparent about which tools and resources I use in my work.

Written by Payton Hayes | Last Updated: August 30, 2025

My Current Faves (of 2019)

This blog post was written by a human. 

*This blog post was originally three separate blog posts that I’ve condensed into one to save space on my blog. “My Favorite Poets of 2019” was initially published on June 15, 2019, “My Favorite Podcasts of 2019” was initially published on July 23, 2019, and “My Favorite Musical Artists of 2019” was initially published September 12, 2019, "My Top 5 Must-Read Motivational and Entrepreneurial Books" was published on 2019, so I’ve decided to set the “published date” for this post to the earliest original posting of June 15, 2019 for simplicity. 

*I am not affiliated with any of the poets, podcasts, publications, or musical artists listed in this post. If I have mistakenly platformed a problematic fave in this post, please comment or email me directly at Hello@PaytonHayes.com to let me know. 

Hi readers and writerly friends! Thanks for joining me in the Current Faves category of the blog. This week, I’m sharing my list of my current faves from 2019, including my favorite podcasts, poets, and musical artists.

My Favorite Podcasts of 2019

Working long shifts every day means I have plenty of free time to listen to music, audiobooks, and podcasts. I’ve found a few podcasts that I really enjoy and I’ve left them below so you can enjoy them, too. I also organized them into categories so you can see the different types I’ve been into.

Bookish Podcasts

No Thanks We’re Booked with Mollie Tubeville and Katie

The No Thanks Were Booked podcast logo.

The No Thanks We’re Booked Podcast is hosted by Mollie and Katie, two girls who look at life through a bookish lens. On the show, they discuss all things books, author interviews, and their own reading journeys and how books have helped them grow into the women they are today. The sound of clinking cocktails and sizzling La Croix can be heard in the background of this bookish podcast where Katie and Mollie usually end up gushing over Anne of Green Gables, or referencing the Enneagram. These two bright, inspiring individuals share their favorite books, love for reading, and love for Jesus, in every episode.

Books In The Freezer with Stephanie Gagnon

The Books In The Freezer podcast logo.

Stephanie, host of the Books in the Freezer Podcast lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, son, beagle and cat. She’s an avid horror fiction reader and shares her love for the genre in her podcast and on her YouTube channel. The books in the Freezer Podcast discusses the deliciously disturbing world of horror fiction and actually got its name from Episode 13, Season 3 of Friends, where Joey hid his book, The Shining, by Stephen King, in the Freezer, because it was too scary. Stephanie uses this to rate her books from room temperature reads, to fridge books, and freezer readings.

Entrepreneurial and Motivational Podcasts

Detail Therapy with Amy Landino

The Detail Therapy podcast logo.

Award-winning YouTuber, public speaker, time-management maniac, and published author of her best-selling book, Vlog Like A Boss, Amy Landino hosts the Detail Therapy Podcast, where she discusses her tips and tricks for staying organized, minimizing chaos, fostering time-management skills, and what it means to go after the life that you want. She interviews all kinds of different entrepreneurs and successful people and nerds out over calendar-blocking and her beloved Prosecco. She co-owns Aftermarq with her husband, Vincenzo and cares for her blind beagle, Lucy. Amy always stresses the importance of work/life balance and how crucial self-care can be to a successful, healthy lifestyle.

The Gary Vee Audio Experience with Gary Vaynerchuck

The Gary Vee Audio Experience podcast logo.

The Gary Vee Audio Experience Podcast is hosted by marketing legend, Gary Vaynerchuk, himself. He is an entrepreneur, CEO, investor, vlogger, public speaker and social media wizard. He’s all about authenticity and keeping it real and his podcast definitely shows it. He’s got hundreds of episodes from answering fan questions, keynote speeches, marketing and business DailyVee segments from his video series, interviews, and fireside chats. Gary is inspiring and motivating, but over all, he is unapologetically himself. He gets into the nitty-gritty of what it means to have a great idea and how to bring it to life through actionable advice.

The Ground Up Show with Matt D’Avella

The Ground Up Show podcast logo.

Minimalist, filmmaker, YouTuber, and entrepreneur, Matt D’Avella hosts the Ground Up Show, where he interviews other successful entrepreneurs, and discusses what it means to go from 0-100, from the ground up. Matt provides listeners with the lessons he’s learned over the years from getting out of student debt, starting his business and building a life around what he loves. He and his interviewees explore humble beginnings, business start-up struggles, and inspiring transformation stories. He asks probing questions and dives deep into the real-life journeys of entrepreneurs in many different industries and walks of life. He discusses what it means to be a minimalist and to live with intention.

