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Poetry Clichés | Cliches in Poetry

A List of Clichés in Poetry. This page contains examples of clichés in poetry and a comprehensive list of clichés . These are clichés and overused sayings you may find in poetry, however,  the exhaustive list of clichés or trite phrases may be found in other forms of writing. It is a good practice to avoid use of these phases in poetry unless used in a completely original way.

See also our Cliche Finder: Paste your text in the form field and see if your creative work has clichés.

Popular Cliches

absence makes the heart grow fonder
actions speak louder than words
after my own heart
another one bites the dust
apple of my eye
back stabber
baited breath
baptism by fire
bated breath
beauty is in the eye of the beholder
beauty is only skin deep
beyond compare
big heart
bittersweet memories
boy inside
brand new day
broken heart
can't live without you
cheating heart
church bells ring
colors of spring
cries go unheard
cruel world
cry over spilled milk
dark of night
darkest of night
darkness of night
dawn to dusk
dead inside
deep within
depth of my soul
depths of my soul
distant memory
distant past
do you feel me
does my heart good
down the drain
driving me crazy
dwell in the past
empty heart
endless words
ends of the earth
eternal flame
eternal love
every passing day
everything's coming up roses
eye of the beholder
faint heart never a true love knows
fall head over heels
fall through the cracks
fan the flames
far as the eye can see
farewell friend
fateful morning
feel alive again
feeling blue
fire burning within
fire in my soul
fish in the sea
fit the mold
flowers bloom
from here to there
glued to a screen
good times and bad
grass is always greener
gray sky
hang in there
hate myself
have a heart
heart aches
heart breaker
heart flutter
heart swells
hearts intertwine
heavy heart
hello darkness
hit rock bottom
hollow soul
honor your memory
keep your chin up
kiss on my neck
kissing the rose
land far away
league of their own
left behind
left too soon
light of my life
light shines down
light up with joy
like it was yesterday
looking into my soul
lost in each others
lost soul
love and war
love is
love is blind
love make the world go round
love of my life
love you more than
love's embrace
loves conquers all things
lying heart
meaning of life
meaningful dialogue
more than meets the eye
more than words can express
my head is spinning
my heart aches for you
my heart clings to you
my heart cries out to you
my heart is a lonely hunter
my heart is aflame
my heart is an open book
my heart is drowning in sorrow
my heart is in my hand
my heart is on fire
my heart is weary
my heart laid bare
my heart longs for you
my heart reached out
my heart sings to you
my heart waits for you
my heart will always be true
my heart will never be free
my heart withered like
my hero
my inspiration
my little lamb
my lonely heart
my lonely soul
my open soul
my rock
my soul is a shadow
my soul is alone
my soul is on fire
my soul laid bare
my soul reached out
my soul took flight
my stomach is tied up in knots
my tears fell like rain
my wandering soul
my weary soul
never part
no man is an island
no one understands me
no time flat
old man
one in million
one true love
out like a lamb
over and over again
paid the price
peace of mind
pearls before swine
pounding of his lonely heart
power struggle
question my existence
rain on their parade
raise a glass
reach the sky
reached new heights
red roses
restless soul
road less traveled
romance blooms
rose by any other name
rose colored glasses
roses are red
running the race
sands of time
season's greetings
shadow of my soul
shall never part
shallow grave
shattered heart
silence is golden
sinking feeling
slay the dragon
snow capped mountains
solitary soul
soul full of longing
soul full of sorrow
soul of discretion
souls collide
spell is broken
spice of life
spring rain
star crossed lovers
stars like diamonds
stop and smell the roses
tainted love
tender as a mother's heart
test the waters
thorn in my side
til the end of time
time after time
time and again
time heals all wounds
time is fleeting
time slips away
tip of the iceberg
tossing and turning
true self
two hearts
two lovers
unborn child
unconditional love
unknown soldiers
violets are blue
waiting for the dust to settle
waiting for your ship to come in
walk your own path
warmth of my touch
weak soul
weary heart
when all is said and done
wildest dreams
wiped my tears
wish upon a star
word that was left unspoken
words that were left unspoken
worlds apart
writings on the wall
you clawed at my heart
you held onto my heart
you make the sun shine
you set my heart on fire
you tore my heart
you tore out my heart
young and in love
your essence

