How to Write Poetry

Tips For Writing Poems  Don’t be scared of a blank page. Inspiration for writing poems is limitless. Look at a blank page for its possibility  Be fearless in your writing. Don’t let the idea of perfection keep you from writing your personal masterpiece  Find what inspires you. Identify what stirs the biggest emotional eruption and put it in words.  Whenever you can, write for yourself  Read! The more you read, the more exposure you have the more you open yourself up to what poetry makes possible and all the possibilities for you to make poetry.

Writing a Poem About Your Surroundings – Robert Frost  Look at where you are, and write down what you see, including nature, animals, and buildings. This doesn’t have to be fancy – just write down words or phrases as you think of them. These terms can be a good foundation for writing a poem, because you choose a few words and expand on them and what they mean to you.  What is the weather like? The weather can affect our moods and our outlook, so it is a good idea to write down what the current weather makes you feel and think about.  Who is nearby? Look and listen to the people around you. Imagine how the strangers you see and hear came to be here, or what their days have been like so far. How do you think you might interact with them? What would your conversations with them be like?  You don’t have to be outside to write about the setting you are in. If you are in your home or at school, or traveling, those places can be full of inspiration.  Use all of your senses. Poets can convey their experiences through sharing impressions gleaned through senses like taste, touch and smell, not just sight and sound. Experimenting with trying to describe these impressions can seem silly, but can also be very effective  If you are having trouble finding something in your general area to write about, try writing about what you wish was around you instead!

Writing a Senses Poem  As we walk outside, write down observations of your surroundings using your senses.  Use the back of the “Surroundings worksheet” to record words/phrases on sights, hear, taste, smell, touch.  If the weather is bad we will look at the following pictures on the power point and use our imaginations to record what we might see, hear, smell, taste, feel  Write your senses poem based on your notes – refer to Robert Frost’s Stopping By Woods on A Snowy Evening