How to Write Beautiful, Rhyming Poetry

Some people think being able to write poetry is a talent, and either you have it or you don't. While it's true that some poets are undoubtedly more gifted than others, anyone can come up with some verse by following a few simple tips.

If you have virtually no idea where to start, find a poem that you really like and try to write your own verse, set to the meter of that poem. Poetry is really like music, the music of words. There's a certain cadence to rhyming poetry, and you'll need to catch that cadence. Sometimes it's helpful to count out the beats in each line until you get into a rhythm.

You will also have to decide which lines will rhyme, and how closely to rhyme them. A common pattern is to have four lines of verse, with the second and fourth lines rhyming. You could also rhyme the last three lines.

Rhyming dictionaries can be very helpful in sparking the creative process. A good dictionary will divide rhyming words by whether they rhyme one, two or three syllables. A poem is really like a puzzle. On easier poems you might use words that rhyme only one syllable, but if you want a real challenge, try rhyming three syllables.

Sometimes writing poetry is hard work, while at other times it just seems to flow. When my grandfather died, I was asked to write a poem for his funeral. I didn't see how I could possibly do it. Devastated by his death, I wasn't feeling very poetic. I told the family I just couldn't write a poem, but as I went about the house that day, phrases and ideas kept popping into my mind. Late in the day I sat down at the kitchen table, looked at the phrases and wrote a poem in about 15 minutes. The words seemed to literally gush out of me, and it was truly one of the most beautiful poems I have ever written.

I learned something new about poetry from that experience, something I had never known before. Writing poetry can be truly cathartic. That poem helped me work through my grief in a way I hadn't thought possible, and I have always been glad I wrote it.

Writing poetry is much easier when you are rested and relaxed. If the TV is blaring or have no idea how the mortgage is going to get paid, it could be tough (though not impossible) to come up with pithy prose.

If you really want to challenge your brain, try talking in verse sometime. My husband and I do this occasionally, trying to out-duel each other with verse. The last word of every sentence we say has to rhyme, and the person with the last sensible rhyme wins. Rhyming some words is also a good way to warm up for what I hope you will do after reading this article-sit down and write a poem.