How To Write A Poem

For Students, Teachers and Poetry Lovers

(Part 2 of Understanding Poetry)

In recognition of National Poetry Month, I'm sharing this poetry writing process which can be useful in creating rhyming poems or any type of poetry. I hope this writing process will also assist in the understanding of poetry. As students, teachers and poetry lovers, you will be able to use this process as an aid and guide to keep writing and unleashing creativity. If you need help writing poetry this process should help, even if it's during times when words are not flowing or the poem isn't coming together.

1. You're Not Writing a Poem - The first goal is not to write a poem but to understand what the idea/spirit is trying to tell you. To do this you must keep your mind out of the way. This is a delicate imbalance since you will need your mind throughout the process.

2. Remember - Writing a poem doesn't start as a poetry writing process, even if you have to write a poem or need to write a poem or have a particular form in mind. First just write down thoughts and allow the rest, (form, title, length, etc.) to emerge from this process.

3. Just write freely - From the initial idea, write anything and everything as quickly as possible. Do not edit in any way. Write in phrases, sentences, paragraphs, verses, a mixture or any way it comes out. Don't be ashamed or afraid of what might come out. Write it.

4. Keep writing freely - When the initial writing pauses or stops, do not read what you've written, instead, reflect on the strongest parts of the initial idea or the thoughts you've written. This will help capture the purest portion of the idea that remains and resurfaces in both longterm and short term memory. Don't be in a hurry. Immerse yourself in the idea, soak in it, absorb it.

5. Write Second Draft - Before making any changes, save this document under a new name such as Poem 2.doc.

a. Read, add, delete and rearrange. This part of the process might just be adding only or deleting only or rearranging only. Go with what seems the natural thing to do. Sometimes this portion might be to group similar ideas or ideas that seem to come before or after each other. In this rewriting portion of the process. You still must write freely and edit freely. That's why the document is saved under a new name.

b. If you reach a long pause, don't worry. It could be an indication to do something else for a while or some days. If you do, tuck the portion of the poem you're stuck on in your subconscious to allow the spirit continual access to it.

c. If you want to keep writing, try to come up with a working title. If you already have one, try to come up with a few more. Keep them all at the top of the page.

d. If this doesn't help, try this to keep you moving. For the remaining portions you have not blended or connected with something else, Strip out all the connecting words, prepositions and insignificant verbs like “a, an the, but, was, is.” Keep the adjectives and adverbs, even the simple and inexact ones. They're trying to tell you something.

e. If this doesn't work, read out loud what you've already edited and listen for something in the unused portion that might fit in. Learn to ask questions, What was I thinking when I wrote these words? Why do I need it? What does it add? What is the purpose of this poem? etc.

f. Look at each line or group of lines and ask, Where is the magic, uniqueness, quality, memorableness? What am I writing about? Why? Where did this idea come from? Where will I get the lifeblood? (from experience, observation, books, etc.), Where will I get the emotions, the sensory and the spiritual? Don't worry if it's not coming together. It just means you might need more experience, more observation, more listening and more time.

6. Repeat the Process - Repeat for each draft until finished. Revisit any portion and in any order. Don't be surprised if each draft gets smaller and smaller. Don't be surprised if each draft gets bigger and bigger. Don't be surprised if you change directions with the idea, topic or focus. Don't be surprised if the form changes. Don't be surprised to get many other ideas for poems, portions of poems, stories, quotes, etc. while writing this one. Once you've tapped into the source of creativity, it will flow. Just write all these thoughts at the bottom of your document. It is not uncommon to have fabulous words and lines and verses that just don't work for the poem you're writing. You can love them but you just don't have to marry them. Move them to the bottom of the document.

7. Expect Surprises - Welcome the suprises that will come through this discovery process. Also, don't be surprised if you don't have any energy or desire to complete the poem. If you're not excited and anxious to write a poem then it's too much a mental and academic exercise, which can be tiring because the imbalance is in the wrong direction.

8. The Process is a Process Choosing a topic and the focus/angle of that topic is critical if all the words are to have a chance to become a good poem. Don't skip this step or fail to revise this step even if you've spent hours going in seemingly another direction. Understand that this writing process is a process itself. Allow the process that works for you to evolve and a poem will usually evolve.

9. A Personal Definition- Poetry is rhythm, emotion and/or sensory using an economy of words. Rhyming is only one way to create rhythm. Other ways are language, transition, execution, form (formal or one you create) and repetition of words, lines, verses or structure, etc.

