Read and listen: Get inspired by reading and listening to the works of poets you admire.
Get the spirit: A poem may be born as a line or two that seems to come out of nowhere which is usually called 'inspiration', and the remainder of the poem need only be written around it.
Determine the Purpose: Think about why you are writing your poem and who your intended audience is, and then proceed in your writing accordingly.
Decide the style that suits your subject. There are different poetic styles like free verse, hiku,sonnet,etc..
Get Involved: Try to fit into a particular scene you want to write about. For example, if you want to write about nature, try to visit a park or a small forest nearby. The natural scenery may inspire few lines, even if they're not perfect.
Read out: While many people today have been exposed to poetry only in written form, poetry was predominantly an aural art for thousands of years, and the sound of a poem is still important. As you write and edit your poem, read it aloud and listen to how it sounds.
Choose words: It's been said that if a novel is "words in the best order," then a poem is "the best words in the best order." Think of the words you use as building blocks of different sizes and shapes. Some words will fit together perfectly, and some won't. You want to keep working at your poem until you have built a strong structure of words.
Deliver substance: Most poetry appeals to the senses in some way, in order to help the reader become more fully immersed in the text but the message will not be projected lucidly.
Use poetic devices to enhance your poem's beauty and meaning. The most well known poetic device is rhyme. Rhyme can add suspense to your lines, enhance your meaning, or make the poem more cohesive. It can also make it prettier. Don't overuse rhyme. It's a crime. Other poetic devices include meter, metaphor, assonance, alliteration, and repetition.
Add a "twist" to the end of the poem. Save your most powerful message or insight for the end of your poem. The last line is to a poem what a punch line is to a joke--something that evokes an emotional response. Give the reader something to think about, something to dwell on after reading your poem. Resist the urge to explain it; let the reader become engaged with the poem in developing an understanding of your experience or message.
Edit your poem. When the basic poem is written, set it aside for awhile and then read the poem out loud to you. Go through it and balance the choice of words with the rhythm. Take out unnecessary words and replace imagery that isn't working. Some people edit a poem all at once, while others come back to it again and again over time. Don't be afraid to rewrite if some part of the poem is not working. Some poems have lines that simply don't convey an element well, and can be replaced.
Share your work. It can be hard to critique your own work, so after you've done an initial edit, try to get some friends or a poetry group (there are plenty online) to look at your poem for you. You may not like all their suggestions, and you don't have to take any of them, but you might find some insight that will make your poem better. Feedback is good. Pass your poem around, and ask your friends to critique your work.
Get the spirit: A poem may be born as a line or two that seems to come out of nowhere which is usually called 'inspiration', and the remainder of the poem need only be written around it.
Determine the Purpose: Think about why you are writing your poem and who your intended audience is, and then proceed in your writing accordingly.
Decide the style that suits your subject. There are different poetic styles like free verse, hiku,sonnet,etc..
Get Involved: Try to fit into a particular scene you want to write about. For example, if you want to write about nature, try to visit a park or a small forest nearby. The natural scenery may inspire few lines, even if they're not perfect.
Read out: While many people today have been exposed to poetry only in written form, poetry was predominantly an aural art for thousands of years, and the sound of a poem is still important. As you write and edit your poem, read it aloud and listen to how it sounds.
Choose words: It's been said that if a novel is "words in the best order," then a poem is "the best words in the best order." Think of the words you use as building blocks of different sizes and shapes. Some words will fit together perfectly, and some won't. You want to keep working at your poem until you have built a strong structure of words.
Deliver substance: Most poetry appeals to the senses in some way, in order to help the reader become more fully immersed in the text but the message will not be projected lucidly.
Use poetic devices to enhance your poem's beauty and meaning. The most well known poetic device is rhyme. Rhyme can add suspense to your lines, enhance your meaning, or make the poem more cohesive. It can also make it prettier. Don't overuse rhyme. It's a crime. Other poetic devices include meter, metaphor, assonance, alliteration, and repetition.
Add a "twist" to the end of the poem. Save your most powerful message or insight for the end of your poem. The last line is to a poem what a punch line is to a joke--something that evokes an emotional response. Give the reader something to think about, something to dwell on after reading your poem. Resist the urge to explain it; let the reader become engaged with the poem in developing an understanding of your experience or message.
Edit your poem. When the basic poem is written, set it aside for awhile and then read the poem out loud to you. Go through it and balance the choice of words with the rhythm. Take out unnecessary words and replace imagery that isn't working. Some people edit a poem all at once, while others come back to it again and again over time. Don't be afraid to rewrite if some part of the poem is not working. Some poems have lines that simply don't convey an element well, and can be replaced.
Share your work. It can be hard to critique your own work, so after you've done an initial edit, try to get some friends or a poetry group (there are plenty online) to look at your poem for you. You may not like all their suggestions, and you don't have to take any of them, but you might find some insight that will make your poem better. Feedback is good. Pass your poem around, and ask your friends to critique your work.
