For The Poet: A Few Poetry Writing Tips

#Always try to keep some pen and paper with you so that whenever you come up with an idea for a poem, you can always write it down. This way you’ll have a pool of ideas for your poetry.
 
#Look around yourself. There are ideas everywhere. A car rushing past can be an idea for a poem. A cold winter’s evening can be a source of poetry; a birthday party can invoke a poem. The possibilities are limitless.
 
#Try to view the world around yourself like a poet. Listen, see, and feel the various aspects of your surroundings. Try to create your own perspectives of various subjects. Poetry relies a lot on the mind of the poet.
 
#Read poems. Try to feel a poem. Try to understand its various aspects.  Note down what you like and what you dislike about it. Try to understand how the various thoughts and words mingle within the poem.
 
#When you write a poem, get others to read it and ask their feedback. You can use the feedback to improve your poetry.
 
#Word usage is an important aspect of poetry. Several words can be used to describe the same thing. Use your judgment while choosing words while writing a poem. Use a thesaurus for finding synonyms.
Try out different combinations of words and choose the one you think is best.
 
#If you think that you need some help to start your poem, you can use poetry exercises as well as poetry prompts. These can help you to make a start.
 
#Great poetry often deals with universal subjects and emotions that most people can identify with. Many a poem can mean different things to different readers which result in different interpretations.
 
#Poetry is also about reflecting and commenting upon situations. Poems often contain not only the description of a situation but also the poet’s views about it.
For example take the poem ‘The Daffodils’ by the poet William Wordsworth. In this poem, Wordsworth not only describes the sight of the daffodils but also writes about the joy he derived from the situation and adds that the sight of the daffodils comfort him in his darkest hours. To read more about the daffodils click here
 
#Earlier, rhymed verse was common in poetry. However, nowadays blank versed poetry is pretty popular. Although many feel that poems should stick to a certain rhyme scheme and meter, many poets don’t. So while writing your poem, be natural. You may or may not choose to conform to rhyme or meter. The choice is entirely yours and is a matter of personal preference.
 
#Search for poetry resources on the web.

#Check out a few good poetry blogs. They often have great poems along with useful tips for poets.
 
#Try out various forms of poetry such as haiku, limericks, etc. Haiku will teach you about the economy of word usage while limericks will teach you wit, among other things.

So start writing your poem!

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If you wish to read a few of my poems, follow the links below

Pretty Cold

Evening

After a Birthday Party