Writing a poem can come from observation, interpretation or inspiration. Poems don’t necessarily have to rhyme, they can just be expressions with a poetic structure.
You can right about wide, general topics like life, existence and creatures or about singular objects like an ant or a chair, whatever you connect with.
If you enjoy doing it and find yourself involved in poetic writing in your spare time, this is when your best comes flooding out; if you enjoy an activity and will gladly do it for free, this means you have found one of your passions.
If writing in general relaxes you or puts you in a frame of mind that you like, you can develop it in to a hobby and explore other types of writing and widen your horizons.
Step by Step
Explore Poetry. Listen and read the classics of poetry and find ones you like. Absorb all there is to absorb in poetry, and imitate or create new styles of poetry.
Be Inspired. Don’t be afraid to voice your true feelings, your poem can just be for your eyes only, don’t censor yourself. A line may appear out of the blue, and if you htink it’s useful, you can build your entire poem around it. If you want to write about something specific, scribble down the main ideas and create a poetic structure around it. Look around you for inspiration, the way a bird sings or the way a leaf floats in the wind, it can be anything.
What do you want to achieve? Know what audience you’re writing for. Is it for a poetry class? For a significant other or to may homage to someone or a special event.
Which style is the best? You can write your poem in free verse, or with forms like limericks, sonnets or villanelles etc.
Be around your ‘Subject’. If your subject is sea life, be next to a large fish tank. If it’s about animals, write while on a safari tour, let your feelings comes out in your writing.
Always have a pen and paper on hand. Ideas don’t always come at the most convenient moments so keep your writing materials ready so you never lose a golden idea.
Choose your words wisely. Think about the emotions you want to portray in your poem. It is said that a good novel has ‘words in the best order’ then a poem should be ‘the best words in the best order’. A poem is a short well versed and potent summary which creates imagery and feeling so make those words stand out.
Descriptions & Imagery. Create vivid imagery through the use of your language and describe senses (smells, tastes, touch, visions etc) in detail.
Save the best for last. Discover what line is the most profound or funny of your poem and leave this for last, to leave a lasting impact.
Use poetic techniques. Use the right poetic structures to increase the beauty of your poem.
Tips
To combat writer’s block, carry a ‘living book’ with you at all times. Creative ideas don’t always appear at the right times so keep a note book to quickly write them down.
Listen to soft, relaxing music or any type of music that will get your creative juices flowing.
Be original, if you’re going to use cliche poems put your own twist on them.
Keep a book of your own poetry, maybe to publish one day. A good poem also makes a great gift especially if it’s an original from you.
Try basing your poems on two main ideas to avoid confusion and mix ups.
Practice and have a list of words that rhyme. Explore the dictionary to increase your vocabulary.
Wear your heart on your sleeve when writing poetry, you’ll connect with your reader and it’ll come through in your writing.
You can share your poetry with the world through the world wide web, including wiki poetry.
You can choose to write a subject word like “happiness�? or “friendship�? and create your poem to match around the subject word.
Notes
•Show your poetry in a public forum of poetry enthusiasts. Sharing your poetry with people who do not care for it can be discouraging, people who know poetry can give you some real advice.
•To avoid plagiarism, use a copyright on your work, an easy way of doing this is to take out a copy of your work, seal it in an envelope with a stamp and mail it back to yourself. Don’t open the envelope, it may serve as evidence that you’re the original writer. Some courts might not take this into consideration so do this as a precautionary measure.
•If you have too many ideas, write them down and disperse them into different poems. Don’t worry if you start and don’t finish a poem, listen to your instinct and come back to it later.
•Judge your poem as if someone else handed it to you to read, if you don’t like it, keep editing it.