How to Write a Poem

1. Think back to a time or look forward to the future. Recall different memories and how they made you feel. Think of a theme, message, or moral you would like to convey. Take those feelings, memories, or thoughts and stuff them into a bottle. Put the cap on and shake up the bottle. If you are having trouble, google idioms – they are great sayings that can jumpstart your imagination.

2. Try to model your writing after other poems. Read other poems to get a better understanding of the various styles and themes found within the poems. Some poets I enjoy reading and taking inspiration from are Langston Hughes, Tupac Shakur, Robert Hayden, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and Charles Bukowski.

4. Take out a piece of scratch paper (for me, I am more creative when putting pen to paper), take the cap off the bottle, and dump your feelings onto the paper. Take something simple and dive deeper into it. Start jotting down lines or thoughts that relate to the memory or feeling. Write down various lines in an order that makes sense. I like to keep the lines shorter but everyone does it differently. Be messy and do not forget to cross out lines or words that do not fit. Create a new draft if you wish.

5. When writing the poem, sometimes coming up with a title first can drive the contents of the poem or you can write the title after the poem.
Try to scatter rhymes throughout each line. Words do not necessarily have to rhyme at the end of each line; sometimes, they can happen in the beginning or middle of the line. (It doesn’t even have to rhyme at all)

6. Have the same amount of syllables (or close to the same) to keep the open visually appealing and uniform. It’s fun to count the syllables after writing each line. You’ll notice this in all of my poems.
Create imagery and metaphors that spice up the poem.

7. Do not worry about any particular poem structure. Writing is a song and dance: be sure it flows and there is a rhythm present in the writing.

8. Remember that poetry can be a healing experience that can be a personal or an experience that you can share with the world. It is brave and rewarding to produce a poem that is universal or relatable to upload to a blog or website. Human nature is a great topic. Also, explore the different emotions you are feeling and try to put those feelings into words. Look at poems like a story – just a really, really short story.

9. Most times, less is more, so keep larger thoughts and ideas precise and to the point or you can create flowery words and lines that elicit more vivid imagery. There is no right or wrong way to write a poem.

10. Write when you are feeling emotional; poetry is a release and meditative experience.

11. Dive right into it and do not hold back. Enjoy the healing process. Poems act as time capsules that will take you back to specific emotions or memories. (For me, it beats journaling)

12. Have fun and do not stress. It is about making something out of nothing.

13. Start writing!