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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

i am stumped
i bet
i don't follow you
i don't give a fig
i don't give a jot
i don't have money to burn
i for one
i have not got a clue
i have nothing to declare but my genius
i know it's not easy
i know what' you're going through
i know you are but what am i
i like it
i need that like a moose needs a hat rack
i never met a man i didn't like
i ought to tan your hide
i second that
i see you stand like greyhounds in the slips
i smell a rat
i spy with my little eye
i think it would be best
i want a word with you
i want my place in the sun
i wasn't born yesterday
i will give you that to boot
i will go to the foot of our stairs
i wouldn't trust him as far as i could spit
i'd lose my head if it wasn't attached
i'd rather be a hammer than a nail
i'll be damned
i'll bet a dollar to a donut
i'll bet a dollar to a doughnut
i'll bet dollars to doughnuts
i'll eat my hat
i'll fix you
i'll fix your little red wagon
i'll give you something to cry about
i'll leave you with something to chew on
i'll procrastinate later
i'll punch his lights out
i'm all in
i'm gonna wash that man right outta my hair
i'm okay
i'm rubber
i've been had
i've got a monkey on my back
i've got it covered
i've got no choice
i've got other fish to fry
i've had enough of this
i've had it up to here
ice water in his veins
icing on the cake
ideal solution
identity parade
identity theft
ides of march
idle chit-chat
idle hands are the devil's workshop
idle mind is the devil's playground
if at first you don't succeed try try again
if his word were a bridge
if i had a dime for every
if i had a nickel for every time
if i had my druthers
if i were in his shoes
if it ain't broke don't fix it
if it's not one thing it's another
if looks could kill
if music be the food of love play on
if needs be
if the cap fits
if the price is right
if the shoe fits
if the shoe fits wear it
if the shoe were on the other foot
if wishes were horses beggars would ride
if you ask me
if you can dream it
if you can't beat 'em join 'em
if you can't find it grind it
if you can't kill the king then don't wound him
if you chase two rabbits both will escape
if you don't havenything nice to say don't say
if you get the sense then chuck the tense
if you love something set it free
if you play your cards right
if you put your mind to it
if you think that you have another think coming
if you want my honest opinion
if you want to dance you have to pay the band
if you were any closer it would bite you
if you wouldn't mind
if you're not for it
if you've seen one you've seen 'em all
ignorance is bliss
ignorance of the law is no excuse
ill gotten gains
ill matched
ill-fated idea
image conscious
image maker
imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
immediate concerns
impose upon
impossible question
in a cleft stick
in a coon's age
in a jam
in a jiffy
in a lather
in a league of it's own
in a nutshell
in a pickle
in a pig's eye
in a pinch
in a quandary
in a trice
in a wink
in a word
in addition
in all likelihood
in all seriousness
in an interesting condition
in and around
in any event
in at the deep end
in bed with
in bed with one's boots on
in cahoots with
in case of emergency
in cold blood
in consequence of
in due course
in essence
in every life a little rain must fall
in fine fettle
in for a fleecing
in for a penny in for a pound
in for the long haul
in full cry
in harm's way
in her element
in high cotton
in his element
in hock
in hot water
in jug
in like a lion
in like flynn
in limbo
in my humble opinion
in my lifetime
in my opinion
in my own time
in no time
in no uncertain terms
in on the ground floor
in one ear and out the other
in one fell swoop
in order to
in our opinion
in over her head
in over his head
in over your head
in principle
in private
in seventh heaven
in someone's bad books
in spades
in spite of
in spite of the fact
in stitches
in term of
in the bag
in the balance
in the beginning
in the black
in the black to be
in the box-seat
in the buff
in the cards
in the cards it's
in the cart
in the clear
in the club
in the dark
in the doghouse
in the doldrums
in the event
in the event of
in the gutter
in the hands of
in the heat of
in the joint
in the lap of
in the limelight
in the minority
in the money
in the offing
in the pink
in the pipeline
in the process of
in the red
in the red to be
in the rough
in the strict sense
in the thick of it
in this day and age
in trouble
in with a real chance
in your best interests
in your dreams
in your face
inched out
income tax
independent assessment
indian giver
indian summer
indiscriminate use of force
inevitable consequences
inexorably drawn
infinitely better
inflatable woman
influence peddling
information overload
infra dig
injury problems
ink is dry
inker's damn
inner city
inning combination
innocent as the day he was born
innocent party
innocent until proven guilty
inside information
inside out
inside track
insider dealing
instant payout
instant response
instead of
insult to injury
insurance fraud
intellectual debate
intellectual property
intense competition
intensive investigation
intents and purposes
interesting offer
interesting theory
internal market
international condemnation
into the swing of things
invent the wheel again
investigating officer
invisible man
iron curtain
iron hoof
iron horse
iron out
iron will
irons in the fire
irony of fate
irreducible minimum
irresistible force
irrespective of
is a pig pork
is it soup yet
is nothing sacred
is that it
is the glass half-empty or half-full
is the pope catholic
is the pope polish
is this a dagger which i see before me
isn't all it's cracked up to be
isn't that special
issued a statement
it ain't over till the fat lady sings
it ain't rocket science
it all boils down to this
it builds character
it came like a bolt from the blue
it can't get any worse
it costs an arm and a leg
it does no harm to look
it is all grist to the mill
it is good to be king
it is important to note
it is meat and drink to me
it is possible
it is that man again
it isn't all sweetness and light
it isn't over until the fat lady sings
it just goes to show
it never rains but it pours
it only takes one person to make a difference
it stands to reason
it takes all kinds
it takes one to know one
it takes two fools to argue
it takes two to tango
it took my breath away
it was a dark and stormynight
it was a piece of cake
it was a white-knuckle ride
it was an ill-fated idea
it was meant to happen
it will all work out in the long run
it will be a cold day in hell
it will do
it will ruin your eyes
it won't fly
it'll put hair on your chest
it's a blessing in disguise
it's a crying shame
it's a dog-eat-dog world
it's a doozy
it's a fix
it's a freckle past a hair
it's a game of inches
it's a lemon
it's a long shot
it's a losing battle
it's a one-horse town
it's a piece of cake
it's a rat race
it's a small world
it's a snap
it's a wash
it's about the journey
it's all downhill from here
it's all fiddlesticks
it's all fun and games
it's all gravy
it's all in your head
it's all over but the crying
it's all right for some
it's always darkest before the dawn
it's an ill wind that blows no good
it's an uphill battle
it's been a long day
it's better than a sharp stick in the eye
it's better to have loved and lost
it's business
it's cutting edge
it's darkest just before the dawn
it's good for you
it's got a great beat but you can't dance to it
it's in the bag
it's just one of those days i guess
it's like comparing apples to oranges
it's money in the bank
it's neck and neck
it's never too late to learn
it's no use crying over spilled milk
it's not a life or death matter
it's not a sprint
it's not a sprint it's a marathon
it's not all it's cracked up to be
it's not over till it's over
it's not over till the fat lady sings
it's not over until the fat lady sings
it's not over yet
it's not the end of the world
it's not the heat it's the humidity
it's not the size of the dog in the fight
it's not where you start but where you finish
it's not whether you win or lose
it's not written in stone
it's not you
it's nothing earth-shattering
it's nothing to do with you
it's on the tip of my tongue
it's only a matter of time
it's raining cats and dogs
it's raining like a cow pissing on a flat rock
it's the american way
it's what's on the inside that counts
its a dog's life
its a sure thing
its all cut and dried
its all greek to me
its all topsy turvy
its like my daddy used to say
ivory tower

Book: Shattered Sighs