How to Guide for Poetry by Larissa Miller
What is poetry? :
Definition: Poetry is an imaginative awareness of experience expressed through meaning, sound, and rhythmic language choices so as to evoke an emotional response. Poetry has been known to employ meter and rhyme, but this is by no means necessary. Poetry is an ancient form that has gone through numerous and drastic reinvention over time. The very nature of poetry as an authentic and individual mode of expression makes it nearly impossible to define. (Flanagan)
Reading poetry:
In order to write poetry one needs to know what poetry is all about. I suggest before attempting to write your own poetry you first read poems from other authors. Some suggestions are:
1. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/where-the-sidewalk-ends/
2. The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
http://www.bartleby.com/119/1.html
3. Fast Rode the Knight by Stephen Crane
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/stephen_crane/poems/13266
4. A Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns
http://www.bartleby.com/101/503.html
5. O Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman
http://www.bartleby.com/142/193.html
Why poetry is written:
Poetry usually reflects a poet’s personal experiences and or emotions. Poetry is generally written as a way of conveying or releasing emotion. Poetry is written to bring feeling to whoever reads it. Some poetry is intended to simply entertain, while others are written to make the reader feel the emotion of the poet and potentially bring about change in the attitude of the reader.
Steps to writing poetry:
1. First, you must choose what it is you want to write your poem about. Whether you write about love or hate is irrelevant, as long as the poem is meaningful to you. Many poems are written from personal experience, which enables the poet to incorporate their emotions into the poem.
2. Second, you must be able to interpret and write in metaphor. Many poems are written metaphorically, and it is important to be able to convey the purpose of your poem in an imaginative, creative way. An example of metaphor can be seen in the poem Alley Rats by Carl Sandburg http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/carlsandburg/12904.
3. After evaluating your poem metaphorically, you must determine the structure of your poem. Poems are not required to have a precise structure; however, many poems are divided into logical sections called stanzas. The structure of your poem can be used as a means to better communicate your poems content. An example of this could include poems written to form a picture, or to emphasize a point. Some poems actually repeat a line inside each stanza to emphasize their point. Follow the link for some types of poems http://www.buzzle.com/articles/types-of-poetry-all-the-different-types-of-poems.html.
4. Another important feature of poetry is imagery. It is important that you write your poem using imagery in order to engage all the senses. In order to be successful the poet must incorporate most if not all of the senses. This technique is used to make the reader to feel like they are actually there with you. An example of a poem that largely incorporates imagery is A Barefoot Boy by James Whitcomb Riley http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/jwriley/bl-jwriley-barefoot.htm.
5. Also, the words a poet chooses to use in their poem is a very important feature of poetry. When writing your poem be cautious of your word choice and how it influences your poem. For example there is a difference between using slang versus formal language. The types of words you choose not only influence your poem, but can be used to make your point. For example consider the poem, “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15433, in which she uses slang and simple words to make her point.
6. Many poems, although it is not required, incorporate rhythm or rhyme. You should consider incorporating these in your poem in order to make the poem flow smoother, and attract the reader’s attention. Rhythm and rhyme are an effective way of connecting lines in a constant flow. For some examples follow the link http://www.loveislonely.com/poems/showlink-catid-63.asp.
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