More Cliches & Poems

la dolce vita
la-di-da
labor of love
lace for everything and everything in its place
lack of clarity
ladder of success
lady luck
lady's man
lager frenzy
lager lout
laid out in lavender
laid to rest
lamb to the slaughter
lame duck
lame duck : 1
land far away
land of hope and glory
land of milk and honey
land on your feet
landed on his arse
landmark decision
lap of luxury
lardy-dardy
lark about
lashed out
lashes out
last
last but not least
last chance
last chance saloon
last ditch
last ditch effort
last drop
last from the past
last hurrah
last laugh
last minute
last minute nerves
last rites
last stand
last straw
last waltz
last wicket stand
last-ditch effort
last-ditch stand
lasting love
late arrival
laugh a minute
laugh all the way the bank
laugh all the way to the bank
laugh like a drain
laugh minute
laughing all the way to the bank
laughing boy
laughing-stock
laughter is the best medicine
law and order
law of the jungle
law of the land
law unto himself
laws of nature
lay an egg
lay down the law
lay it on the line
lay it on with a trowel
lay it out in lavender
lay my cards on the table
lead balloon
lead by the nose
lead-pipe cinch
leader of the pack
leading me on
leading question
leading role
league of their own
lean and mean
lean slate
leap frogging
leap of faith
leaps and bounds
learn the ropes
learned his lesson
least said soonest mended
leave aside
leave it on the field
leave it out
leave it to me
leave it to you
leave no stone unturned
leave out in the cold
leave some water for the fish
leave well enough alone
leave your mark
leaving by the front door
led up the garden path
left at the altar
left behind
left hand doesn't know what the right hand is
left hand path
left in the lurch
left too soon
left-handed compliment
leg opener
legend in his own mind
legend in one's own lifetime
length and breadth of the land
leopard cannot change its spots
leopard doesn't change its spots
less and less
less fortunate
less is more
lesser of two evil
lesser of two evils
let 'er rip
let a thousand flowers bloom
let bygone be bygone
let bygones be bygones
let down
let god sort 'em out
let it all hang out
let it go
let loose the dogs of war
let me bend your ear
let nature take its course
let not the sun go down on your wrath
let sleeping dogs lie
let the cat out of the bag
let the good times roll
let them eat cake
let them find out
let there be light
let your hair down
let's face it
let's forge ahead shall we
let's get out of here
let's get the ball rolling
let's get this show on the road
let's just be friends
let's roll
let's split
let's talk turkey
let's tie the knot
letter of intent
letter perfect
level playing field
level the playing field
liberal media
licence to kill
licence to print money
lick into shape
lick your wounds
lickety-split
licking one's wounds
lie down with dogs and wake up with fleas
lie down with lions
lie low
lies like a rug
life and limb
life and soul of the party
life goes on
life imitates art
life in the 1500s - folk etymologies
life in the fast lane
life is a bitch
life is a bowl of cherries
life is a crapshoot
life is a game
life is a journey
life is but a dream
life is hard
life is not all beer and skittles
life is short
life is too short
life is what you make it
life of riley
life sentence
life stinks
life sucks
life's a b#tch
life's a bitch
life's a grind
life's not all beer and skittles
life's too short
lifeless corpse
lift myself up by the bootstraps
light a fire under it
light as a feather
light at the end of the tunnel
light fingered
light in the loafers
light of my life
light shines down
light show
light up with joy
light's on but nobody's home
lighten up
lighter than a feather
lighter than air
lighting and thunder
lightning never strikes the same place twice
lightning never strikes twice
lightning speed
lights are on
lights are on but there's nobody home
lights out
like a bat out of hell
like a bird
like a breath of fresh air
like a broken record
like a brother
like a bull in a china shop
like a chicken with his head cut off
like a chicken with its head cut off
like a coiled spring
like a cornered rat
like a dog chasing cars
like a dog with a bone
like a duck on a june bug
like a fat kid in dodgeball
like a fat kid on a cupcake
like a father
like a fish out of water
like a fox
like a fox in a hen house
like a glove
like a hole in the head
like a lost dog in the high weeds
like a moth to a flame
like a mother
like a rat up a drainpipe
