6 Tips That Will Help You Write Poetry As A Beginner

Whether you are an avid fan of poetry, and often feel the need to pen down your thoughts in beautifully creative language as a hobby, or are an aspiring poet hoping to perfect the art of good poetry, it is essential to know that there exist no sanctioned rules for good poetry. 

However, that being said, all creative writing has some sort of structure associated with it, and these structures help writers stay true to the essence of the literary piece they are working on. Hence, if you are confused about how to write a poem the right way, given below are six tips that will help you in writing poetry as a beginner:

  1. You need to read a ton of poetry

The very first tip for writing good poetry is reading a ton of poetry. Reading poems by various and distinct poets would allow you to create a list of what you do and do not like in poetry. You can then form opinions over whether you like poetry that states literal truths in the easiest ways possible, or whether you enjoy poems that require you to dig deeper for a possible meaning. 

You can decide whether you enjoy retrieving symbolism or dissecting allegory. By doing so, you will be able to contribute little by little towards your style of poetry and have more clarity about what defines you as a poet.

  2. Pay attention to recitations

In addition to reading poetry before writing it, you need to get an earful of it. In addition to reading written poetry, you must enjoy poetry through your ears and pay attention to poetry recitations. This would allow you to consume poetry differently, and give you a newfound appreciation for poetic devices such as metonymy and assonance. Poetry should be musical in terms of featuring a natural flair, and it should be something that can be read out in coffee houses and enjoyed by the masses. 

By listening to good poetry, you will be able to understand its construction, and hopefully create something with an internal rhyme. It is only by appreciating good poetry and becoming a self-proclaimed critic that you will be able to write good poetry yourself and critique it to better yourself as a poet. 

  3. Try narrating a story

The easiest way to complete a well-constructed poem is to try to narrate a story instead. If you try to narrate a story, you are likely to achieve a natural rhythm in your poetry and complete it effortlessly. Not only is narrative poetry easier for the reader to understand, but it is also easier on the ears.

The easiest way to start writing poetry is to narrate a short story elaborately. A short poem like a haiku is a good start stepping into the realm of poetry before you begin writing narrative epics. This short story could be a life event, an observation, or a personal philosophy. Since this story is going to be familiar, once you write and read your poetry, you will be able to judge whether the poetry does justice to the said story, and edit your work accordingly.

 4. Use tools and poetic devices to your advantage

While learning to write good poetry, you must understand how to use poetic devices and tools to your advantage. For instance, if a rhyming dictionary helps you in creating lines that rhyme with each other, then you shouldn’t be ashamed or embarrassed to use one. Similarly, if a thesaurus helps you learn new words and synonyms, feel free to have it open next to you when you attempt your poetic flair.

Additionally, you should enhance your poetry using poetic devices. For instance, be sure to include at least a few of the known poetic devices such as metaphor, imagery, allegory, and metonymy. This would make your poetry seem sophisticated rather than it appearing like a layman wrote a few lines that rhyme together.

 5. Learn the different forms of poetry

While an essential part of poetry is to let your creative flair flow freely, it is also important to remember that certain rules have to be followed. For instance, a villanelle is a nineteen-line long poem that features a specific internal rhyming scheme. However, free verse poetry, which is also difficult to write, has no apparent rules at all.

 As an aspiring poet, you must learn which forms of poetry feature rules and which do not, and what these rules signify or constitute ultimately in the poetic world. Even if you only intend to pursue one form of poetry, you must have versatility as a skill in your portfolio as a poet because it is highly valued.

 6. Connect and socialize with poets

If you participate in a poetic circle, you will likely develop your personality in a way that contributes to poetic excellence. Connecting and socializing with a poetic circle has additional benefits such as connecting via readings, attending poetry classes together, conducting a poetic version of book clubs and reading each other’s work. By having a poetic social circle, you will be able to get feedback on your initial drafts and gain valuable feedback that can be incorporated into your work. 

If you are a part of a community of poets you will be able to indulge in different types of poetry, and you will learn to appreciate different forms of it. Fellow poets will be able to guide you in forms of poetry that you are not familiar with, and a poetry circle will be very useful when it comes to publishing your work at a later time as publishing houses can ask around for your credentials and references. In addition to that, your creative mind is likely to work better when it is surrounded by like-minded individuals.

Conclusion 

By following the above-mentioned tips, you are likely to perfect the art of writing poetry whether you do it as a hobby in your free time or are a professional writer. While paying heed to the above-mentioned tips is important, it is equally important to understand that writing poetry requires much more naturally creative flair than writing a book would require, and hence while you pay attention to the rules, you should also work on ensuring a free flow of ideas.