Alright, the title is misleading. No one can tell you how to write poetry, but I am going to share what I feel are the important aspects to writing something that will actually touch other people.

What makes a good piece of poetry?

Some people's eyes are automatically drawn to spelling and punctuation. It's the first thing they look for when they read something. I'm not one of those people. Spelling and punctuation are tools to help you communicate yourself effectively, but whether you spell it right or not, if someone knows what you are trying to say, you have suceeded.

People write poetry for many different reasons. I know people who spend weeks crafting their words into a piece that they are happy with, that follows rules of form and flow. They write to have written, to create something beautiful. If you are one of those writers, I can't help you here. But you can learn everything you need to know from a technical dictionary. Stephen Fry's An Ode Less Travelled is a great place to go for that.


Personally I write for two reasons, the two reasons that I believe are the most common.

1 - To get whatevers in my head out of it. A lot of people write to gain control over their emotions. That's why love poetry and depressive poetry are so popular, because they are extremes.

2 - To help others. It sounds odd but its my personal belief that we all experience similar things to one degree or another, and by sharing our experiences we can make them less scary for the next person.

So when I sit down to write I don't think about syllables or sonnets, I think about me. What do I need to say, and how can I say it in a way that ensures the readers know what I mean.


- Honesty. If you are going to write about something that someone else feels, you have to be honest. Poetry is very therapeutic, it helps you work out what you're feeling, why you're feeling it, and then decide what to do about it. Its a way to see yourself clearly without bias.

- Integrity. Write what you mean to write. Do not write what fits. I despair of people trying to fit 'a dove' into their poetry just because it rhymes with love. Love isn't organised or conventional. You are doing it a dis-service by writing it that way. Its okay if things rhyme, if you can make the rhymes say what you want to say, but never settle for saying something just because it fits.

- Rhyming. Its not vital. No where in the manual does it say poetry must rhyme. But if you are going to rhyme you have to be flexible. I write all of my poetry on the computer because then I can quickly rearrange lines and stanzas to work together.

I'm falling apart here
I'm running out of luck
I want another chance
Do you wanna ....

So you have 3 lines working (ok these are awful examples, sorry about that, but bear with me) and the fourth line doesnt rhyme. Are you really gonna finish that line? Consider revising the original lines to make the fourth line easier on yourself.

I'm falling apart here
Only bad luck is mine
I want another chance
Just a moment of your time.

You can always change your mind about the first lines, stick to what you mean and try to manipulate it to make your job easier.

- Understanding. Don't write about things you don't understand, it will show. You have to consider why you are even writing about it. When your still at school if you are asked to write about how it feels to be a pineapple in world war 8 thats fine.. but in your spare time if your still writing about that then why? Its alright to write for fun, its great practise, but if you want to say something, then say something about you... something you know.

- Critique. Sharing your poetry can be an important part of the process of learning. Not everyone does, and writing for yourself is nothing to be ashamed of, but if you do share your work be careful what your asking for. If you ask for critique and you tend to take suggestions as criticism then specify what you would like critique in (for example flow, language, spelling, structure, subjects).

- More critique! When critiquing other texts remember to be honest. Its alright not to like something, no matter how popular the person who wrote it is. There will be people who disagree with you, but your opinion is still valid. However, if you are going to say you don't like something, you must say why. It is very rude to say something is bad, or that you dont like it without saying why. Help the writer improve. Tell them what was good about their poetry so they know to expand on that, and then tell them what you found difficult about it. Poetry is an expression of self, they dont have to listen to your opinion.

When critiquing remember not to critique the subject. Its irrelevant what the writer is trying to express. Its their right to express it. Whats relevant is how well they are communicating their experience to you as a reader. Their choice of words, moods, structure etc and how they reflect the subject, these are things to explore with the writer.




At the end of the day the magic of poetry is you can't get it wrong. But poetry is such a passionate art form that it would be a shame for it to get lost under a mountain of greeting cards and radio jingles. We all have something to say, so say it. No one can stop you. Not even me!

** Write a piece of poetry using these pointers? Note me a link! **