Writing Poetry

If you're just getting started, you might want to try an easy approach to writing poetry. You can create a poem using a method called blank verse. A blank verse poem means your poetry is less structured, and has metre, or a rhythm, but it doesn't rhyme.

Remember, you're not writing lines of prose when you choose a blank verse style. The metre or rhythm of the poem is what sets it apart from writing prose. In order to really perfect a blank verse poem, you have to read it aloud to hear the rhythm of your words.

Or, you might want to try writing a poem in a style called free verse. Free verse doesn't mean you just write down anything and call it a poem. While free verse is a looser style of writing and doesn't have a regular metrical pattern, it still has a rhythm to it, and there's a power to the way the words are structured in each sentence.

Often the most difficult part of starting a poem is coming up with a good idea to write about. There are several exercises that can be helpful for developing ideas, word associations, and rhythm.

For Example:

— Word Association : For this exercise, you just need to list whatever words come into your head over a set period of time—usually 20 minutes. Try to write freely and not be overly conscious or judgmental of your word selection. Instead, just jot them down as they pop into your head. By the end of the exercise, you should have some interesting sequences of words, and after repeating the exercise daily for a week or two, you may find recurring themes and concerns that are surprising to you and make good material for exploration in verse.

— Lists : This exercise is similar to word association, except instead of grouping the words together in lines, each word will occupy its own line. A good way to approach this exercise is to look at an object that interests you for several seconds, and then spend a few minutes using as many single words as you can to describe that object using the five senses. Once you've finished your list, start re-arranging the words and grouping them together in lines. Your final result won't quite be a poem, but it should guide you in writing about your chosen object and what that object means to you.

— Collage : Like in visual arts, a poetic collage borrows bits and pieces taken from other works to create something new. You can look at magazines, books, other poems, or even your own journals or diaries when drawing the lines you wish to use in your poem. Again, the result won't be a complete poem, but the advantage of this exercise is exploring the possibilities of line arrangement and effective ordering.

After creating a draft of your poem, the next step is to revise. While many young poets resist revision because they feel their original drafts best capture the feelings and emotions that inspired their poems, revision is crucial in creating a work that will communicate with others the experiences, emotions, and feelings expressed in the poem. The need to communicate doesn't mean that a poet should feel they must break their poem down into intricate details, rather a poet should strive to provide a sense of their work so that readers are left with a lasting impression of the poem.

ACTIVITY

WRITE

Start with one of the three exercises discussed to create a general structure, rhythm, and theme for your poem.

REVISE

Experiment with rearranging and rewriting your poem. Then try to look at your poem critically (not so critically that you doubt your worth as a poet) to see if you are using language and rhythm effectively to sustain the mood and point of your poem.

PUBLISH

Allow others to read your poem while you read theirs, then take turns reading each other's poems aloud. Be sure to offer constructive feedback.