I tried to sing in a chorus
but my voice didn't quite fit in, blend
I tried play football
but my nerves were a bit too thin

dancing, other team sports or conformists activities, get the girls attention
writing and creativity found me, tried me and I said let's see, too tired from tried, see how close these words are

I believe this one is going to be short. I notice a rhyme pattern so I will continue to rhyme every other line with the same sound. (Please note that forcing an idea for a poem into a certain formal form or rhyme pattern can either be challenging or choking to a poem. This is also true in the reverse.) In this draft I will try to eliminate the paragraph by turning the thoughts into verses, I hope to get at least three verses.

tried singing chorus
but voice didn't blend
tried playing sports
But skills didn't pitch in
tried getting girls attention
at the schools I did attend
tried disco dancing
But nerves were thin
Gave writing a try
Found a faithful friend

Note: Some step are left out to keep this document much shorter.

1. Created 4th verse, “get the girls attention,” then moved.

2. Stuck, so work backwards by deleting something that doesn't help. Deleted “too tired from tried

3. Put each thought on separate line to help visualize

4. Deleted “see how close these words are”

5. Created 5th verse from “tried me and I said let's see”

6. Changed “writing and creativity found me” would be used to generate last verse

7. Created 3rd verse “other team sports or conformists activities”

8. Decided that using “in” in 3rd verse meant I can't use it in 2nd verse

9. Deleted “quite fit in” in 2nd verse and used “blend”

10. Deleted “dancing”

11. Reread verse and deleted “a bit too” because it broke up rhythm

12 Changed “used to” to help rhythm

13. Decided to consolidate verses 2 and 3 and then realized I could use dancing

14. Added verse 6

15. Consolidated 2-3, decided to use “ing” verbs

16. Put hard return after verse 3 to visualize section to work on

17. Decided to delete “I's” and “my's”

18. Now can see if I do this correctly I can have two stanzas of 6 lines

19. Wrote 6th verse

20. Changed 4th verse wasn't working, boring, too commonplace

21. Merged poem into one stanza

Didn't have a working title. Thought about it a few times but now decided on one. Used the “main topic thought process,” which means I asked, What is the main topic of this poem?

No need at this point to be concerned with grammar or punctuation. This is a molding step, not a finishing step.

I am satisfied with the progress but not satisfied overall. It seems like some aspects of “trying” are missing and the last line seems trite.

Considering using rhymezone.com to find rhyming words to guide me and spend time in reflection, meditation on core/topic/title to add a few more verses. win, chagrin, begin, cumin, pretend

tried singing chorus
voice didn't blend
tried playing sports
skills didn't pitch in
tried for girls attention
at schools I did attend
tried disco dancing
nerves shook thin
Gave writing a try
Found a faithful friend

grapes look like balloons
crayon repair - toothpicks and bandaids

The two lines above are from a document created 2003. They will not be in this poem; however, they bring to mind imagination and make-believe and led to the following two lines:

Tried make believe
with GI joe, army men
Tried to reconcile
Why soldiers never win
Tried to ignore realities
couldn't stop my pen

1. Read through. “But” in each pair of lines seems unnecessary, awkward and breaks rhythm

2. Read, decided to change “getting” to “for” to shorten the two longest lines, deleted “the” in next verse

3. Next line, change “were” to “shook” to combine the thought of dancing with nervousness

4. Now considering how last two lines should be something that comes natural and not tried

5. Searched old files of unused notes for related ideas, tried, try, growing up, child. Goal, add 2 to 3 more verses to make sure existing ones are what they should be. Ask, What is this about? What is being said? What needs to be said? Reflect on the ideas of “starting from infancy,” “stop trying” and “start trusting, believing”

1. This process is not perfect. There is no such thing. I use many variations of this process or not use it at all. I use the process as an aid and guide when words aren't readily flowing. This should help get you started on your way to writing poems and poetry you can enjoy, be proud of and share with others.

2. Writing a poem is an idea capturing process, a thought exploration, a fleshing out of experience, emotion, senses and images. Once this is accomplished you can allow the mind to reenter a little more and apply form, style and any other poetic device you'd like. Good poetry takes time and after investing time in learning to listen to the spirit, good poetry will come more quickly.

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Check this page for future drafts of this poem, updates to the writing process or other writing discussions and writing exercises on Writer's Whirlpool

Explanations regarding the catalysts and meanings of some published poems, both rhyming and non-rhyming, may be found on this site by clicking on the poems and themes found on this poetry book page.