How to write a Poem
Writing poetry (poem) – writing tips
Writing moving and sensitive poetry is a real art.
It takes imagination, creativity and a lot of feeling, but also technology. If this is neglected, the result quickly becomes overloaded with clichés and possibly cheese.
Therefore, it’s worth not only letting your muse hug you while you write, but also having some useful tips in your head and stepping up to a pattern.
This week, we give you 5 tips to achieve it!
Determine the subject of the poem
When you sit down to write a poem, you probably already have a rough idea of what it should be about. It is always useful to write that first brilliant idea.
Often rather vague, on paper to organize the thoughts and to have a first visual impression. You can refer to these notes over and over again throughout the writing process.
Ask yourself: what is the abstract and dominant theme of the poem?
What is it exactly? What state of mind, atmosphere and sensations would you like to convey? Is there a special occasion when you write the poem?
Does your poem have a recipient?
Let my eyes say goodbye
That my mouth can’t stand!
Heavy, how heavy to carry!
And I am otherwise a man.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
(From “L’addio”)
If you just want to write a poem but don’t have a concrete idea yet, there are a few things to think about because they concern almost all of us:
love, pain, fear, longing, loss. , the future, friendship, childhood, dreams … your time – maybe taking a long nature walk – to let your thoughts run free on any of these issues.
Maybe you’ll come home inspired.
Planning the structure of a poem
When you have found a first approach, a starting point, it is best to write down everything that comes to your mind for that idea first.
Then you can start thinking about the structure and the structure. There are many different forms of poetry. Would you like to write in stanzas?
Does each verse have its own theme, statement, feeling, thought that it describes? Are the stanzas built on top of each other? Is there a repeating central verse?
How many verses do you want your poem to contain? Take notes here too, so that the internal structure and form of your poem emerges before your eyes.
Perhaps you are consciously thinking back to different poems of your models. Try different options.
Whether you start with this step or decide first whether or not you want your poem to rhyme is entirely up to you. How, when, and where writers work best vary widely.
Therefore, creative processes are difficult to force into fixed structures.
This is my window. Only
I woke up so slowly
I thought I was floating.
Where is my life going?
and where does the night start?
Rainer Maria Rilke (from “Die Liebende”)
Rhyme or non-rhyme – and if so, how?
The rhyme scheme is a central aspect of the poem. For many people, rhyme is just part of a poem. It may be, but it is not mandatory.
The point is, rhyme is a lot harder than you might think.
Finding two rhyming words isn’t half the battle. The poet should note that certain rhymes have been used so often over the centuries that many people now have them hooked by the ears.
If you want to write an original poem, save as much as possible on rhymes like heart – pain.
Moreover, with poetry – as with all short literary texts – every word should be carefully considered and should correspond to the verse.
verse and the whole of the poem in terms of content, style and rhythm.
The reader should never hear that a word is used because it rhymes, according to the winged expression “rhyme or I eat you”. Instead, the rhyme should always feel natural.
If you decide to use rhymes, start specific attempts to write the first few lines in verse form and try to come up with a rhyme pattern. If possible, keep it throughout the poem.
There are the following popular rhyme schemes:
- Make way for rhyme: ABBA (1st + 4th verse and 2nd + 3rd verse rhymes)
- Couple rhyme: AABB (1st + 2nd verse and 3rd + 4th verse rhymes)
- Cross rhyme: ABAB (1st + 3rd verse and 2nd + 4th verse rhymes)
Semantics: painting pictures with words
When you have a first draft of the poem, think again: what subjects, what feelings does your poem deal with? Language plays an important role here – check if the words
that you used to conform to your intentions. Want to distract, criticize, describe a sad event, or capture a feeling of melancholy?
Is there anger, desire, or happiness in your verses?
Think about the word fields and stylistic devices that match your poem in terms of theme, atmosphere, and content. Every word, every metaphor, every comparison is very important in lyrical texts.
Using military vocabulary in an apodeme has a certain effect that you may not have expected.
Remember that no word is in a vacuum and has only one dimension of meaning. Context is important, as are associations:
In what context is the word or phrase perhaps so common that every reader spontaneously thinks of it? What moods and feelings do certain words evoke?
Try to play with the language, inspire your poem with the words. It is often more impressive when a thought or feeling is not directly named, but rather circumscribed.
Use similes or metaphors to express something.
The final touches to a poem – give wings to your verses!
Your poem is now almost finished. What effect does this have on you from a purely visual point of view? Is there a structure? Are the patterns recognizable?
Poetry is a very short form of text that has an intense impact on different levels: form, rhythm, syntax and content. Check these different aspects again for consistency.
Most importantly, now you need to reread your poem aloud, paying attention to the rhythm created by the different stress of the syllables.
Rewrite the places where you are hesitant or involved. Language games, onomatopoeia or alliteration can look
Sound great, but also need to get into the rhythm if they don’t become stumbling blocks.
Of course, you can also use stumbling blocks, tongue twisters, unusual metaphors or comparisons, and vocabulary you wouldn’t expect on a certain topic.
Playing with the language can include the author playing with the reader’s expectations. However, these are complicated tips.
They are not used in all good poems at all, nor do they accompany all works.
You can now present your work to people you trust or read it.
Constructive criticism and reflection from strangers can give the right impetus to give poems the final veneer.
You can now present your work to people you trust or read it. Constructive criticism and food for thought from strangers can provide the right impetus to give the whole thing the finishing touch.
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