Nancy Said:

what are some good poetry writing tips?

We Answered:

Read more poetry, read about writing, read modern, free verse and form, read the classics. Try to mimic the poets you like. Learn how poets use language and imagery.

Darlene Said:

Have any beginner poetry writing tips?

We Answered:

The best thing to do in poetry is never write in the realm of the abstract, i.e. beauty, love, soul. This detracts from the poem because you can't really imagine these words. Focus on concrete words, vivid colours and shapes etc.

Here's a good exercise called 'Garden of Panic'. You have to write about what is in the garden of panic without mentioning 'panic' or any abstract words. Why is there panic? How are people reacting? What is going on? This will get you to focus on the concrete rather than the abstract, making your poetry much better.

Marian Said:

Poetry writing tips for a beginner?

We Answered:

im a poet, or so i like to think.

and poetry is amazing. it just feels good to pour those 'swirling thoughts' on paper. I fully understand what you mean about being bogged down. I think that writing because you need to and not want to is what makes a true writer.

So step one...stop trying so hard. It will happen you just can't force it. Have a notebook with you most of the time, and a pen, and one day when you're least expecting it you will know exactly what to write. Trust me, staring at a blank page will not do you any good.

Step two...just write. Don't worry about what it sounds like or if it's any good. Write what you're feeling, what you're experiencing, what you know...it doesn't matter if it sucks. That's what's so awesome about writing. Sometimes what you've written will turn out amazing and sometimes it won't. Or maybe in the middle of what you've written, you find two lines you love...you can always take those two lines and break off into something else.

Step three...edit. Look at what you have and see where it's going. Change simple words (esp. verbs) to more eloquent words. Take out the pieces you like. Maybe rearrange.

Writing poetry takes patience and practice. But with practice it will get easier. Try starting with a few writing exercises. Describe your favorite object in a new light. Paint a picture with words of your best friend to someone who's never met them. Take a line from your favorite poem and continue in a new direction.

About line breaks, it's all in pausing. If you place a comma in a sentence, you pause. If you place a line break between two words, you pause longer. Comma is a short pause, a line break is a bit longer, a period longer, and a stanza break is longest. That's what my teacher once told me.

But those are only the basics. Line breaks can purposely spell out hidden meanings or create shapes to your poem. It's all up to you.

Poetry is an amazing world. The possiblities are endless.

Hope I helped a bit.

Lena Said:

Poetry Writing -tips / guidance please?

We Answered:

Appeal to the senses, and express your thoughts and feelings through metaphors...

For example, 'as pale as the moon itself'...

You get the idea..

Good luck!

=]

btw, nice hat!

Teresa Said:

Any tips on writing poetry?

We Answered:

I think a common misconception is that poetry is about what you are feeling. While this is not entirely untrue, poetry is about manipulating language to express something in a particular way. No one feels in iambic pentameter, or even in free verse, or in words at all. We quickly assign words to what we are feeling, or at least attempt to do so.

With that in mind, the first thing to do is simply start writing. Decide what you want to write about, and just write - in paragraphs, in random words, whatever. Once you have done so, start shaping the poem. If you want to write in rhyme, decide how you want the rhyming pattern to occur. It is best to have a reason to want it a particular way, even if the reason is simply that you like the sound of it in a particular way. Start playing with word choice, word order, etc. Look for concrete ways to express what you are saying, with words and phrases that represent an image a reader can see.

The way to get good at poetry is to read good poetry (very subjective, but if you find an oft-published poet whose work you enjoy, that is a good start), and to write often. The most important thing to remember, though, is that if you share your poetry, anyone criticizing it is criticizing the poem, and not any feelings you are trying to express - and certainly not you as a person. Learn what you can from whomever you can learn it, and just keep practicing.

Bertha Said:

I need help at writing poetry, any tips?

We Answered:

not all poetry has to rhyme
4 words could make one line
lol idk

Cynthia Said:

give me some poetry writing tips?

We Answered:

helo
Poetry Writing Tips
Show, don’t tell
Do more with less
Start with basics – not rhyme
Match sound with meaning
Use rhythm & line breaks
Compare with similes and metaphors
Create vivid imagery
Be specific
Use memory
Exploit the senses




Don't be afraid to write from a different point of view. Write a poem that says exactly the opposite of what you believe, and do it without irony.

When you can't write, lie on the floor a while. (thank you Jon Anderson)

Write in different places. Keep a notebook. Write in a park or on a street-corner or in an alley. You don't HAVE to write about the place, but it will influence you whether you do or not.

Listen to talk radio while you write. Listen to the people who call. Great characters and voices emerge that way.

If you don't like a poem or poet, figure out exactly why. Chances are, it reflects something you don't like about your own poetry.

When nothing is coming, start writing very fast-- any word, phrase or sentence that comes to mind. Do that for about a minute, then go back to your poem. (I call this flushing.) Whether to use anything you flushed is up to you. You can, but that's not the purpose.

Make a list of poems you can remember specific lines from. Go back and read those poems. Figure out why they stuck with you.

Keep a dream journal. Dreams are your mind at it's most creative so listen to it. Don't feel you have to write a poem ABOUT your dreams. If you want to, fine, but the main goal is to see what thoughts the dreams lead you to.

When nothing is coming for you, try analyzing someone else' s poems. (or even one of yours) Figure out what works, what doesn't work, and why. Think about what you would have done differently.

Use humor, irony, and melodrama, just don't abuse them.

Write the worst poem you can possibly write. Use clichés, pretentious words, and beat your reader over the head with your point. Felt good, didn't it? Now get back to work. The point is, don't be afraid to write a bad poem. If it takes a hundred bad poems before you can produce a poem you like, fine, get that hundred out of the way.

Dirty limericks can be fun too.

Every great poet has written a bad poem, probably hundreds, possibly thousands. They kept writing though, and so should you.

Every line of a poem should be important to the poem, and interesting to read. A poem with only 3 great lines should be 3 lines long.

Poems should progress. There should be a reason why the first stanza comes before the second, the second before the third, and so on.

Listen to criticism, and try to learn from it, but don't live or die by it. When I was in college, I would always take my best reviewed poem from the previous class and submit it for review in the next. Invariably, the next professor hated the poem, and could provide good reasons why it failed.

When you write a good poem, one you really like, immediately write another. Maybe that one poem was your peak for the night or maybe you're on a roll. There's only one way to find out.

Follow your fear. Don't back away from subjects that make you uncomfortable, and don't try to keep your personal demons off the page. Even if you never publish the poems they produce, you have to push yourself and write as honestly as possible.

Submit your poems. Sooner or later you have to send your babies out into the world to find their way. Emily Dickinson was a fluke, most people who don't publish while they're alive will never be seen or heard of --- no matter how good their poems.

Buy books of poetry, especially books by current writers working in the field and subscribe to poetry journals. Give back to the poetry community by reading (and paying for) the works of others. If you don't, what right have you to expect others to do it for you?

Go to poetry readings. Check your local arts publications, almost any sizable town has readings every week or every other week. This is a great opportunity to meet poets and people who care about poetry.
When you go to readings, donate money and buy books if you can.