Have you ever sat there staring at the paper, ready to write, but unsure where to begin? Want a solution that will overcome even the worst writer's block? Anyone can start writing poetry today using a few simple techniques.
One, two, ...?
Did you say or think three when you saw the above? If not, you certainly would when I asked you to fill in the blank. Your mind is a powerful machine that recognises or creates patterns. To make this work for you as a poet, you simply have to lay out the materials in an implied pattern, and let your mind do its thing.
The "materials," in this case, of course, are words or ideas. So let's round up some materials for an example. If you want to write a poem about thunderstorms, you might start by writing down relevant words, and then choose the more evocative ones: flash, blowing, rumble, night, deadly and rain, perhaps.
Now you set the pattern. In this case, we'll write a four-line poem, using one of our words in each line. We'll only decide if we want a ryming poem after we start. This is what I came up with after five minutes:
Rain stands still in the sky
Trees dance as in a painting
In a flash it is here and gone
And night grumbles at being revealed
It doesn't matter if most aren't good poems. You just have to write a lot of them, and then work on re-writing the ones with potential. With a little practice, you can write a dozen poems in an hour, then pick out the gems. My wife has had poetry published using Deal-a-Poem, a game we created based on this technique, so we know that it works, and it's fun as well.
More Tips For Fast Poetry
The technique above works because when your mind focuses on a word with the intent to use it in a line, it is stimulated into action. It wants to find the pattern - or create it. To make this work even better, try the following:
1. Start with words that are evocative and metaphorically rich. You'll be more inspired and probably write a richer poem with "howled," "torn open," and "festering," than with "said," "broken," and "rotten."
2. Use this or any other technique as a starting point only. If you have a great line already in mind, don't force one of the words from your list into it. If a poem starts to write itself, and becomes ten six-line verses, forget about the technique. Treat it as a tool to be used when you need it.
3. Don't sit there waiting for inspiration. Write anything NOW. Start with any topic, or even random words. The surest way to get inspired in your poetry is to start writing a poem.
Steve Gillman has been playing with poetry for thirty years. He and his wife Ana created the game "Deal-A-Poem," which can be accessed for free at: http://www.dealapoem.com
premium house cleaning Wilmette ..Rhymes of an Ordnance Man [Vietnam War: 1971]An eleven part... Read More
Emlyn Williams Theatre, Mold, North Wales: 20th February 2003Clwyd Theatr... Read More
In this modern age of technology, busy lifestyles, and obsession... Read More
1)dying in the bar [sluggishly]yet, I would crawl too upto... Read More
She probably can't remember and I know I can never... Read More
I can see the cerulean blue of the skiesOr the... Read More
English VersionA bunch of us guys in the hutIn ?Nam... Read More
My life has changedin so so many waysIt seems to... Read More
Asha of DarfurCry, cry-oh little Darfur woman For your sister... Read More
Tale of the Brick Maker, Of San Jer?nimo, Peru... Read More
Amy King's first full-length collection, Antidotes for an Alibi, insists... Read More
You speak simple, completley understandable justifications I respect them, respect... Read More
What Hides behind the Minute?What hides behind the minute? It... Read More
#25The King and Delka [Split Mawkishness-on Moiromma /Part V]Sickly SentimentalityI... Read More
To many non-specialists of literature, poetry is deeply unsatisfying. There... Read More
the disease of extremism is infectious-; whoever cannot think of... Read More
Says Mr. Dennis Siluk, when asked to review his poetry... Read More
Kafka lands resurrected in Crewe deposited by a silvery alien... Read More
You make me smile like I've seldom done before You... Read More
Amy King Antidotes for an Alibi BlazeVox Books ISBN 0-9759227-5-0... Read More
The Torrents of HellHell's furnace- Likened to a chimney Vomits... Read More
All Hail.Is your hospital full of aliens, despite new cleaning... Read More
"To My Dear and Loving Husband" was written by America's... Read More
Grandpa's House [The ole Real House]The house needed painting Sun-blistered... Read More
In the quiet of the arctic night- In its deep... Read More
personalized cleaning services Deerfield ..I will never think twice nor will I roll the... Read More
I get up in the morningAnd want to stay in... Read More
Storm Rising along the Lima Coast [Summer of 2002]?wind was... Read More
Part oneI see them in the skies I hear them... Read More
McLean, VA - "The Healing Conscious" tells the story of... Read More
The light of all eternity shines with me now /... Read More
"To My Dear and Loving Husband" was written by America's... Read More
What can I do to keep this world in its... Read More
Explore the meaning of poetry and the motivation of poets... Read More
(The city by the bay of Northern California, near which... Read More
We were exiled from the Garden of Eden. Its... Read More
What Hides behind the Minute?What hides behind the minute? It... Read More
Time goes by to quickly to hold your feelings inside... Read More
Kafka lands resurrected in Crewe deposited by a silvery alien... Read More
Writing poetry is an art, a way of expression, finding... Read More
"Song of the Great Zimbabwe"Across the African, winter's skyIn the... Read More
She probably can't remember and I know I can never... Read More
Man UnbowedUnbowed by sin, the world of man, stands Upon... Read More
The Incubus' Flash-lightHe looked inside my head And found a... Read More
I Shall Wait..On all the new mornings, and every singking... Read More
If you are serious about seeing your work published by... Read More
One of the most important poets of the post-war period,... Read More
Phantom of the Rocks[Huancayo, Peru]Night falls deepUpon the traveler!Low, over... Read More
How I wonder what he's doing as I sit alone... Read More
Do you ever stare at the paper, waiting for poetic... Read More
Poetry |