Writing great poetry

Is there a secret to writing good poetry? There are certainly no real rules. Watch Dead Poets Society, where the teacher tells his students to tear out the turgid introduction to 'How to Write Poetry', because it is rule bound, and actually stifles creative expression rather than encouraging it.  

So how do you go about writing a good poem? What is the process by which you end up with verse that is lyrical, beautiful to read, with some emotional impact? 

Well, the clue should be in the three elements I just listed. Let's take them one at a time...

Lyrical - what does it mean? Think of the lyrics in a song (more on this in a moment). Or think of the work of some of the masters of poetic expression. They don't simply say it as it is. William Wordsworth didn't just walk about a bit. He wandered lonely as a cloud (a simile). Dylan Thomas didn't write blandly about death - he raged against the dying of the light (a metaphor). Think deeply about what you are trying to describe and then go the extra mile. Nothing is off the table in poetry. Language can be made to mean what you want it to mean. Experiment, take risks, and write lyrical poetry that gets people thinking. Step out of the rut of the ABAB rhyme and try to colour outside the lines you've imposed upon yourself. 

Secondly, poetry should be beautiful to read. Now beauty is in the eye of the beholder (you can remove it with any eyewash). Essentially, poetry is subjective. Some may love your writing while others might despise it. Most will be fairly ambivalent, so it's up to you as the writer to convince your audience to keep reading. How do you captivate them? Think about the poetry of Paul Simon: 'My eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light, that split the night...' or 'The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls, and tenement halls...' and see how he generates a stark urban imagery for his classic song Sound of Silence. There are various devices, tempos, formats and literary techniques you can employ to create atmosphere, tell a story or capture your reader's attention. Many are already presented in previous posts on this blog, so you'd be very silly not to explore them, wouldn't you? 

Finally, emotional impact. Yes, you can write a poem that is devoid of emotions, but such poems tend to be bland and sterile. Most poets have been through some kind of trauma, heartache or sadness in their lives. Write about your experiences, and you'll naturally have emotional impact.  Emotion can also present as joyful, angry or fearful, or a whole range of other expressions. Your poetry doesn't have to be melancholic to have emotional impact. It can be humorous, or it can be quizzical. Whatever you're writing, write it with some passion, and it will naturally have an emotional impact. 

Steve Wheeler

Image source Flickr

Using poetic devices

A poetic device is any form of literary feature that can be used when writing poetry. Poetic devices are often used to create effects or define different components in a poem. This includes verbal, visual, structural, rhythmic, metrical, grammatical elements. In short, this means just about anything that can be used in poetry to impact the reader. Furthermore, such poetic devices are tools that poets can use to augment the meaning of a poem, perhaps to make it rhythmically pleasing, or to intensify a core emotion, enhance the mood, or pique the look and feel of the poem.

In previous posts (all links listed below) I featured some of the more common poetic devices such as tempo, end rhyme and internal rhyme schemes, simile, metaphor and also several of the lesser known devices. I have also covered some of the commonly used forms in poetry, including villanelle, triolet and pantoum. 

In this new season my plan is to continue, but with the caveat that some of the upcoming blog posts might feature more complex or difficult to master ideas. We are heading into new territory, but if you dare to accompany me, I believe you'll learn a lot about how to take your poetry writing to the next level, and we'll have a lot of fun along the way. 

Please check out all of the previous posts in the series if you wish to either catch up on content you've missed, or simply to refresh your memory. 

Previous posts in this series

1. Simile
2. Metaphor
3. Repetition and refrains
4. Alliteration
5. Assonance
6. End Rhymes
7. Internal Rhymes
8. Rhythm and Tempo
9. Enjambment

10. Allegory

11. Metonymy

12. Cacophony

13. Calligram

14. Personification

15. Paradox

16. Euphony

Steve Wheeler

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Poetic devices 2: Metaphors

Last week I introduced my new series on poetic writing devices and posted a piece on the use of similes in poetry. In this second post in the series we're going to explore the use of metaphor. 

Now perhaps you're thinking what is the difference between a simile and a metaphor? Well I can best illustrate the difference by employing both devices directly. I might say for example 'He has a brain like a computer!' - and that's a simile. Or, I may instead say 'His brain is a computer!' - which is a metaphor. The first device compares his brain to a computer. The second suggests it is a computer. This is the power of the metaphor. A metaphor states that one thing is another thing. Although the reader knows it isn't true, it nevertheless offers a powerful figure of speech to enrich a comparison. Metaphor goes one step beyond simile. It transforms comparison into symbolism. It is a rhetorical device. And there are metaphors everywhere just waiting for you to use them... (What could the image above denote?)

There are numerous examples of metaphor in poetry. In fact they are everywhere.

In Emily Dickinson's poem Hope we see her speaking of hope as a bird:

Hope is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all

Hope doesn't really assume the form or characteristics of a bird of course. She doesn't even use the word 'bird' - but simply alludes to it as 'the thing with feathers'. The power of the metaphor is there for the writer to wield - and Dickinson uses the device very powerfully here to imply that hope lives like a perched bird inside her, and it sings an endless song. 

The arch proponent of the metaphor in poetry of course, has to be Dylan Thomas. In perhaps his most celebrated poem, Do not go gentle into that good night, Thomas uses night as a metaphor for dying. He's not talking about the setting of the sun here, nor is he wishing his father a good night. He's literally pleading with his to fight against death.  

