The Basics of Poetry - Practical Tips and Tricks

By MystresMyna - (J.L. Moore)

First and for most poetry is an art form; no different than painting, drawing, singing, dancing, sewing, welding, and even cooking.  Some people have a natural talent for poetry, while others struggle to write.  If you are struggling to write poetry or want to improve your poetry, learning more about this art form is a must.  Just like any other art form, the more you know the better off you will be.  Of course knowing the basics like, what a stanza is, how and when to rhyme, and how to create proper flow are all very important, but there are some other basics that are just as important and those are the things I would like to discuss here.

GRAMMAR and VOCABULARY:

I cannot stress how important proper grammar and vocabulary are.  Understanding the basic parts of speech and how they are used is crucial to writing good poetry.  Poetry gives you the freedom to use words in unique ways but you must first have a clear understanding of what a word is and what its true definition is, before you can utilize it in poetry.  One of the resources that I use all the time is an old book first written in 1939, however newer editions can be found.

The Plain English Handbook written by J. Martyn Walsh and Anna Kathleen Walsh is one of the very best English language handbooks I have ever come across, (and I have been teaching for 20+ years).   It is now out of print but used copies are inexpensive and still easy to come by.  Not only does this book have excellent references on the parts of speech, but it also has a full guide to punctuation, which is just as important for writing good poetry.

Having a full understanding of how to use punctuation will be an integral part of making your poetry flow the way you want it to. Proper placements of commas, periods as well as colons and semi-colons allows the reader to know when to pause and therefore allows them to fully enjoy the flow that you have worked so hard to create.  When someone reads your poem, 99% of the time you are not there to instruct them on how you meant it to be read, so punctuation will do that for you.

Vocabulary is just as important as grammar when writing poetry.  The very best way to expand your vocabulary is by reading.  Coming across new words or seeing words used in unusual ways by other authors is a very easy and practical way to expand you vocabulary.  I also keep a vocabulary journal.  When I come across a new word or even a word I already know but realize I don't utilize enough, I write it in my vocabulary journal.  I just bought a blank book and divided it up in alphabetical order giving each letter a few pages, to make it easier to find words when I want to use one.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE:

Of course most of us these days work from computers, tables, and even our phones.  It is only fitting then, to have and utilize the technology that is available to us to further our poetry writing skills.  Here are a few of the apps that I use all the time and would not like to live without.

A dictionary app, there are many of them out there, free and paid.  It is well worth your time to try a few out and see which one meets your needs.  The one I use is from Dictionary.com and I use their companion Thesaurus Rex app, both have become must haves for me.  Of course a dictionary gives you access to new words, correct spellings, definitions, and more but something that I use they dictionary for quite a bit is syllable count.  Counting syllables is a must for proper flow as well as certain specific poetry styles such as the haiku.  If you need more help with syllable count I would encourage you to check out the website Poetry Soup.  They have a built-in syllable counter and it is a great resource to have.

I have also found that the RhymeZone app is a must have if you are like me and have a thing for making your poems rhyme.  Not only does this app give you an extensive list of rhyming words it also gives you definitions, as well as examples of word usage.   

FINAL TIPS AND TRICKS:

Here are just a few other suggestions that I use to help my poetry crafting.

Proof Reader - Have someone that you trust and feel comfortable with, proof read your work.  It is very easy to miss typos in your own work.  We tend to read our work over and over and sometimes the small mistakes get missed.  It is always a good idea to have a fresh pair of eyes take a look at it.

Brainstorming - All of us at times get writer's block or just feel like we are running out of ideas to write about.  When this happens to me, I just sit in front of a blank page and start writing down ANY and ALL words that pop into my head.  You can even set a timer and write for 5 or 10 minutes straight.  Then just walk away from it.  Later in the day go back and look at what you wrote and you should be pleased to find several good topics to work with.

Nothing is Trash - I keep EVERYTHING I write.  I never get rid of anything.  If it is just a few lines scribbled on a napkin, I make sure I transfer it to one of my notebooks and leave room to write more.  Poems that come out really wonky, I just put them away and revisit them later.  I feel like everything, every word, every thought, every little piece of scribbled line has the potential to become a great poem.  I still have poems that I wrote over 30 years ago and they are really bad, so if nothing else I can revisit them and remind myself how far I have come in my craft.

Writing good poetry takes practice, just like any other art form.  If you don't practice you won't get better.  Words have power, they contain emotions, they make magic happen and all we have to do is use them properly and sculpt them by using the tools we have at our finger tips.  I hope that you will be able to find value in these suggestions.  If you have any tools that you use, that I didn't mention, I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.