How to Be a Poet and Know It

Sorry for the corniness, but I could not help myself. We all remember the poems that we had to write in elementary schools. You know the ones that invariably included the words, "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue." Even back then, being original was difficult. As a college student, I have written everything under the sun from essays to stories, poems to papers. The hardest thing to write is poetry. Every element of poetry is a contribution. A poem is not just what is said. A poem is the speed, the rhyme, the emotion, and even the picture it creates. These are some helpful hints on how to write poetry, that I have gleaned from my own experience.

Thing One and Thing Two, winks, are do NOT attempt to create a masterpiece all at once. There are times when words can just gush out of your body onto the paper, but do not expect that every time. Do not put pressure on your creative self to finish a poem right this second. Poetry is the child of inspiration, and sometimes your inspiration just does not carry you all the way. I have a document on my computer, and a notebook I keep with me that serve no higher purpose than keeping together all of the random bits of poems that pop into my head. Poetry comes as it is meant to, and sometimes that is slowly. If you try to force it, most of the time you will look back and regret the words that are there. If you can't come up with something, don't stare at the paper or computer screen. If this inspiration is not there, walk away and come back later. You only waste time by trying to figure out what to write. Poems strive to express more than just what the words say, and in that every word has to be chosen precisely. Do not lessen the value of the product because you want the product faster. Be an artist, make it worth it.

I'm sure everyone has received one of those poem magnets that allow you to arrange the words into poetry on your refrigerator. However, real poetry does not have to work like that. Don't be afraid to use pieces that did not come in the box. Poetry does not have to use Iambic Pentameter. It does not even have to rhyme. So many times, I see people so focused in on the requirement of rhyme, that they lose the point. If you want to say, "The sky burned a fiery orange," say it. Don't change it, because there really is no word that rhymes with orange. Poetry is an art form that is about how you say things just as much as what you say. Don't risk losing the poem in translation because you feel you have to rhyme. I have no problem with rhyming, but as a poet I say don't go through the alphabet looking for a word that matches the previous one, but means what you want it to. The great thing about writing, is that YOU choose the words. There is no list of stipulations of what you have to have for it to be a poem. You are not any more or less of a person because of your capability to rhyme. Write what you feel is a poem, and never let anything come between you and choosing your words.

Write what you know. I'm sure everyone has heard that a thousand times, but it is completely true -- especially in the world of poetry. Poetry is a world of emotion, and how can you have emotion about something you don't know about. You can't, and an attempt to write about it would result in fake emotions. There is nothing worse than a fake. Do not misunderstand me, you can draw on personal experiences and apply them to other situations. If you almost drowned, you can apply that to how you think a victim from the Titanic felt. My point is that if you have never starved, don't try to describe what it feels like.

Writing what you know is not exclusive to the topic, it also applies to the language. Raise your hands if you use any of the following in your everyday speech: doth, protesteth, thine, or haveth. I don't have to look for hands, because no one does. Classical English has passed, so write in the language you speak. Do not waste the time when the words are trying to escape from you on trying to find the right Classical English phrase. Modern English can be beautiful too. The words are coming from within you, so trust that what you are writing does not have to be changed into any thing else.

Do not be afraid to write something "dumb." Every poem does not have to be the most amazing thing you have ever read. They do not have to be amazingly in depth and important. Sometimes the most endearing poetry is that, that you do not have to analyze to enjoy. If you want an example, check out the poetry of Stephen Crane. Yes, I said poetry, even though that is not what he is famous for writing. His poems are very short and simple, but many of them have great meanings.

Finally, just write. Some poems never get finished. There are some poems I have written that every time I re-read them I change a phrase back and forth. Some answers you will never have, and you will not always be completely satisfied. Sometimes, the words come out wrong and you figure them out later. Don't try to edit and write at the same time. Editing is for later, just allow yourself the privilege of writing it as it comes. Everything can be fixed later, but there is no guarantee you will get the same inspiration twice. Also, there does not have to be a point to writing a poem. You don't have to have a plan for every poem. Just create, that's the best advice I can give any poet.