National Bad Poetry Day
August 18
About National Bad Poetry Day
National Bad Poetry Day falls on Tuesday 18 August 2026. It is a light-hearted celebration that invites everyone, regardless of talent, to write the most gloriously terrible verse they can manage and share it without shame. Far from a serious literary occasion, the day is a tongue-in-cheek tribute to clumsy rhymes, tortured metre and forced metaphors, and it is observed informally by word-lovers around the world.
How to Celebrate National Bad Poetry Day
The whole point of the day is participation, so the best celebrations involve actually writing something awful. Here are eight ways to embrace the badness:
- Write a deliberately terrible poem – Force the rhymes, mangle the rhythm and reach for the most obvious metaphor you can find. The worse it is, the better.
- Host a bad poetry reading – Gather friends or family, take turns reciting your worst verses and award a prize for the most painful effort.
- Run a competition – Turn it into a contest with categories such as worst rhyme, most overwrought emotion or longest pointless poem.
- Resurrect your school poetry – Dig out the earnest verse you wrote as a teenager and read it aloud. The day was partly born from the idea of sending bad poems back to old teachers.
- Read the masters of bad verse – Look up William McGonagall, widely lampooned as history’s worst poet, for inspiration on how gloriously wrong poetry can go.
- Try a group poem – Have everyone add one terrible line in turn until you have built a monster of a poem together.
- Set silly rules – Insist every line rhymes with the word orange, or that the poem must mention biscuits. Constraints make the results even worse.
- Share it online – Post your masterpiece of awfulness and tag your friends to challenge them to do worse.
What is National Bad Poetry Day?
National Bad Poetry Day is a humorous observance dedicated to writing and sharing intentionally bad poetry. The spirit of the day is playful: it celebrates creativity without pressure, removes the fear of getting it wrong, and lets people enjoy language for the fun of it. Anyone can take part, from confident writers to those who have not touched a poem since school.
When is National Bad Poetry Day?
National Bad Poetry Day is held every year on 18 August. In 2026 that date falls on a Tuesday. It is a fixed-date observance, so it always lands on 18 August whatever the day of the week.
The History of National Bad Poetry Day
The exact origins of National Bad Poetry Day are uncertain. The most commonly cited source credits Thomas and Ruth Roy of Wellcat Holidays, who are associated with creating a number of quirky observances, though the precise founding year is not firmly documented. As with many novelty days, the day spread by word of mouth and online rather than through any official body.
The idea most often attached to the day is wonderfully cheeky: gather your friends, write the worst poetry you can, and send it back to the schoolteachers who once made you study the “good” stuff. Whether or not that origin story is literally true, it captures the affectionate, slightly rebellious tone of the celebration.
Bad poetry itself has a long and entertaining history. The Scottish poet William McGonagall, who wrote around 200 poems in the nineteenth century including the infamous “The Tay Bridge Disaster” of 1880, is remembered precisely because his work is considered so spectacularly poor. His verses are deaf to metre and metaphor yet endlessly quoted, proving that bad poetry can be every bit as memorable as good.
Fun Facts About National Bad Poetry Day
- The day is widely attributed to Thomas and Ruth Roy of Wellcat Holidays, though the founding year is not firmly recorded.
- William McGonagall, often called history’s worst poet, wrote about 200 poems and is more famous for being bad than most poets are for being good.
- McGonagall’s audiences reportedly threw eggs, flour, herrings and stale bread at him during recitals.
- His “Tay Bridge Disaster” describes a real bridge collapse in Dundee in December 1879 and is regularly named among the worst poems in English.
- The day’s traditional aim is to write terrible verse and send it back to former teachers as gentle revenge.
- Unlike most poetry occasions, there are no rules about quality, which is exactly the point.
Why National Bad Poetry Day Matters
For all its silliness, the day has a real benefit: it lowers the stakes of creativity. By celebrating bad poetry, it gives people permission to write without fear of judgement, which often unlocks genuine fun and even hidden talent. It is a reminder that not everything we make has to be polished to be worthwhile. If you enjoy playful, creative occasions, you might also like Edible Book Day, which turns literature into something you can eat.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is National Bad Poetry Day?
It is a humorous annual day for writing and sharing deliberately terrible poetry, celebrating creativity and fun without any pressure to be good.
When is National Bad Poetry Day in 2026?
It takes place on Tuesday 18 August 2026, the fixed date it falls on every year.
Who is considered the worst poet in history?
The Scottish poet William McGonagall is widely regarded as history’s worst, celebrated for verses such as “The Tay Bridge Disaster” that ignore metre and metaphor.
Spread the Word
Join the celebration and share your worst verses on social media with #BadPoetryDay and #BadPoetryDay2026. Tag your friends and challenge them to write something even more dreadful than yours.
Related Awareness Days
- National Poetry Month – A month-long celebration of poetry in all its forms, good and bad.
- National Book Lovers Day – A relaxed day devoted to the joy of reading.
- Edible Book Day – A playful, creative twist on celebrating literature.
Links
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