10 Easy Tips to Help You Write Better Poetry

10 Easy Tips to Help You Write Better Poetry

Sometimes small things can help you improve greatly. These tips are exactly the type of things you can do by simply spending a little bit of time everyday to help improve your poetry and become a better poet.

1. Use a thesaurus. It is important to use words which you know the true meaning of; however, there's no harm in using a thesaurus to help remind you of others which can be used.
   
2. Freestyle isn't always best; try a poetry form.
   There's nothing wrong with writing in freestyle, but other areas of poetry should be explored. Sometimes having a poetic form to stick to helps the mind concentrate more on the content of the poetry, make the more concise, and helps create a more natural rhythm.
   
3. Learn about types of rhymes.
   If freestyle is your thing, learn more about rhymes and rhyme schemes.
   End-rhymes aren't the end-all-be-all. There are many to choose from.
   Explore them.
   
4. Take your time. Sometimes great poetry can be written in 10-minutes, but chances are it isn't great until it is slept on and edited multiple times.
   
5. Read your poetry aloud. One of the main aspects a poem should have is flow. Read your poetry aloud to ensure flow exists and has a natural rhythm.
   
6. Read more poetry. Reading poetry can help you find what types you are attracted to, what authors you want to imitate (even if by imitation of finding new poetic forms), and get in the "poetic mood" to write your own works.
   
7. Analyze famous poems. While you are reading poetry, try to analyze them. Break it down into stanzas, meters, and syllables. What makes the poem famous? Why do people enjoy it? What form is it? What meaning do you conjure while reading it? What do you like about the poem? What do you dislike? This may sound like literature homework, but it is an important part of becoming a better poet.
   
8. Write more poetry. Practice makes perfect. The more you write, the better you will be.
   
9. Gain experiences. It isn't a coincidence that great poetry comes from authors who have had major events happen in their lives. Whether this is traveling the world, becoming evolved in politics, having children, or simply growing older, it is yours to decide. There are millions of experiences in the world to explore.
   
10. Seek and listen to critiques. It is important to listen to all critiques, both good and bad. Sometimes it is the small tips which make the most differences.
    

These tips might not make you the next Emily Dickinson, but they will surely point you into the right direction.

How to Write Bad Poetry

Writing poetry is fun but writing it badly is easy. As time goes on, poems are often seen in a different light. The best example, and most noteworthy, is Emily Dickinson's poetry. Her poems were largely unseen during her life and sometimes even ridiculed by others. However, after her death, her poetry received much notoriety. Nonetheless, the important elements of a poem did not change. Rhythm, word choice, and emotions are all musts in every poem.

Rhythm
Rhythm is one of the most important elements of every poem. Even poetry such as dada uses some sort of rhythm approach. Going back to Shakespeare, his poems often used iambic-pentameter to control his writings. If your choice of style is free-verse, still make it flow. A great way to do this is count the syllables in each line.

Word choice
Using the wrong word in specific circumstance can ruin an otherwise great poem. Words can be your best friend or your worst nightmare. You don't necessarily have to use large words or even use a thesaurus. Just be descriptive or metaphorical and allow the reader to relate to the overall writing.

Emotion
A poem can be about trees and still have emotion. One way to use the reader to your advantage is to change the rhyme or rhyme at a specific point in which you want to change the emotion of the reader. For example, speeding up the syllables can cause excitement. Otherwise, specific words can cause specific feelings in the reader. Words such as 'crept' can cause a creepy or eerie feeling.

To write a bad poem, just do the opposite of what I said. Don't hold a rhythm, use the 'wrong' words, and don't show emotion.

What a great set of tips. Thanks for this Lora. I especially like that last bit on writing a bad poem. Hmm... ;)

LOL, you're cute.   

Thanks for the tips!  I will copy and paste!