Poetry & Lyrics

Poetry and lyric writing want different tools than prose: rhyme dictionaries (perfect / slant / multi-syllable), meter / scansion helpers, and a place to keep alternate versions of a stanza. Most poets use a markdown editor or notebook — see writing-markdown-editors — and reach for a specialty tool for rhymes.

Rhyme dictionaries

• ★ RhymeZone — free; web; the default. Rhymes (perfect / near / synonyms / phrases), thesaurus, definitions, anagram. "Just open a tab" simple.
  • https://www.rhymezone.com/
• B-Rhymes — free; web; specializes in slant / hip-hop-flavoured near rhymes.
• Rhymer's Block — free + paid; mobile; rhyme-as-you-type.
• WikiRhymer — free; web; multi-syllable focus.

Songwriter / lyric-flavoured

• MasterWriter — paid subscription; songwriter-targeted; rhymes + thesaurus + phrases + alliteration; pricey but loved by Nashville / pro lyricists.
• Songwriter's Pad — paid + free; songwriting-flavoured; idea generator + rhyme + chord builder.
• Lyric Notepad — paid; rhyme + syllable counter; iOS / Android.
• Hookpad — paid; chord-progression-flavoured; songwriting helper.

Poetry-specific

• Poetry Foundation app — free; library + daily poem.
• Poets.org — free; library + craft articles.
• RhymeZone scanner / Poetry meter calculators — free; helpful for sonnets / formal verse.
• Pages / Word with custom templates — for poets who care about line length and white space the most.

Markdown editors that work well for poetry

• ★ iA Writer — see writing-longform-apps; the typography is a poet's dream.
• Bear — see same; gorgeous Apple-only.
• Obsidian — folder of .md poems; tag by year / form / status.
• Drafts — see same; quick capture is huge for poetry — a couplet shouldn't need three taps to save.

Performance / spoken word

• Voice Memos / Apple Voice Memos + transcription — see transcription.
• Bandcamp / SoundCloud — for spoken-word distribution.
• Patreon / Substack — see writing-publishing-platforms-online; many poets monetize via newsletters.

Publication / submission tracking

• Submittable — paid (free for submitters); the dominant lit-mag submission portal.
• Duotrope — paid; lit-mag market index.
• The (Submission) Grinder — free; Duotrope alternative for fiction + poetry markets.
• Chill Subs — free + paid; modern lit-mag discovery.
• Spreadsheet — most poets keep a simple "where I sent this poem when, response date" tracker.

Reference works (link)

• See writing-reference-dictionary for thesauri, dictionaries, OneLook reverse-dictionary.

Pick this if…

• Default rhyme tool: RhymeZone (free, web).
• Slant / hip-hop rhymes: B-Rhymes.
• Pro songwriter: MasterWriter.
• Notebook for poems: iA Writer or Obsidian (folder of .md files).
• Submitting to lit mags: Chill Subs (free) + Submittable (where editors live).