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National Bad Poetry Day

Celebrate National Bad Poetry Day with your friends - share the worst rhymes and lines you can think of for a hilarious day of fun!

Tuesday

August 2026

Last updated February 7, 2026 · by the Holiday Calendar Team

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YEARLY DATEAugust 18

OBSERVED INUnited States

CATEGORYPop Culture

SUBCATEGORYBooks

INTRO

Introduction

PHOTO

Celebrate National Bad Poetry Day on August 18 with a smile and an appreciation for the creative spirit behind bad poetry! This annual holiday was created to pay tribute to all of the terrible poets out there who have written some truly awful verses. Sure, it may not be great literature — but what we lack in quality is made up for in enthusiasm and humor.

TIMELINE

National Bad Poetry Day Timeline

Bad Poetry Movement

The 1970s saw a rise in "so-bad-they-are-good" poetry contests, laying the initial groundwork for National Bad Poetry Day.

Celebrating Awful Poetry

Groups of friends start celebrating their own versions of "Bad Poetry Days", further spreading the appeal of hilariously poor rhymes.

Bad Poetry Collections

Publishers began releasing anthology collections of awful poetry, ironically increasing awareness and interest in bad poetry.

Internet Embraces Bad Poetry

Online platforms, forums, and blogs dedicated to sharing hilariously bad poems emerged, expanding its reach globally.

Launch of National Bad Poetry Day

Inspired by the growing trend, a group of literary enthusiasts founded National Bad Poetry Day, encouraging everyone to join in the fun.

Virtual Celebrations

With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bad Poetry Day events moved online, with virtual readings and contests continuing the tradition.

GET INVOLVED

How to Celebrate National Bad Poetry Day

Write a bad poem

Writing a bad poem can be surprisingly fun and liberating. Put away the thesaurus and let your inner bad poet out! Use unusual rhymes, awkward language, and an overabundance of adjectives.

PERFORM

Perform a bad poem

Gather some friends together and perform your favorite (or least favorite) bad poems. See who can come up with the best or worst performance.

HOST

Host a bad poetry slam

Invite friends to bring their favorite (or least favorite) bad poems for a night of fun and laughs. Create categories for different types of bad poems such as 'Most Awkward Rhyme', 'Most Uncomfortable Simile', 'Most Ridiculous Metaphor', etc.

Go on a Bad Poetry Scavenger Hunt

Create a scavenger hunt where you have to find examples of terrible poetry in unlikely places. Try libraries, bookstores, museums, and even local coffee shops.

Share your bad poetry online

Put your terrible attempts at poetry out for the world to see by sharing them on social media, tagging them with #nationalbadpoetryday.

WHY THIS DAY MATTERS

Why We Love National Bad Poetry Day

Bad Poetry reminds us that it’s ok not to be perfect

It's easy to feel discouraged when our writing doesn't turn out the way we planned, but National Bad Poetry Day allows us to make mistakes without fearing judgement. It reminds us all that no matter how bad something may seem, there's still beauty in imperfection!

Bad Poetry is Fun

Bad poetry can be amusing and entertaining to read. It often has humorous or nonsensical lines, so it's great for a good laugh. Plus, you can easily come up with your own bad poetry creations - just pick up a pen and paper and give it a try!

Bad Poetry helps you to think creatively

Writing bad poetry is a great way to flex your creative muscles and get your ideas flowing. You don't have to worry about having perfect rhymes and meter or using fancy vocabulary words - just let the words flow freely from your mind, and you'll soon have an awful poem masterpiece on your hands!