Writing Tips and Techniques for Poets

Writing is not a formulaic activity, and that is precisely what makes it such a valuable activity. It’s an act that requires more imagination than rigid doctrine, and this flexibility is what makes possible the potential for poets to innovate and emulate within this wonderful genre. It is also, however, a genre of writing that can be greatly improved through the help of writing tips and techniques. Consider the following quotation and you’ll get a sense of what poets of the past have thought about poetry’s unique capacity for individual freedom.

“There are nine and sixty ways of constructing tribal lays, and every single one of them is right.”

Rudyard Kipling, from “In the Neolithic Age“

Certainly, poetic technique is such a broad subject that to enumerate all of the possibilities at a poet’s disposal would be impossible, as much as it would be counterproductive. However, do not take this as discouragement, or an indication that poetry is too complex to be bothered with. The promise of possibility, wide and varied as it is, is what gives writing poetry its charm and ultimately its reward. As Kipling said, there are many ways to construct a poem, but there are no wrong ways.

Today let’s focus on a few writing tips and techniques you can use in your own writing, and perhaps in the future we can address more, which will allow us to increase our level of skill at composing new poems.

Writing Tips and Techniques

1. Alliteration: This poetic technique is not only the simplest to learn, it’s also an effective way to train your ear to pay closer attention to the way a poem sounds. Like a good musician must take care to notice when a song is out of key, so must a poet learn to listen for words that create discord, or phrases that don’t produce the musical quality poets often look for in their work. But what is alliteration?

Alliteration is defined as, “The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.”

Alliteration can be a simple and effective tool for new poets to employ in their writing, giving them the freedom to express the music they hear in their head when composing. Try reading a poem out loud and really listen to the words. Don’t concentrate on anything but the way the poem sounds. How does it create a mood, or provide tension and release in the poem? Read your own poems aloud, and you’ll notice when the poem sounds as though it’s losing its fluidity, its internal rhythm. Developing an ear for poetry is largely instinctual, so trust your gut feeling when composing your poems.

When I first started writing poetry, I used to separate every line by how many beats, or breaths I thought the line needed. Then, once I’d completed the poem, I’d rearrange the lines on the page, making sure that the beats or rhythm of the poem maintained its integrity. Try it out, and see if it works for you. It’s only one way I’ve found to do it, but soon you’ll develop your own.

Alliteration Example:

As I walked forward, the red clay at the riverbank was soft.
The reflection of the suns rays fell across the moving stream,
and at that moment, I breathed in the subtle scent of morning.

The bold letters R and S indicate the most obvious instances of alliteration, but remember to use this technique subtly throughout a poem. Overusing any technique causes it to lose its affect. Also, you don’t have to put every alliterated word right next to similarly alliterated words. Spread things out.

The best approach to writing poems is to use several techniques, whichever ones you most enjoy, to create a blending of various techniques. This allows you to add variety and depth to your work.

2. Anaphora: This technique uses repetition to create a sense of vibrance and vitality in the words being used. It’s often employed in speeches and sermons, to great an emotional effect.  The objective is to create a passionate delivery in the poem, to burn into the mind of the listener the words you have chosen to use.

Anaphora is defined as, “The repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of lines.”

Anaphora Example:

The river flows fast as the rain falls among the leaves and branches.

The river flows fast, drawing in debris, swallowing earth in its irrepressible path of erosion.

The river flows fast, promising floods and breached levees.

The river flows fast, swallowing homes, carrying our lives downstream.

“The river flows fast” line acts as anaphora, by repeating the line and giving momentum to each successive line. It acts as a means of organizing the poem, and often, anaphora is a great way to develop a title for your poem. If a line is repeated throughout, it will most likely be the most memorable for your readers, creating a built-in title in most cases. So this example poem could be titled, “The River Flows Fast.”

3. Imagery: Writing without vivid images makes for easily forgettable poems. When you think of the word imagery, you most likely think of a picture. As a photographer must take great care to capture a good image, one that catches the eye, so must a poet choose images that evoke the proper emotion and create a consistent tone for each poem. Ask yourself these questions:

What am I writing this poem about?

What images are most closely associated with this subject?

How can I communicate best to the reader the feeling I want them to understand?

Imagery is defined as, “The creation of images using words.”

The images must also be a central part of the story, capturing the moment of the poem, just as a skilled photographer or painter makes careful consideration in regard to color and composition to capture the moment visually. Employ description such as color or texture, and use adjectives that accurately portray the place where the images are located. Remember, images are things. They become physical as we describe them in our writing. Make your readers see the place of your poem, really see, and they’ll remain engaged in the poem to the end.

4. Narrative: It would seem at first glance that narrative is counter to the objective of poetry, but narrative is not just for prose fiction. Many great poems tell a story through narrative. For example, John Brown’s Body is a narrative poem that tells a story about the American Civil War. What events in your own life have you felt would be a great story? Perhaps you could tell of your first day at school? A death in the family? Or a historical event?

Try to write your own narrative poem, and read other’s online and in print to get a sense for how to tell a poetic story. Narrative is one of many techniques at your disposal, and my guess is you’ll already have a intuitive sense of how to use it in your writing.

5. Diction: Every poem relies on the words it contains to convey meaning, emotion, and to shape the way a poem is read. Jonathan Swift once said, “Proper words in proper places, makes the true definition of a style.” Diction simply means the words you choose. So choose your words with care, using the best words for each poem, and you’ll develop your style over time.

I think that one of the most effective ways to create a signature style is to use words in your poetry that you would actually use in conversation. Don’t feel the need to crowd the pages of your poetry with highly intellectual words; use your own words. What matters most is how you use them.

Finally, when choosing your subjects for poems, think about the things that fascinate you, that make you happy, even the things that make you angry. Whatever you do, convince your reader and yourself, that you’ve employed the best techniques for your poems, and that you enjoy the act of creating something new. Poetry is ultimately about bringing some life into the world, despite the often complex and frustrating appearance of our daily lives. Make poetry a part of each day, and you’re bound to find more inspiration than you thought possible.

What do you think Studio 602ers? Do you have any poetry writing tips? Share your writing tips in the comments section below!