Lifestyle & Entertainment Podcasts

Kalyn’s Coffee Talk with Kalyn Nicholson

The Kalyn’s Coffee Talk podcast logo.

Kalyn’s Coffee Talk, is hosted by Kalyn Nicholson, a creative, published author of Catcher, life-style YouTuber, and online blogger. She is noted for being aesthetically pleasing and having an excellent eye for detail. An upbeat (multiple coffees not included) and uplifting podcast to start your morning, or wind down your afternoon with - covering everything from wellness, mental health and learning to live your best life free from self-judgment and doubt.

Previously Gifted by Tiffany Ferguson

The Previously Gifted podcast logo

Tiffany Ferguson, known as Tiffany Ferg on YouTube is widely interested in social and political issues and media and uses her platforms to share critical viewpoints of the day-to-day internet news. She also talks about her life as a “cusper” millennial/gen-z kid and what it has been like paying off student loans and credit card debt, studying abroad, and living in the big apple. She also half-analyses and half-jokes about having been ‘previously gifted’ and a member of the GATE program as a child and how that has affected her life thus far.

The Jenna + Julien Podcast by Jenna Marbles and Julien Solomita

The Jenna + Julien Podcast logo

Iconic comedy YouTubers and meme-supreme king and queen, Jenna Marbles and Julien Solomita are the hosts of the Jenna + Julien Podcast. They often discuss popular topics and play fun podcast games such as “Nuclear Winter,” or “Don’t Even Get Me Started.” When they’re not guessing song lyrics or discussing who would get the proverbial boot in an apocalyptic scenario, they’re petting their problematic, yet precious pups, or tending to their plethora of plants. They always keep it real on the podcast.

Do you listen to any of these podcasts from my list? If so, let me know in the comments below! Keep reading to see who made it on my list of favorite poets and list of favorite musical artists for 2019!

My Favorite Podcasts of 2019 - Round Up

• No Thanks We’re Booked with Mollie and Katie

• Books In The Freezer with Stephanie

• Detail Therapy with Amy Landino

• The Gary Vee Audio Experience with Gary Vaynerchuck

• The Ground Up Show with Matt D’Avella

• Kalyn’s Coffee Talk with Kalyn Nicholson

• Previously Gifted by Tiffany Ferguson

• The Jenna & Julien Podcast by Jenna Marbles and Julien Solomita

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My Favorite Poets of 2019

These poets have taught me do much about writing thought and feeling-provoking poems as well as many interesting truths about the world and those in it. Their writing is so inspiring and I'd recommend them to anyone looking to get into more modern poetry.

Upile Chisala

Born in 1994 and raised in Zomba, Malawi, writer Upile Chisala hopes to tell stories from the margins and, through her work, to help others and herself come to terms with pasts, celebrate presents, and confidently dream beautiful futures. She writes truthful, yet beautiful poetry and prose from the lens of an immigrant, African American woman.

Rupi Kaur

Rupi Kaur is an Indian-born Canadian poet, writer, illustrator, and performer. She immigrated to Canada as a child and has since settled in Toronto. She writes prose and poetry about beauty, pain and survival. Her poems reveal truth in the human existence and the pain and love that can be found along the way. She is a bestselling author of two books and a beloved poet in the digital age.

Christopher Poindexter

Christopher Poindexter is a bohemian poet who began writing poetry on a rebellious trip to California when he was 18. He considers himself more of an observer, trying to make sense of the human condition in all of its grit and glory. He currently has three books, Lavender, Old Soul Love, and Naked Human, all of which I would recommend. He is the poet that first got me into reading and writing poetry and his poems are beautiful and terrifying at the same time. He writes about the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between.

Leah J. Stone

Leah J. Stone is a poet and memory recorder popular on Instagram for her punchy, short poems that pull at her readers’ emotions. She has one book called Dig Yourself Up, a collection of poetry and prose; a written form of self discovery. A home for those who believe in magic, and the diversity of what it means to be human in this abstract world. Stone’s poems always have me thinking, man, I wish I would have written that, because they’re so lovely and provocative. Stone’s poems make you feel something—be it good or bad.

Screenshot of poem “fig. #123”from page 5 from Gray’s Anatomy: The Poems by Christopher Anthony Leibow.

