Finding inspiration and choosing a topic to write
Perhaps, you are overwhelmed with certain feelings and the right words come easily. If you are not sure what to write poem about, you can find inspiration by doing certain writing exercises, which should help you get your creative juices flow.
- Freewriting can be helpful during the process of brainstorming for ideas. This strategy means writing in sentence and paragraph form without stopping. You can write about anything without analyzing how coherent your text is. If you do not know what to write about, start describing how you don’t know what to write about. Keep doing this exercise for about 10 minutes or let your mind wander for as long as you want.
- Writing to a prompt can be also useful for getting your creative juices flow. Come up with your own prompt or find one online. Write all that you feel and know about the chosen subject. Like in freewriting, do not worry about the coherency of the text. Write for as long as you want and see where your mind can take you.
- Mind mapping is a great technique for getting inspiration and coming up with the poem idea. Find an object or situation, which is full of emotions and feelings for you. You can make a list of your responses if you don’t think that mind mapping is a suitable strategy for you.
Choose a poetic form
There are many different poetic forms but you need to choose the one, which you are comfortable with. Having said that, it is also important to take into consideration what your audience wants to read.
Free verse is easy to write while sonnets or ballads are supposed to be much more challenging.
If you want to write a short poem, you may choose the cinquain or haiku.
If you want to write something playful and funny, you can try a shape poem or limerick.
Check out examples
If you’ve made up your mind about the poetic form you are interested in, read examples of poetry. Choose well-known poems and those that are considered to be “classics”. The idea behind this is to get a better sense of the chosen genre. Think about the pieces of writing that touch you deeply.
Start writing the poem
- Be concrete. If you want to write a great poem, it is better to avoid abstract descriptions of places, people, things and situations in your poem.
- Be sincere. Writing a great poem is all about emotions, your experiences and thoughts. Make sure that you define your point of view regarding the topic of discussion before you start. If you make up your mind, it will be much easier to write.
- Smell, sight, taste, sound and touch are the five senses using which will help you immerse your reader in the world created by you in your poem. Use your senses and genuinely describe what you feel about the chosen subject.
- Avoid cliché since overused phrases tend to lose their meaning over time. They give an already defined connotation to any text so your main idea may be overpowered by the images that are too familiar to the readers. Be creative and try to come up with unique phrases.
- Remember that poems are written for the ear. In the process, you need to keep in mind that this type of writing is supposed to sound well. Some words may conjure an image of softness and warmth while some phrases can create a sharp and rhythmic sound.
- Use literary devices. It is advisable to use simple language but implementing various literary devices can really make your writing stand out. Metaphors, similes, alliteration and personification will create a unique tone and imagery.
Polishing your poem
1) Read the poem aloud to yourself and/or others.
2) Get feedback from friends, relatives or other poets.
3) Revise your poem according to the response and improve all necessary phrases, words or lines.
We hope that our tips will help you craft an awesome poem and you will truly enjoy the process of writing it.