Background and aim <p>Considering the growth of the elderly population in Iran and the prevalence of cognitive and physical illnesses among them, identifying strategies to enhance subjective vitality and a sense of purpose in life is crucial. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of group poetry reading on meaning in life and subjective vitality in older adults attending a daycare center.</p> Methods <p>In this clinical trial study, 73 older adults who visited a daycare center were enrolled and randomly assigned to an intervention group (<i>n</i> = 37) or a control group (<i>n</i> = 36). The intervention group participated in 60–90-minute group poetry sessions twice weekly for 6 weeks, while the control group attended the regular programs in the center. Both groups completed the Subjective Vitality Scale and Meaning in Life Questionnaire pre- and post-intervention. The data collected were analyzed using ANCOVA, independent t-tests, and paired t-tests in SPSS version 22.</p> Results <p>Post-intervention, a significant difference was observed between groups in meaning in life (<i>p</i> = 0.031), with higher scores in the intervention group (60.02 ± 7.15 vs. 53.55 ± 6.88). For subscales, the intervention group showed significantly greater improvement in “search for meaning” (<i>p</i> = 0.009) but not in “presence of meaning” (<i>p</i> = 0.339). Both groups exhibited increased subjective vitality post-intervention (intervention: <i>p</i> = 0.046; control: <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001), but no significant difference between groups emerged (<i>p</i> = 0.377).</p> Conclusion <p>The results of this study showed that holding group poetry reading sessions can promote meaning in life, especially in the domain of “searching for meaning” among the elderly. But results showed no significant difference between the two groups’ Subjective Vitality mean scores after the intervention. Therefore, holding such classes in elderly day care centers or nursing homes are recommended to improve meaningful life in the elderly.</p> Trial registration <p>IRCT20190727044347N7 (Registration date: 04/12/2024).</p>