Another favorite poem of mine is actually a found poem from the more than 150 years’ old seminal scientific text, Gray’s Anatomy, by Henry Gray. I stumbled on this poem from an online slideshow, by Christopher Anthony Leibow, called Grays’ Anatomy: The Poems. I’ve included the screenshot of the poem below as well as the link to the slideshow on Slideshare.

Another poem worth mentioning in this list is Howl, by American beat poet, Allen Ginsberg. Howl is seen as a game-changer primarily because it expressed for the first time a modern psychological angst, an urban existence fueled by drugs, jazz, sex, travel, and expansion of the mind. Love or hate it, Howl is important because it is of urban birth, the language simultaneously surreal and vulgar, jazzy and foul, yet full of real life, sensitivity and hope. Today Howl is acknowledged as a literary classic in the sense that it broke through cultural barriers, challenged establishment and encapsulated the anger and frustrations of a generation. I’ve included this poem because we just covered it in one of my American Lit courses and I’ve been obsessed with it ever since!

What do you think of these poets? Do you read Poindexter, Chisala, or Kaur? Let me know in the comments below!

My Favorite Poets of 2019 - Round Up

• Upile Chisala

• Rupi Kaur

• Christopher Poindexter

• Leah J. Stone

• Christopher Anthony Leibow

• Allen Ginsberg

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My Top 5 Must-Read Motivational and Entrepreneurial Books

Motivational, entrepreneurial, or self-help books have grown immensely in population over the past five years and its easy to see why. While these kind of books aren’t all in the same category, they have three things in common and that’s that they’re helpful for everyone in any industry, they help jump-start the process of building better habits, they re-engineer the idea of taking charge of your day, and they show readers how to start going after the life that you want. This is a list of my favorite motivational books from 2019.

The 5-Second Rule by Mel Robbins

The 5-Second Rule by Mel Robbins

Throughout your life, you've had parents, coaches, teachers, friends, and mentors who have pushed you to be better than your excuses and bigger than your fears. What if the secret to having the confidence and courage to enrich your life and work is simply knowing how to push yourself?

Using the science habits, riveting stories and surprising facts from some of the most famous moments in history, art and business, Mel Robbins will explain the power of a "push moment." Then, she'll give you one simple tool you can use to become your greatest self. It take just five seconds to use this tool, and every time you do, you'll be in great company.

More than 8 million people have watched Mel's TEDx Talk, and executives inside of the world's largest brands are using the tool to increase productivity, collaboration, and engagement.

Will it Fly? by Pat Flynn

Will it Fly? by Pat Flynn

Stop rushing into businesses born from half-baked ideas, misguided theories, and other forms of self-delusion. A lack of proper validation kills more businesses than anything else. As Joel Barker says, 'Speed is only useful if you re running in the right direction.' Will It Fly? will help you make sure you are clear for takeoff.

It answers questions like:

• Does your business idea have merit?

• Will it succeed in the market you re trying to serve, or will it just be a waste of time and resources?

• Is it a good idea for YOU?

Vlog Like A Boss by Amy Schimmitauer

Vlog Like A Boss by Amy Schimmitauer

Vlog Like a Boss is the complete guide to video blogging. Amy Schmittauer is the Vlog Boss. As a new media triple threat -- YouTuber, keynote speaker, and bestselling author -- she coaches people to go after what they want in life and leverage online video to make it happen. Creator of the popular YouTube series Savvy Sexy Social, her channel boasts a global community and millions of views. Now, in her first book, she will show you how to Vlog Like a Boss and get the attention you deserve.

A collection of strategies and tactics from years of experience in online video, Schmittauer shares time-tested, proven methods to creating brand awareness with vlogging that will build a loyal community for years to come. This complete guide will show you how to:

• overcome the 3 major fears that hold many people back from making videos

• create your most engaging vlog every time with the Authority Video Formula

• achieve your on-camera talent (and no, you don't need to be a natural )

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Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

Do you ever suspect that everyone else has life figured out and you don’t have a clue? If so, Rachel Hollis has something to tell you: that’s a lie.

With painful honesty and fearless humor, Rachel unpacks and examines the falsehoods that once left her feeling overwhelmed and unworthy, and reveals the specific practical strategies that helped her move past them. In the process, she encourages, entertains, and even kicks a little butt, all to convince you to do whatever it takes to get real and become the joyous, confident woman you were meant to be.

With unflinching faith and rock-hard tenacity, Girl, Wash Your Face shows you how to live with passion and hustle--and how to give yourself grace without giving up.

