Thursday 7 January 2010

Poetry Tips

Poetry is one of the most unique and expressive forms of writing. Unlike most writing, poets aren’t bound by a plethora of restrictions. Poetry can be about anything and anyone can write it. With a little practice, you can be proud of your poetry so grab that pencil and paper and follow my tips.

  1. First you’ve got to come up with an idea. If you want your poem to be meaningful, its helpful to know where you’re going with it beforehand. All inspiration is created equal when it comes to poetry, so anything that moves you, whether it’s the look of a pile of rustyautomotive parts or an abstract emotion, it’s worthy of a poem.
  2. Next start brainstorming your ideas. Just start writing unconsciously without inhibition if you can. Your feelings and thoughts will just flow out and hopefully you’ll find something you deem worthwhile.
  3. Once you’ve brainstormed ideas, its time to start organizing your thoughts. You can stick to traditional forms of poetry or you can write in free verse. If you aren’t sure which style is right for you, try out several different ones. Eventually one will stick out as the most natural to you.
  4. When organizing your poem, make sure to take both meter and rhythm into account. Meter is the pattern in your poem and rhythm is how your poem should sound when it’s spoken. Both are incredibly important and should be taken into consideration when writing your poem.
  5. Use imagery in your poem. This will appeal to the reader’s senses and it will give your poem more depth. You should also try to use symbolism and metaphor in your poem. This will make for a more interesting poem.
  6. Let others read and critique your poetry. This may be scary at first, but allow for some constructive criticism. It will make your work stronger and you will grow as a poet.

1 comment:

  1. another good listing of tips, although i say just sit down and write for a while without having a specific idea can be a good thing. sometimes if we go into writing with too much of an idea we try to shape the poem to early and lose the chance to just see some fantastic words show up on the page :)

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