My interest and creative energy in writing prose has all been obliterated by English classes at school. However, I'm starting to gain an interest in poetry. I like the idea of expressing myself in few words, bending the meaning or offering an abnormal interpretation of words.. seems like poetry might be my thing.

So, poets and writers and other Hubsquids whose emotional levies are leaking, what advice would you give to start writing poetry? Aside from just reading it, any tips or ideas to keep in mind that will help me or anyone get into it? Greatly appreciated

_refugee_:

(side note: I'm editing this like, all day long dudes, stay tuned)

My advice in the form of "I" statements.

I would read a lot of it. I would ignore a lot of what I read. I would make sure not to erroneously believe that all poetry is Wordsworth and Byron, aka I would read some Bukowski and Ferlinghetti for good measure. I would know that poetry does not have to rhyme. I would experiment. I would have fun. I would go out on a limb and write weird things that don't make sense. I would go for stream-of-consciousness. I wouldn't worry too much about reading too much poetry - but like I said, I'd try to read it if I was trying to get good at it.

I don't know. Pen to paper. You don't need a plot for a poem. Poems with plots are special kinds of poems; "narratives." A poem can just describe something.

I would read Frost and Dickinson. I would try to figure out what poets I hate, and then why. That is as much value as figuring out what you love in poetry and why and it has the benefit of being easier.

I would not embrace making mistakes, I would simply try not to quantify what I was writing in terms of "mistake" or "not a mistake." I would try and simply write to write and approach what I produced and its potential quality after the fact, maybe way after the fact. Don't worry about "good." Worry about - is it fulfilling? Is it enjoyable? Do you, maybe, learn new things about language or yourself while doing it? Are you pushing boundaries? Are you breaking every "rule"? (Don't expect things where you break all rules to be good, by any means, but break them anyway - to see what happens when you do.)

I would use the internet for prompts if I needed them. I would veer away from basing poems too much on one thing, like my internal emotions and whether or not I was feeling stable. I would not lie to myself about inspiration.

I would write a lot of list poems because list poems are fun.

I would read Lana Turner Has Collapsed!


posted 3500 days ago