You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero

You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero

In this refreshingly entertaining how-to guide, bestselling author and world-traveling success coach, Jen Sincero, serves up 27 bite-sized chapters full of hilariously inspiring stories, sage advice, easy exercises, and the occasional swear word, helping you to: Identify and change the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that stop you from getting what you want, Create a life you totally love. And create it NOW, Make some damn money already. The kind you've never made before.

By the end of You Are a Badass, you'll understand why you are how you are, how to love what you can't change, how to change what you don't love, and how to use The Force to kick some serious ass.

I hope you enjoyed this list of my top 5 motivational and entrepreneurial books of 2019! I know this is kind of early to be p putting this list together but as of now it is my current top five list. If it changes before the end of the year, I will update as needed.

My Top 5 Must-Read Motivational and Entrepreneurial Books - Round Up

• The 5-Second Rule by Mel Robbins

• Will it Fly? by Pat Flynn

• Vlog Like A Boss by Amy Schimmitauer

• Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

• You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero

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My Favorite Musical Artists of 2019

I’m somehow, simultaneously the kind of person who listens to the same song over and over again until I hate it, someone who listens to playlists (by artist), someone who listens to a song from one genre such as rock and then one from future bass and then another from the folk music genre, and ALSO, someone who can listen to two different songs at a time (don’t ask me about that one—I don’t even know how or why.) The point is, I clearly have some strange music habits and a diverse music taste with over 5,000 songs in my musical repertoire and across almost every genre (excluding country—not even sorry.)

But one thing I’ve got in common with most people on the internet is that my favorite musical artists are constantly in flux. I remember being really into the harder side of alternative music from classic rock all the way to screamo and death metal, back in middle school and high-school. And in my early years of college, I was super into rave music, dubstep and all things electronic.

Now, I’m more into pop, r&b, rap, punk rock, and pretty much everything else I used to listen to because—what I’ve noticed is that once I am done listening to a song on repeat so many times that I will never need to hear it again, it eventually makes its way into my usual rotation.

Basically, once I’ve burned myself out on a particular song, artist, album, or genre, I will give it a break and then bring it back, later. However, I am still in the “repeat” part of that process for several artists, and I’d argue they’re my favorite musical artists of 2019, because the replay count is still increasing.

The 1975

It’s no surprise that a coffee-drinking, creative gal like myself is OBSESSED with the 1975. Some of my favorite tracks from them include “Somebody Else,” “I Like America And America Likes Me,” “Ugh!,” “Mine,” and “Sincerity is Scary.”

Carly Rae Jepsen

Known, unfortunately, for her single “Call Me Maybe” Carly Rae Jepsen is one of the decades most talented pop artists, but she doesn’t get nearly enough of the recognition she deserves. She’s known as the Call-Me-Maybe-Girl and she has tons of records that easily surpass that one viral hit. Even more heartbreaking, her song, “Run Away With Me” a musical masterpiece that was turned into a meme in 2015 during the popularity of Vine is something I will NEVER forgive the world for letting flop. “Run Away With Me,” “Automatically in Love,” “Fever,” “LA Hallucinations,” “The One,” “Higher” “Cut to the Feeling,” “I really Like You,” and “I Didn’t Just Come Here To Dance” (and just about every other one of her songs) are my favorites from Carly Rae Jepsen.

Børns

Børns is a colorful, multinstrumentalist, singer and songwriter known for the songs, “American Money,” “Fool,” “10,000 Emerald Pools,” “Past Lives,” and “Electric Love”—all of which are my favorites.

The Color Grey

Moving on from alternative music, I’ve also been really into rap, hip-hop, and r&b. One of my favorite, yet lesser-known rap artists is The Color Grey, or Grey, the Antwerp based rapper and hip-hop artist. His music caught the attention of other music-lovers, rappers, and critics due to his unique mingling of important messages woven in with jazzy background music. Some of my favorites by The Color Grey are “Silence Speaks,” “Need to Know,” “Options,” “Sins” and “Vibes” in that order.

Tinashe

One of the most talented, yet underrated artists of our time is Tinashe. Her wordplay, vocals, dance skills, and musical wizardry is so incredible I am genuinely surprised she isn’t as big as other artists in her genre. At the time of writing this blog post, I am listening to my all-time favorite Tinashe song—”Bet” Some other favorites include “Feels Like Vegas,” “No Contest,” and “C’est La Vie.”

