Write about objects - the things next to your bed, your favourite belongings, shoes, jewellery, your grandmother's closet. Write about your worries, your memories that haunt you. Write about the terrible things that wake you in the night, the issues that keep cropping up in your disputes with friends and spouse. Try writing about ordinary activities - doing the dishes, walking the dog, strolling a beach, grocery shopping. But add your keen observation, your writer's/poet's eye. Write about a skill you're good at - making soup, giving a massage, scrubbing the floor, writing, playing piano, scuba diving. Write about what makes you happy, miserable, depressed. Write about loss, death, grief, illness. Write about your grandparents and people from your past. Write about the first time you did something, and write about sex, the good, the bad and the ugly. Write about your shadow - the part you never talk about or expose.

Poetry is about evoking emotion, just like music. It's also about the craft of writing. In fact, it's like a condensed version of the power of language, which is why I think all writers should read poetry.

Use poetry to express emotion
Poetry is one of the best ways to express emotion because we can use figurative and literal images to express emotions in fresh ways. Love is a great motivator, as is heartbreak and anger. But no matter what we write, we can learn from poets. We can learn about the power of conciseness and carefully chosen images.

read more: previous | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | next

printer friendly

send to a friend

ivillage uk

The basics of writing poetry