like a sister
like a son
like a sore thumb
like a thief in the night
like balling the jack
like being savaged by a dead sheep
like billy-o
like butter
like chalk and cheese
like clockwork
like father
like father like son
like flies on sh#t
like getting your tit in the wringer
like i need a hole in my head
like it or lump it
like it was yesterday
like it's going out of style
like lambs to the slaughterhouse
like looking for a needle in a haystack
like oil and water
like peas in a pod
like pigs in a poke
like pulling teeth
like sh#t off a shovel
like shooting ducks on a pond
like shooting fish in a barrel
like taking candy from a baby
like the dickens
like the plague
like there is no tomorrow
like there's no tomorrow
like walking on eggshells
like water off a duck's back
like white on rice
lily bellied
lily-livered
limited in scope
limping dog
line dancing
line in the sand
line up
line up over here
link up
lion's den
lion's share
lions led by donkeys
lipstick on a pig
litmus test
little bird told me
little birdie told me
little black book
little did i know
little knowledge is a dangerous thing
little of this a little of that
little of this little of that
little or no effect
little or no impact
little progress
little return
little strokes fell great oaks
little yeast works through the whole batch of do
live and learn
live and let live
live by the seat of your pants
live fast
live life to the full
live long and prosper
live off the fat of the land
live show
live to a ripe old age
live to play
live wire
lived happily ever after
livin' on the edge
living daylights
living dead
living hand to mouth
living high off the hog
living in an ivory tower
living in the past
living legend
living off the fat of the land
living on borrowed time
living the life of riley
llie like a rug
lo and behold
load of cobblers
load of codswallop
load of rubbish
loaded for bear
loaf of bread
loaves and fishes
local accountablity
local derby
local issues
lock
lock and load
lock stock and barrel
log jam
log rolling
lone wolf
lonely hearts club
lonely hermit
lonely walk
long and short of it
long and the short of it
long arm of the law
long as i can remember
long distance
long drawn out
long haul
long in the tooth
long list
long lost love
long road without a turn
long row to hoe
long run
long shot
long sighted
long standing
long story short
long suffering
long term
long term effects
long term view
long time no see
long tradition
long walk off a short pier
long way to go
long ways away
long waysway
long winded
look a gift horse in the mouth
look after
look at it this way
look at the evidence
look bad
look before you leap
look down your nose
look forward
look into your heart
look on the bright side
look out
look out for number one
look over your shoulder
look what the cat dragged in
looking a gift horse
looking for a needle in a haystack
looking forward to it
looking into my soul
looking to buy
looks can be deceiving
looks like death warmed over
looks like there's a new sheriff in town
loony juice
loop the loop
loose cannon
loose lips sink ships
loose your shirt
lord giveth and the lord taketh away
lord moves in mysterious ways
lord willin' and the creek don't rise
lord willin' and the creeks don't rise
lord willing and the creek don't rise
lose face - save face
lose face-save face
lose the battle
lose your head
lose your lunch
lose your marbles
lose your mind
lose your temper
losed mouth gathers no feet
losing streak
lost a step
lost control
lost his shirt
lost in each others
lost in your gaze
lost it
lost soul
lost the handle
lost the plot
lost the toss
lost track of time
lot of good stuff
lot of hard work
lot of loose talk
lot on the landscape
loud and clear
loud as a horn
lounge lizard
love and hate are two horns on the same goat
love and war
love conquers all
love is
love is a many splendored thing
love is blind
love make the world go round
love of my life
love that dare not speak its name
love thy neighbor
love you more than
love's embrace
loved and los
loved and lost
loved-up
loves conquers all things
low down
low man on the totem pole
low politics
low profile
low self esteem
low yield
lower orders
lower than a snake's belly
lower the boom
lowest common denominator
lowest on the totem pole
luck of the draw
luck of the irish
luck would have it
lucky stiff
lucrative offer
luke
lying heart
lying in state
lying there like a beached whale
lying through your teeth

Book: Reflection on the Important Things