Purity Ring

One of the most obscure, yet ingenious bands I’ve ever stumbled across is Purity Ring. The band combines pop, rap, r&b, and old poetry to create music that touches you on multiple levels from lyrics, to tune, to overall composition. I find myself marveling at their lyrical genius and kicking myself, thinking, why didn’t I come up with that? My favorites from Purity Ring are “Asido,” “Crawlersout,” “Lofticries,” “Obedear,” “push pull,” “Repetition,” “Stranger than Earth,” “heartsigh,” and “begin again.” Not to mention, their album cover art is stunning.

Sickick

I won’t expose him here, but if you know, you know, Sickick has been on the music scene for yeeeears. He is gaining popularity on YouTube, but is widely known for his covers of popular artists songs and mash-ups. He’s gained attention for his insane ability to keep complex rhythms, natural vocal control, and skill in making and mixing fresh, new music unlike anything the trap/rap/pop scene has seen yet. Some of my favorites by Sickick include his “Jason Derulo Mashup,” “Sean Paul Mashup,” “Kill Me Slowly,” “Mind Games,” “Infected,” “G.M.O.D,” and “Don’t Catch Feelings.”

Bring Me The Horizon

Last but not least, we’re bringing it back around to alternative music, because how could I not? BMTH is doing something phenomenal in weaving multiple genres together with their new music. Some fans will argue that those who are into their newer music aren’t true fans, but I have always enjoyed their music, and as I’ve chilled out over the years (and so have they,) I’ve come to appreciate their slower, more laid-back tracks. Some of my favorites include “Mother Tongue,” “In The Dark,” “Mantra,” “Blasphemy,” “True Friends,” “That’s The Spirit,” “Throne,” “Doomed,” “Follow You,” and “Happy Song.”

A Day to Remember

While we’re on the topic of punk rock music, I figured I should mention one of my favorite bands of all time—A Day To Remember. Some of my favorite songs from A Day To Remember include “End of Me,” “Sometimes, You’re the Hammer, Sometimes, You’re The Nail,” “Best of Me,” “Colder Than My Heart, If You Can Imagine,” “My Life For Hire,” “I Heard It’s The Softest Thing In The World,” “You Should’ve Killed Me When You Had The Chance,” and “Life @ 11.” Can you believe those super long song titles!

I Prevail

Taking it back to my roots in rock—and more specifically, punk rock—I’ve been listening to I Prevail almost non-stop, lately. Some of my favorite tracks are from their newest record, Trauma, including “Every Time You Leave,” “I Don’t Belong Here,” “Breaking Down,” “Gasoline,” “DOA,” “Low,” “Let Me Be Sad,” “Rise Above It,” and “Hurricane,” not necessarily in that order. (I know I almost named the entire list of songs from that album but 1) they’re really good! and 2) Jeez, can this list get any more emo?

That wraps up my top 10 favorite musical artists for 2019. It was hard to compile such a short list since I listen to such a diverse range of music, but those are definitely my favorites. Some honorable mentions include Juliet Simms, Lady Gaga, Deadmau5, and Ghost Town however, I chose not to include these artists because they fall into my all-time favorites lists and I didn’t want too much overlap. Clearly the biggest genre present in this list is alternative, and specifically punk rock—which isn’t surprising—after listening to punk rock exclusively during my formative years, it makes sense that the artists I listened to then would still hold meaning for me now.

My Favorite Musical Artists of 2019 - Round Up

(Not in any particular order. Many of these songs weren’t released in 2019 alone, but I decided to count them because these are my all-time favorite songs by bands I listened to for most of 2019.)

• The 1975

• Carly Rae Jepsen

• Børns

• The Color Grey

• Tinashe

• Purity Ring

• Sickick

• Bring Me The Horizon

• A Day to Remember

• I Prevail

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If you made it this far in the post—wow, you’re a real one. I doubt anyone is reading this in the year of our lord 2025, but if so, drop a comment to let me know you’re here! Who was your favorite poet or musician of 2019? Did you have a favorite podcast back then? Let me know!

Bibliography

• Brian-O. "Poetry Selections: from ‘Soft Magic’ by Upile Chisala" (Author portrait image). Black Lit Blog, May, 6, 2020. Accessed September 1, 2025.

• Chisala, Upile. Nectar (Author bio). 2019. Amazon. Accessed June 15, 2019.

• Chisala, Upile. Nectar (Cover image) 2019. Goodreads. Accessed June 15, 2019. 

