For example, you may decide to write a poem around the theme of “love and friendship. ” You may then think about specific moments in your life where you experienced love and friendship as well as how you would characterize love and friendship based on your relationships with others. Try to be specific when you choose a theme or idea, as this can help your poem feel less vague or unclear. For example, rather than choosing the general theme of “loss,” you may choose the more specific theme, such as “loss of a child” or “loss of a best friend. ”
You may decide to try a poetic form that is short, such as the haiku, the cinquain, or the shape poem. You could then play around with the poetic form and have fun with the challenges of a particular form. Try rearranging words to make your poem sound interesting. You may opt for a form that is more funny and playful, such as the limerick form, if you are trying to write a funny poem. Or you may go for a more lyrical form like the sonnet, the ballad, or the rhyming couplet for a poem that is more dramatic and romantic.
“Kubla Khan” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge[4] X Research source “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman[5] X Research source “I measure every Grief I meet” by Emily Dickinson[6] X Research source “Sonnet 18” by William Shakespeare[7] X Research source “One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop[8] X Research source “Night Funeral in Harlem” by Langston Hughes[9] X Research source “The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams [10] X Research source
For example, rather than try to describe a feeling or image with abstract words, use concrete words instead. Rather than write, “I felt happy,” you may use concrete words to create a concrete image, such as, “My smile lit up the room like wildfire. ”
For example, you may notice how the word “glow” sounds compared to the word “glitter. ” “Glow” has an “ow” sound, which conjures an image of warmth and softness to the listener. The word “glitter” is two syllables and has a more pronounced “tt” sound. This word creates a sharper, more rhythmic sound for the listener.
For example, you may notice you have used the cliche, “she was as busy as a bee” to describe a person in your poem. You may replace this cliche with a more unique phrase, such as “her hands were always occupied” or “she moved through the kitchen at a frantic pace. ”
You may also read the poem out loud to others, such as friends, family, or a partner. Have them respond to the poem on the initial listen and notice if they seem confused or unclear about certain phrases or lines.
You may go over the poem with a fine-tooth comb and remove any cliches or familiar phrases. You should also make sure spelling and grammar in the poem are correct.
