How to Write a Good Poem: Fundamentals of Writing Poetry

Are you one of the millions who think poetry is extremely hard? Or, it is not for you? How about you stop thinking and start with these 8 things and see where it goes? In this article, we are going to read about how to write a good poem and we are going to check the 8 fundamentals of writing poetry. In this way, you would try to start writing instead of comparing yourself with others or questioning your abilities.

Read And Listen

Virginia Woolf said that words do not stay in the dictionaries, they stay in the mind. To polish the mind, yourself and fill it with words, you need to read a lot of poems. Simultaneously, you need to listen to poems to understand the importance of the literary devices and poetic forms and what makes them unique and extraordinary. After all, a poem can be a brief version of a novel and an entire song. So, just like learning a new language, you need to read and listen to it to write a good poem.

Befriend Tools

It certainly feels unusual to utilize a thesaurus or rhyming dictionary, but you would be really surprised to know how many writers utilize these tools. So, if using these tools helps you to write or complete your poem, use them but make sure you are getting the correct meaning that justifies your poem or the topic.

Don’t Obsess Over the First Line

The first line of your is just the beginning of an exhibition of your idea. So, it does not have to the world interesting. It often happens that at one point you get stuck and you are out of words but don’t stop there, keep writing and you can always come back to the first line. It rarely happens that poets get the entire poem on the first attempt, there are drafts after drafts and let’s not talk about the scratches on the pages.

Learn to Paint

In the field of visual art, painting pictures defines a portrayal or representation of objects, scenery, and people for the viewers to look at. And, if it is something unique and never-seen-before art, it stays in the mind. A poet is someone who is a painter and instead of canvas, they paint on pages, and in place of brushes they use a pen. A poet needs to create imagery in their poem that will define a scene or object, and emphasize the essence of it the poem.

Enhance With Literary Devices

Like all forms of writing, poetry is also developed with the use of literary devices. You need to enhance your poetry with literary devices such as simile, metaphor, synecdoche, allegory, imagery, and more. It is easier to apply literary devices when it comes to free verse poetry and it is challenging to include literary devices when the poem has a certain rhyme scheme or meter to follow.

Try to Tell A Story

It is fascinating how a poem can tell the story of an entire novel or short story in just a few lines. Poetry can enhance the dread, the horror, the pain, the menace, and the glee of an entire novel. You can form a story after reading a poem. So, make sure your poem is narrating a story to the readers.

Get Familiar with Different Kinds of Poetry

Poetry has various kinds and each one of them has its specific requirements of the number of lines, subject matter, meter, rhyme scheme, and more. This differentiation makes poetry unique and certain poets are popular for being the pioneer it. What is important in writing poetry is to thrive in the lines be it villanelle (which is a 19 line poem it includes a quatrain and five tercets with a specified rhyme scheme) or a free verse (which has no rules regarding meter, length, or rhyme scheme). Even if you manage to follow the rules the versatility is significant and that is what makes you different from others.

Express Big Notions

Poetry is a powerful thing as it can express a lot in just a few words – be it pain, happiness, an object, or an entire revolt. It can capture the tragedy of it or the joy of it. Even a nursery rhyme can present a big moralistic idea. You just need to know the right words.

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