• Chisala, Upile. soft magic. (Cover image and author bio). 2015. Amazon. Accessed June 15, 2019.

• D'Avella, Matt. "The Ground Up Show" (Podcast logo image). Soundcloud, Accessed July 23, 2019.

• Ferguson, Tiffany. "Previously Gifted Podcast" (Podcast logo image), Apple Podcasts. Accessed September 1, 2025.

• Flynn, Pat. “Will It Fly?: How to Test Your Next Business Idea So You Don't Waste Your Time and Money” (Book cover). Amazon, 2016. Accessed July 25, 2019. 

• Gagnon, Stephanie. "Books in the Freeze - A Horror Fiction Podcast" (Podcast logo image). PodBean. Accessed July 23, 2019.

• Hollis, Rachel. "Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be" (Book cover). Amazon, 2018. Accessed July 23, 2019.

• Kaur, Rupi. The Sun and Her Flowers. (Cover image and author bio). 2017. Accessed June 15, 2019.

• Kaur, Rupi. Milk and Honey (Cover image and author bio). 2015. Accessed June 15, 2019.

• Landino, Amy. "Vlog Like a Boss: How to Kill It Online with Video Blogging" (Book cover). Amazon, 2017. Accessed July 23, 2019. 

• Landino, Amy. "Detail Therapy" (Podcast logo image) Spotify. Accessed June 15, 2019. 

• Leibow, Christopher Anthony. 2012. Gray's Anatomy: The Poems. (Screenshot of page 5). SlideShare. August 24, 2012. Accessed June 15, 2019.

• Marbles, Jenna and Julien Solomita. "Jenna Julien Podcast" (Podcast logo image) . Spotify, Accessed July 23, 2019. 

• Molina, Andres. A cup of coffee and a notebook on a table.” Unsplash photo, uploaded on November 23, 2021. Accessed June 15, 2019 (Thumbnail image).

• McClurg, Jocelyn. “'Milk and Honey' author Rupi Kaur plans second helping.” USA Today, May 24, 2017. Accessed June 15, 2019 (Portrait of Rupi Kaur used in the gallery above).

• Poindexter, Christopher. Lavender (Remastered) (Cover image and author bio). 2017. Amazon. Accessed June 15, 2019.

• Poindexter, Christopher. Old Soul Love (Cover image and author bio). 2017. Amazon. Accessed June 15, 2019.

• Poindexter, Christopher. Naked Human (Cover image and author bio). 2018. Amazon. Accessed June 15, 2019.

• Robbins, Mel. "The 5 Second Rule: Transform Your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage" (Book cover). Goodreads, 2017. Accessed July 25, 2019.

• Sincero, Jen. "You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life" (Book cover). Amazon, 2013. Accessed July 25, 2019. 

• Stone, Leah J.. Dig Yourself Up Cover image and author bio section. Amazon, accessed  June 15, 2019.

• Studio71. “Kalyn’s Coffee Talk” (Podcast logo image). Castbox, Accessed July 23, 2019. 

• Tubeville, Mollie and Katie. “No Thanks We’re Booked” (Podcast logo image). Accessed July 23, 2019.

• Vaynerchuck, Gary. “Podcast - Gary Vaynerchuck” (Podcast logo image). Accessed July 23, 2019.

Further Reading

• Click here to view soft magic. by Upile Chisala on Amazon

• Click here to view Nectar by Upile Chisala on Amazon

• Click here to view Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur on Amazon

• Click here to view The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur on Amazon

• Click here to view Dig Yourself Up by Leah J. Stone on Amazon

• Click here to view Lavender (Remastered) by Christopher Poindexter on Amazon

• Click here to view Naked Human by Christopher Poindexter on Amazon

• Click here to view Old Soul Love by Christopher Poindexter on Amazon

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This blog post was researched, written, and published by a human author without the assistance of generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI). Gen-AI models are trained on text written by humans, therefore, the presence of specific punctuation, verbiage, tone, or predictable, marketing-style phrases alone are not sufficient indicators of gen-AI usage. I implore readers to use context clues, critical thinking, pattern recognition, research, and employ their best judgement when determining the validity of human authorship of print and digital media today. If you want to learn more about my stance on gen-AI and it’s role in media and the publishing industry, I plan to release a blog post on this topic very soon, so stay tuned for that. This disclaimer will be updated once that post goes live. In the meantime, I will continue to be transparent about which tools and resources I use in my work.

Written by Payton Hayes | Last Updated: September 1, 2025