How to Write Better Poetry

Poetry is perhaps one of the most intimate forms of self-expression to ever exist, since it often requires the reader to fill in essential gaps, often leaving only details of color and vibrancy, and of course emotion. Getting good at writing poetry can be a challenge, however, since benchmarks for poetry are generally scarce. At the same time, there are steps to improve your poetry. Read on to find out how to write better poetry.

First, know what kind of a poem you want to write. Choose a topic, preferably one that you’re emotionally attached with for starters, since this generally helps you describe the imagery and emotions you feel, and which you want your readers to feel. Watch a sunrise. Have some private, meaningful conversation with a loved one. Go hiking.

Next, write down the first few sentences that come to your mind when you think about your topic, as concise and clear as you can. It doesn’t have to resemble poetry as such. Try to add vibrancy to your language, about color, emotion, expressions and other things that people can relate with. For example,

My grandmother was a kind person.
She loved ruby red roses.
She had soft white hair,
a kind smile on her face.
She cared for her sparrows every day.

Now this is your rudimentary idea for the poem. Arrange the sentences in a meaningful order. Try to give the sentences a uniform structure, such as a definite length, repetition, similes and word play. Use a dictionary or thesaurus to find similar sounding words to use in the poem if you want it to rhyme as well. While doing all of this, try to make sure that the emotion and expression you’ve used is not lost in translation. Continuing with the example above:

Towards the gentle hand they flew,
the sparrows, with red roses true.
A soulful smile did give them life
Silver hair sheltered from strife.

Now that might seem to be a rather dramatic transformation, but if you observe carefully, all the underlying elements are still there, simply rearranged and given a creative touch to make them seem more magical.

The following tips can help you out:

1. Recreate a Scene

This can be a scene, which you see right in front of you, at this moment. Then focus on the things you want the reader to see and feel, leaving the rest to his imagination.

2. Study about Poetry

There are plenty of documented styles of poetry which can help guide you along the general direction you wish to go.

3. Read your Poem

Read it out loud. If it sounds beautiful to your ears, chances are other people will like it too.

4. The Most Important Tip of All

Read lots and lots of poetry on different genres, and by various authors. It greatly broadens your perspective. It also reduces the subconscious inhibition people have when they imagine poetry as a complex art.

Overall, find a fitting theme, have a proper sentence structure, and bring out inner meanings and beauty from the expected and the unexpected.

Image credit: Joanna Bourneon flickr and reproduced under Creative Commons 2.0[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://writingtipsoasis.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Aravind.jpg [/author_image] [author_info]Aravind Shenoy is a writer interested in topics ranging from finance to food, current affairs to types of prayers and all things in-between. An avid reader and music lover, he prefers quiet introspection, brainstorming and pooling ideas.[/author_info] [/author]