*I follow a procedure quite like this every time I write a poem, save the looking up of words very much. Very demanding, but very rewarding to me when I finish. And yes, I do use one of my works, so I don't have to cite copyright info by another author. Call it selfish; call it lazy; but hey, it's legal, and it works.*
Why Write A Poem?
Poems, as many know, are more than just a few words thrown onto a piece of paper. The author uses them to convey a message to all readers, to the best of his or her artistic ability. The message can be a story, a description, or even just an emotion. The important part is that the author be willing to expand his or her vocabulary so that when composing a piece of poetry, nothing feels cut short, and a large audience can understand the poem. This usually requires the poet to develop wide understanding of the written and spoken language, in order to use the simplest words creatively, and complex words in a way which helps it define them.
So, What Do I Need?
From personal experience, the greatest tools for an aspiring poet are a good dictionary, thesaurus, and rhyming dictionary. A dictionary helps the author know the meaning of a word, should he or she have any doubt how best to use the word in the poem. It eases confusion and helps precise descriptions. Thesauruses assist the author in finding the “perfect word.” Since many words share similar meanings, simply using the same one over and over again shows inexperience with language. Writing poetry is usually all about learning new words, and a thesaurus is a great start for doing so. Sometimes, though, similar words are not similar enough. A word found in a thesaurus should also be checked in a dictionary, especially if the author is using that word for the first time. In essence, dictionaries and thesauruses work together in understanding language.
A rhyming dictionary does just what its name alludes; it provides all found words that rhyme with the original word. This strategy works wonderfully when a poet is stuck on a part of a poem and needs options. To the trained eye, sometimes just seeing rhyming words can spark new ideas and get the author out of a bind.
Also required are patience, a willingness to learn, and a desire to convey a message. Without these, an attempt at creating a poem will usually end in frustration or boredom after a few unsuccessful tries.
How Do I Start?
Every poem starts with an idea. Before authors begin, they should decide what they want to write about. Many times, inspiration comes from outside sources, such as music, relationships, scenery, or even other poetry. Once a strong idea is evident, it should be jotted down if possible, so it isn’t accidentally forgotten.
Structure, in a metered poem, is important. Many poets use different rhyme schemes and meters. Authors can learn a certain scheme and meter, or be creative, so long as they stick with it. The easiest way to test the meter is to think of each syllable as a beat and count the beats in each line matching them with a line in another verse. A good example of a set meter and rhyme would be a poem like this:
I've said so many times to you
How much you mean to me
That my love for you comes from more
Than just the things I see
And that you take the little time
To ask me how I feel...
It lets me know I'm not alone
That what we share is real
I want to give my all to you
And keep you in my life
I have you now as my best friend;
I want you as my wife
My love's grown stronger everyday
Since I first realized
That every time I look at you
I see my daughter's eyes...
Once a poem has a meter, it will almost sound musical.
It should be noted that the better grammar and spelling applied, the more effectively a message can be conveyed, although perfect grammar and real words are not always used in poetry. Instead, “wordplay,” which focuses on the writer’s ability to form a scene as quickly or creatively as possible, marks effective poetry.
So How Do I Effectively Create A Poem?
When creating a poem, authors usually want the ending to have more impact than the beginning. The beginning should hook the audience to read the work, and the meter should keep their interest. The ending should effectively close the poem, drastically change the mood of the reader, leave the audience thinking, or refer back to the beginning, so that the poem stands memorably for a long time. Also, since writing poetry is essentially a learning process, aspiring poets should start small. They should not expect their first poem to be exceptional, but may still be proud of it years down the road, because it began their “adventure in language.”
Many tactics help create a structured poem. Some authors simply start from the beginning and work their way to the end; others plan the story and set a rhyme scheme and meter around it. Some also start by writing the ending of the poem, and lead the beginning into it. Many other strategies are used, and none are wrong. What matters is that the tactics work for the authors, and that they are willing to try new ones if they find one getting them into a bind too often.
I Wrote A Poem! How Do I Know If It’s Any Good?
Once a poem is written, looking over it and reading it aloud can usually help authors spot any inconsistencies in the structure. If authors find themselves blending syllables or spacing them apart to keep a set pace, they may want to take a trip back to the thesaurus or dictionary to find a word or phrase that better fits the meter. They will also want to make sure that the story or message is not “butchered by the rhyme scheme”, or content isn’t sacrificed for the sake of making lines rhyme. Once an author is confident that a poem is free of errors, fits the structure, and ends satisfactorily, he or she is ready to either put it away or display it for all to see. No rule demands that authors have to share what they write; it is completely up to the poet if a poem is read by one, ten, or as many persons as possible.
