How to Write A Great Poem

Writing a poem is easy for some, and difficult for others. Are you struggling to write your first poem? Or maybe you're having trouble on a specific topic? As a poet off and on for a few years, I have faced these same struggles, but have figured out how to make it work. Here is a guide to help you write your poem(s):

1. Take a minute to decide what's on your heart. What do you want to say? Are you going through a breakup? Have you fallen in love? Is the amount of poverty in your neighborhood really bothering you at the moment? Are you mad at God? The best poetry comes out of something you're passionate about, no matter what it is. It may be controversial, but it will definitely grab attention. When you write what's on your heart, people can feel the words leap off of the page. And if you ever perform your poetry, people will be able to hear the happiness, sadness, frustration, or even anger. So write what is on your heart; that's most of the battle.

2. Go to a quiet place where you can think, and feel. Writing poetry is difficult when the TV is on, you're playing video games, or trying to hang out with friends. Music can help to get you in the mood to write, but be careful about how loud it is and the genre. If it gets to be too distracting, you may want to turn it off. You have to really listen to your thoughts to write poetry, so pick a nice, quiet room, listen to yourself breathe, and get ready to write.

3. Decide if you want to rhyme. This is actually an important part of your poem. Do you want the entire poem to rhyme, or just pieces of it? Or maybe, you don't want any of it to rhyme. Any of these decisions are fine. But it helps if your poem has some sort of balance.

4. Stay on Topic. If you're a writer like me who just writes, and then reads back over it after it's finished, you have to make sure that your poem makes logical sense so that it's understandable. For example, if you're writing about a heartbreak, it's okay to include how happy you were beforehand and how things are after the breakup. But if you spend half of you're poem explaining one date, people are going to lose track of the message you are trying to say. So be sure to double check your poem to make sure it flows, and stays on topic.

5. If you can, make everyday things come alive. Set the scene for your poem. For example, let's say you're writing a poem about a sad girl that's crying. Of course you can say, "A sad girl is crying," but poetry is about making the words come alive. What is she wearing? What does the room look like that she's in? What does the girl look like? These are all important aspects in making your poetry come alive. If she's wearing a green dress, you could say, "Her dress, green as the grass on a warm spring day." That paints the picture of her dress. Remember, exaggeration is okay in poetry. So be descriptive, but make sure it all makes sense.

6. Don't worry if you're poem isn't perfect. No poem is perfect! But what's important is that you like it, and it feels complete to you. As people, we're not perfect. Therefore, nobody is expecting perfection. Be yourself, open up, and you're poem will be as great as it should be.

7. Don't change your poem once you've finished it. One great thing about poetry is that you can keep it, and read it months, or even years later, and have a completely different perspective on it. Maybe you'll read it later and not like it. But that's the beauty of it. I've kept all of my poetry from over the years and based on when it was written, I can definitely see how I've matured and changed over the years. So maybe months down the road you won't like the poem that you wrote today, but keep it anyway. It just shows you how to improve later on.

Hopefully, these tips can help you write some of your best work! To check out some of my poetry, click on the links below:

I Fell In Love * Be.Live.Grow.Give * The Light at the End *

Good luck writing!