The 5-Line Challenge

Sharpen your voice with less

In an age of endless scrolling, there’s something radical about restraint.

Long poems have their place—but short ones? They punch harder when every word earns its spot. They demand clarity. They train your voice like a whetstone sharpens steel.

That’s why we’re starting a new micro-series on Poetry Rise:

The 5-Line Challenge.

Write less. Say more. Travel deeper.

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Why 5 Lines?

• It’s long enough to build a moment

• Short enough to stay in a reader’s head

• And just strict enough to force creativity

Think of it as minimalist poetry with weight.

Not fluff.
Not filler.
Just impact.

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This Week’s Prompts:

Prompt #1:
Write a 5-line poem that feels like a whisper.
No shouting. No declarations. Just something hushed and intimate, like it was never meant to be read aloud.

Prompt #2:
Write a 5-line poem using no more than 12 unique words.
You can repeat words, but you only get 12 different ones. Use limitation as liberation.

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Want to Share Yours?

Tag @PoetryRise on Instagram or Threads. Or reply to this Substack thread with your poem. We’ll feature a few favorites in next week’s roundup—and maybe even on the Poetry Rise page.

Let’s see what five lines can do.