Write a Poem

Writing a poem is all about observing the world within or around you. A poem can be about anything, from love to loss to the rusty gate at the old farm. Writing poetry can seem daunting, especially if you do not feel you are naturally creative or bursting with poetic ideas. With the right inspiration and approach, you can write a poem that you can be proud to share with others in class or with your friends.

Steps

Sample Poems

Doc:Limerick,Tatestnka,Cinquain

Starting the Poem

  1. Do writing exercises. A poem might start as a snippet of a verse, a line or two that seems to come out of nowhere, or an image you cannot get out of your head. You can find inspiration for your poem by doing writing exercises and using the world around you. Once you have inspiration, you can then shape and mold your thoughts into a poem.[1]
    • For example, you may using a writing prompt to do a freewrite. You could then use lines or images from the freewrite as the inspiration for your poem. You can use an existing writing prompt or create your own writing prompt.
    • You could try brainstorming techniques like mind mapping or making lists of images or ideas. These techniques can help you generate inspiration for your poem.
  2. Get inspired by your environment and those close to you. You may also be inspired by going for a walk in your neighborhood or to your favorite spot in the city. You may observe people on a park bench or in a public square and use moments from your observations as the inspiration for a poem.
    • You could try writing a poem about a person who is important to you in your life, such as your mother or your best friend. You could use the person as inspiration for your poem, expanding on their qualities and traits as an individual.
  3. Pick a specific theme or idea. You can start your poem by focusing on a specific theme or idea that you find fascinating or interesting. Picking a specific theme or idea to focus on in the poem can give your poem a clear goal or objective. This can make it easier for you to narrow down what images and descriptions you are going to use in your poem.[2]
    • For example, you may decide to write a poem around the theme of “love and friendship.” You may then think about specific moments in your life where you experienced love and friendship as well as how you would characterize love and friendship based on your relationships with others.
    • Try to be specific when you choose a theme or idea, as this can help your poem feel less vague or unclear. For example, rather than choose the general theme of “loss,” you may choose the more specific theme, such as “loss of a child” or “loss of a best friend.”
  4. Choose a poetic form. Get your creative juices flowing by picking a form for your poem. There are many different poetic forms that you can use, from free verse to sonnet to rhyming couplet. You may go for a poetic form that you find easy to use, such as free verse, or a form that you find more challenging, such as a sonnet. Choose one poetic form and stick to that structure so your poem feels cohesive to your reader.[3]
    • You may decide to try a poetic form that is short, such as the Write-a-Haiku-Poem, the Write-a-Cinquain-Poem, or the Write-Shape-Poems. You could then play around with the poetic form and have fun with the challenges of a particular form.
    • You may opt for a form that is more funny and playful, such as the limerick form, if you are trying to write a funny poem. Or you may go for a more lyrical form like the Write-a-Sonnet, the Write-a-Ballad, or the rhyming couplet for a poem that is more dramatic and romantic.
  5. Read examples of poetry. To get a better sense of what other poets are writing, you may look through examples of poetry. You may read poems written in the same poetic form you are interested in or poems about themes or ideas that you find inspiring. You may also choose poems that are well known and considered “classics” to get a better sense of the genre. For example, you may read:
    • “Kublai Khan” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge[4]
    • “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman[5]
    • “I measure every Grief I meet” by Emily Dickinson[6]
    • “Sonnet 18” by William Shakespeare[7]
    • “One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop[8]
    • “Night Funeral in Harlem” by Langston Hughes[9]
    • “The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams [10]

Writing the Poem

  1. Use concrete imagery. Avoid abstract imagery and go for concrete descriptions of people, places, and things in your poem. You should always try to describe something using the five senses: smell, taste, touch, sight, and sound. Using concrete imagery will immerse your reader in the world of your poem and make images come alive for them.[2]
    • For example, rather than try to describe a feeling or image with abstract words, use concrete words instead. Rather than write, “I felt happy,” you may use concrete words to create a concrete image, such as, “My smile lit up the room like wildfire.”
  2. Include literary devices. Literary devices like metaphor and simile add variety and depth to your poetry. Using these devices can make your poem stand out to your reader and allow you to paint a detailed picture for your reader. Try to use literary devices throughout your poem, varying them so you do not use only metaphors or only similes in your writing.[2]
    • A metaphor compares one object or subject to another object or subject in a surprising way. For example, “I was a bird on a wire.”
    • A simile compares one object or subject with another using “like” or “as.” For example, “She was as alone as a crow in a field” or “My heart is like an empty stage.”
    • You can also try using literary devices like personification, where you describe an object or idea using human qualities or attributes. For example, “The car sank like a stone” or “My love is like a tornado in a jar.”
  3. Write for the ear. Poetry is made to be read out loud and you should write your poem with a focus on how it sounds on the page. Writing for the ear will allow you to play with the structure of your poem and your word choice. Notice how each line of your poem flows into one another and how placing one word next to another creates a certain sound or rhythm to your poem.[1]
    • For example, you may notice how the word “glow” sounds compared to the word “glitter.” “Glow” has an “ow” sound, which conjures an image of warmth and softness to the listener. The word “glitter” is two syllables and has a more pronounced “tt” sound. This word creates a sharper, more rhythmic sound for the listener.
  4. Avoid cliche. Your poetry will be much stronger if you avoid cliches, which are phrases that have become so familiar they have lost their meaning. Go for creative descriptions and images in your poem so your reader is surprised and intrigued by your writing. If you feel a certain phrase or image will be too familiar to your reader, replace it with a more unique phrase.[1]
    • For example, you may notice you have used the cliche, “she was as busy as a bee” to describe a person in your poem. You may replace this cliche with a more unique phrase, such as “her hands were always occupied” or “she moved through the kitchen at a frantic pace.”

Polishing the Poem

  1. Read the poem out loud. Once you have completed a draft of the poem, you should read it aloud to yourself. Notice how the words sound on the page. Pay attention to how each line of your poem flows into the next. Keep a pen close by so you can mark any lines or words that sound awkward or jumbled.[2]
    • You may also read the poem out loud to others, such as friends, family, or a partner. Have them respond to the poem on the initial listen and notice if they seem confused or unclear about certain phrases or lines.
  2. Get feedback from others. You can also share your poem with other poets to get feedback from them and improve your poem. You may join a poetry writing group, where you workshop your poems with other poets and work on your poetry together. Or you may take a poetry writing class where you work with an instructor and other aspiring poets to improve your writing. You can then take the feedback you receive from your peers and use it in your revision of the poem.[2]
  3. Revise your poem. Once you have received feedback on your poem, you should revise it until it is at its best. Use feedback from others to cut out any lines to feel confusing or unclear. Be willing to “kill your darlings” and not hold onto pretty lines just for the sake of including them in the poem. Make sure every line of the poem contributes to the overall goal, theme, or idea of the poem.[2]
    • You may go over the poem with a fine tooth comb and remove any cliches or familiar phrases. You should also make sure spelling and grammar in the poem is correct.

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://www.creative-writing-now.com/how-to-write-a-poem.html
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/creative1/poetry-writing-tips-how-to-write-a-poem/
  3. ↑ http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/grammar-rules-and-tips/tips-on-writing-poems.html
  4. ↑ http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/poetrycompetition/article3229003.ece
  5. ↑ https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/45477
  6. ↑ https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/i-measure-every-grief-i-meet-561
  7. ↑ http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/poetrycompetition/article3228813.ece
  8. ↑ https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/47536
  9. ↑ https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/night-funeral-harlem
  10. ↑ https://www.poetryfoundation.org/resources/learning/core-poems/detail/45502
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