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Another classic example of metaphor use in poetry is our very own Tunisian bard Rafik Romdhani. He is so prolific in the use of metaphors, that he has published an entire book of poetry called Dance of the Metaphors. Most recently, in a new collection called Vapour of the Mind, Rafik writes: 

Hours are flat tyres

on potholed asphalt roads

Dreams were first moans

before their explosions

We are figments of fiction

caught up within our own minds

This short poem is absolutely laced with metaphor. Hours become flat tyres. Dreams emerge as moans. Then explosions. He paints a dramatic and highly evocative picture of mundane every day life, with very few words. This is the power of the metaphor. Try it in your own poetry and see how far you can push it.

Steve Wheeler

Image from HippoPX used under a Creative Commons Licence

Expanding Your Poetry

Poetry is a timeless art form that’s practically been around most of humanity. It has the power to capture the essence of emotions and experiences in a condensed, pure and thoughtful manner. If you're an aspiring poet looking to expand your poetic horizons, this blog is for you. Here we'll explore a few simple, yet effective ways to enhance your poetic expression and unlock different creativities. 

1. Experiment with Different Forms

   

One can challenge themselves by exploring various poetic forms such as sonnets, haikus, villanelles, or free verse. Each form offers a unique structure and rhythm that can inspire fresh ideas and stretch your poetic capabilities.

2. Dive into Nature

   

Nature is a profound source of inspiration for poets. I know it plays a major part in my own work. Perhaps try to immerse yourself in its beauty and observe the intricate details. Let the colors, scents, and sounds ignite your imagination, enabling you to hopefully be inspired to paint vivid pictures with your words.

3. Embrace Metaphors and Similes

   

Metaphors and similes add depth and richness to one’s poetry. Compare abstract concepts with tangible objects or draw parallels between unrelated ideas, this will allow your readers to experience your words on multiple levels.

4. Read Widely

   

Expand your poetic palette by diving into the works of a multitude of different poets. Read across different eras, styles, and even cultures. By exposing yourself to diverse voices, you'll certainly start to gain new insights, discover fresh techniques, and broaden your perspective.

5. Practice Regularly

   

Like any craft poetry requires practice. Try to set aside dedicated time for writing, even if it's just a few minutes each day. Use prompts, engage in free writing, or capture snippets of daily observations. With consistent practice, your poetic prowess is sure to create self expansion.

Expanding your poetry is an exciting journey of self-expression and creativity. By embracing different forms, drawing inspiration from nature, employing vivid metaphors, exploring diverse works, and practicing regularly, you'll refine your poetic voice and captivate readers with your words. So I say step beyond your comfort zone and embrace the unknown. Then watch as your poetry soars to new heights. Happy writing everyone! 

Brandon Adam Haven 

Image free for fair use by Freepix 

Inverting Literary Devices (Wringing Out Words)

Steve Wheeler and I had a fascinating exchange of texts not long ago. He really is a wringer and twister of all terms literary, and I am always thrilled to witness him in full blast poetry extrapolation mode.

I am also absolutely certain he has a washboard somewhere in his office where he wrings out thesauruses and dictionaries, then reuses the wordy wash water to concoct his wooly masterpieces! I only wish I knew what kind of soap he uses…

We were going on about literary devices… and he was turning them inside out.

When I told him about the Invisible Poets Facebook Group exercise I wrote on extended metaphors, he said I should use a contracted metaphor. When I asked him what that was… he replied he just wasn’t sure yet… he had just made it up! I was like “Wha…?!!”

He went on to explore something he called anti-similes.. a total opposite contrast of “as” or “like”… always unlike something… then pointed out a few. His examples included … “as a pig wearing lipstick” or “as a walrus wearing a corset”… and as a kind of “jumper on there” I wrote back “as an elephant walking a tightrope”… 

It was just fun bouncing ideas between poets, but I started to see a window into my colleague’s poetic genius. He was creating inverted devices!! 

A bright light bulb lit up over my head like in the old Looney Tunes cartoons!!! “Ehh…what’s up doc?!” Wow… the possibilities…

That’s when Steve’s literary wringer went into a spin cycle… and he washed out another zinger… “Anti-Malapropism - misappropriation of a word for another word and then reverting back for effect”…  with the example “Tome becomes time becomes rhyme”. I answered “Rote becomes mote becomes rhyme”. He answered, “You got it. Go to the front of the class!!!”

Well… he didn’t really say go to the front of the class but it sounded good as I just wrote it…

Anyway (!),… what an amazing turn!!! To take  a word, follow it with a word that only sounds like or may imply that word, then follow it with another word or words that actually resemble the subject word.

Some more exchanges followed into the twilight zone of extemporaneous exhalations of exemplary english proclamations that soared into my favorite kind of preposterous…

I offered, “Jellyfish baited with toast becomes a toast to jellyfish becomes a stinging belly of jelly.”… to which Steve killed it with, “To all intent and purpose becomes to all intensive purpose becomes a porpoise on intensive care!” 

A porpoise on intensive care! 

My favorite of his was “Ravel's bolero becomes unravelled hero becomes unruffled Nero”! He claimed, “It’s a great way to write abstract internal rhymes.”

This was just a little fun texting between poets, but it proved to be much more than that. It put a tiger in my idea tank for sure… It also showed me a glimpse into the mind of a professor and opened up a whole new range of possibilities pertaining to our craft!! I’m not sure what Steve would term these morphing brainstorms of his to construct new ideas, but I just referred to them as “Inverted Devices” for the purpose of this blog.

I had to share them with YOU! 

Have you done this before reader? Can you think of any such “devices” you can turn inside out? Maybe you might even offer a few originals  of your own… or some examples pertaining to the above “Anti-similes” or “Anti-Malapropisms”…

 I would LOVE to see them! If so, PLEASE POST THEM IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.

And stick around… we will continue to explore a few more of these inverted devices together next time!

Until then, the writer writes… write on my friends…

Matt Elmore