Do you want to learn how
to write a better poem?
1. Read poetry.
Immerse yourself in it. Find and
sift through until you find the poets and the poems you like and admire.
2. Imitate
their poems. I do not advocate plagiarism;
I advocate practice and study. Imbue yourself
in the form, the spacing, the use of line and rhythm – all the elements that
interest you.
3. Copy
your poems into a journal or notebook, or copy and paste it into a digital
folder, and also keep ideas, lines from favorite poems, figurative language, vocabulary,
pictures, and practice, practice, practice.
Keep finished and unfinished poems in one, easily accessible place.
4. Hunt,
search, research for new poets and poetry.
No need to spend money. Use
libraries, bookstores, the Internet. Use
recommendations from Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble. Remember there are thousands of novels
available, but we only read the few genres we like; likewise, with poetry,
there are thousands of poets and poetry out there waiting to be discovered,
read, and enjoyed.
5. Join
a group of poets who write, share, and critique each other’s work. So much can be learned from those who
understand the genre best.
Looking for ideas? Try:
1. Julia
Alvarez. Homecoming
2. Niki
Giovanni. The Women and the Men
3. Trinidad
Sanchez, Jr. Why Am I So Brown?
4. Tupac
Shakur. The Rose That Grew from Concrete.
5. Alice
Walker. Revolutionary Petunias.
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