It's just that simply put! While other believe it is a God given talent, I believe anyone can learn the art of poetry; as long as the determination and drive are there. There are tons of resources all over the internet about writing your poetry, you could read all of them and it still wouldn't make any sense. Why is that? Is it because you don't care? Or is it that you want to care but it's just to hard? Here's a hint: 'Practice makes perfect'. Speak from within and write it down, you might surprise yourself if you try. It might take 5 or 30 minutes, but trust me, as soon as you get started, the sky's the limit. So practice, practice, practice, and share; what you think isn't worth reading might be inspirational for others; and again, your resources, they are all just resources; they won't help you express yourself, which is a large part of the art.
So, "How do I start a poem?" Let's try something simple; how do you feel? What recent events in your life have made you happy, sad, lazy, cry or maybe even mad. Have you made a decision? That was the first step, it will set the mood for your poetry, sure, it comes from your feelings, but you don't need to tell anyone that it's how you feel if you don't want to. You could say " It's how I think others see things", something like that. Poetry is easy, but not that easy, there are various forms of writing poetry, you don't need to know them all, actually, if your just interested in writing, I wouldn't worry about knowing them yet.
Poetry that rhymes?
Let's make this poem easy, growing up the poems that usually and probably captivated you was from Dr. Suess, my personal favourite, was none other than The Cat in the Hat. What did he do a lot of? Rhyme. Now lets pick 'sad'; from poetry I've read and written, it seems to be the easiest emotion to write about. This is an example:
Evasion
Hiding behind the lies
Running from the truth,
Silence broken from the cries
Of the troubled youth;
Being independent
"I can do it myself",
Beginning to feel neglected
Now asking for some help;
Still trying to bury the pain
And turn away from the trouble,
Life's pleasures never aimed
Now buried within the struggle;
Air filled with regret
Wanting to turn back time,
Stricken with every breath
Just about to cross the line;
No one will remember
The tears of the fallen youth,
Forgotten they are, forever
Because they never chanced the truth
I wrote this one quite a while back, I was inspired by a friend who was trying to run away from a personal situation. It obviously is not directed towards this certain individual, yes it's about the situation; but have you ever felt this way?
Try something like this out, concentrate, focus on what your feeling and write it down. Experiment a little, first person, or third? Are you speaking to someone/something, or are you being spoken to? If you are trying to rhyme and you get stumped, http://www.rhymezone.com/ is a pretty good site to try, if not, there are others as well.
Poetry, it doesn't rhyme?
Ok, so there are lots and lots of poems that do rhyme, what about the stuff that doesn't. Is it easier or harder to write? I myself find it more difficult, but that's just me; you might find a better 'flow' if you don't have to rhyme your words. Again, try to pick a topic or emotion; I've noticed in the years that poetry usually doesn't rhyme when the message is more serious, but this isn't always the case, they can also be silly at the same time:
The Perfect Lasting Memory
You were more than just a figment of my imagination,
You were something that was impossible to dream
I saw you where ever I was, where ever I went,
Even when I closed my eyes or when I was with someone else
Sometimes I called your name by accident,
Even when it doesn't fit with the sentence
I don't know why you're always there
To trouble me,
It's irritating but at the same time it captivates me
It puts a smile on my face even though I know it shouldn't
It's because you are totally different,
Within your own category, I know you're not perfect
And I know you never will become perfect,
But it's our imperfections that make us unique and perfect on its own...
The above are just examples of what your emotions and everyday interactions can translate into. It can become a challenge if what you write is not good enough for you; but proof read it, make changes, save it, then proof read it again the next day. Have someone you trust to criticize your work, what do they like, what don't they like? Remember, everyone interprets certain thing differently, especially poetry. If you would like a little more 'tips', here is a list that I found helpful to me when I first started:
After writing a quote or poem that you are happy with, try writing another. You may find that you had more inspiration from the previous poem to write another 'keeper'. Try it a few time before giving up on it.
Share your work, with friends family, even complete strangers. See what they think, they might love it, they might not. Ask for criticism, in the end don't be offended; good or bad, it is still constructive. So take it, and improve.
Your poem is yours, and the people that read them will interpret them how they like. Each poem can have several meanings for several individuals.
One of your 'bad' poems may become a favourite from someone else. So don't be so quick to discard it.
Don't only write poetry, but also read it; as often as possible. You can refine your style by learning a few new tricks from other writers.
Try several different styles or forms. The more you expand, the better you can get; as the saying goes 'practice make perfect'.
Bring a pad and pen and try to write in several places so you can 'see' ideas and write about them. Changing your surroundings can change your mood and in turn inspire your poetry.
Lastly, poetry maybe an art; but it's also a hobby that you should have fun with. More information and communication with other writers can be found at http://pomesarepoems.com/. Please make sure to take a look and leave a poem or quote; this site was built for writers of all ages and poetry of all styles, and is not for promotions of anything other than yourself. Please show your support for poetry by signing into the forum or leaving a comment.
Happy writing!!
- J a R -
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