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Welcome back to another Academy lesson, this one being our first poetry themed one brought to us all by Awards nominee @Life. Hope you all enjoy! (And apologizes to those expecting one on sex scenes - that should be done later in the year)
Hello, and welcome to the Writer's Workshop Writing Academy's very first lesson on poetry! My name is Life, and I'll be the one teaching you the very basics of the art that is poetry. Thank you for your time, and remember, please make sure that all cellphones, pagers, or any other electronic devices are turned off turning the period of this presentation.
Google will tell you that poetry is "Literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of literature." However, I'll tell you that poetry is whatever you want it to be. It can be happy, or it can be sad. It can be inspiring, or it can be dream-crushing. In essence, poetry is emotion that has taken the form of words. However, please remember that my word is obviously not law. In fact, what I want you to be able to do by the end of this workshop is ultimately one thing, which is to find what poetry is to you.
There are a lot of things about poetry that give it form aside from emotion, though. These are what I'm going to refer to as "key terms", because, well... They are. Now I'm not going to go into bigger terms because you probably don't really care, and becauseI'm not too familiar with them myself to write good poetry it is not critical to know them. Here, here, and here, you'll be able to find a good list of terms, but I'll also include some really basic ones below.
Now, most writers should know these of these terms, so this is really more of a review rather than new information, but it's important for a poet to know these so I'm putting them in anyways:
Allegory: A poem in which the characters, places, objects, or any noun have a hidden symbolic or moral message.
Alliteration: The repetition of initial stressed, consonant sounds in a series of words within a phrase or verse line.
Allusion: When a poem makes a reference to an important work or figure, usually one in text, religion, or history.
Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds without repeating consonants in close proximity to each other.
Free verse: Poems with no rhyme scheme.
Haiku: A Japanese poem consisting in 17 total syllables. Five in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the last.
Hymn: Usually sung, a poem that praises God or other divine being.
Hyperbole: An extreme exaggeration in a poem.
Metaphor: A direct comparison that does not use the words "like", "as", or "than".
Meter: The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllable in a poem.
Motif: A central or recurring action or imagine throughout a poem.
Onomatopoeia: The use of words to imitate the sound they are describing.
Personification: Attributing human characteristics to inanimate objects.
Rhyme: The repetition of similar vowel sounds, typically at the end of a line, where the final consonant sound is also in agreement.
Rhythm: An audible pattern in poems established by the intervals between stressed syllables.
Simile: A comparison between objects that uses comparative words, such as "like", "as", or "than".
Stanza: One or more lines that make a unit of a poem. Stanzas are separated from each other by a single space in a poem. They can be used to mark a shift in time, mood, or thought.
There are many other key terms, but these are just some that I think are really basic if you're starting new. *Please note that these terms do not only apply to poetry. Well, some of them do, but if any clarification on which ones are needed than please let me know. However, most of them can and are used in prose/stories.
That leads me to the last thing I am teaching you, the difference between prose and poetry. (Yes, they are different.) Now, instead of actually typing it out I'm just going to send you here, because it explains everything better. Basically, prose is more common and delivers a message without "fluff", whereas poetry is writing that delivers a message through strong emotions. It is also noticeable that prose is written in sentences instead of poetry which is written in stanzas.
Now then, with all that teaching out of the way there's one last thing for you to do, which is to literally ask yourself. I want you to read the following three poems and give some time to ponder about each of them. Let me know what you thought about them and if you liked, disliked, or feel indifferent about them. Tell me what you thought the poems were about and how you interpreted them. Remember, there's no wrong answer, so don't be afraid to post!
Poem Number One - "Where the Sidewalk Ends"
Poem Number Two - "A Poison Tree"
Poem Number Three - "Anti-Short Story"
Becoming a Poet
Truth be told, becoming a poet isn't hard at all. In fact, all you really have to do to become a poet is write some poetry. But there is a difference between a poet and an efficient poet, and that's what I'm going to try and help you with.
To start off, here's a short list of general tips I have composed to try and help benefit you and your poetic abilities:
Okay, so what exactly is different here than what I said above? Well, those were general things you should be doing, so now I'm going to get a little more detailed about how you can create some powerful poems.
So... you've read this entire article, and now you think you can take on poetry? Great, because that was my goal! Like I stated previously, there's not much to poetry, I just like to make it seem so. But now, it's your turn to make something of poetry, and make poetry itself.
Go off, into the world and write about whatever tickles your fancy. The only way to become a poet is to write poetry, so what are you waiting for? Stop reading this article and go write poetry. Now. That's right, I'm watching you. Now. Don't wait. Go now.
Follow these- and whatever tips you may find great- and use them well. Study poetry. Read poetry. Write poetry. Eat poetry. Breathe poetry. Sleep poetry. Dream poetry. Live poetry. Just don't go crazy.
Well... I hope you enjoyed this article and found at least something useful! Let me know how you feel about those three poems and everything I tried to teach you. Thanks for reading!
Sources & helpful links:
Hello, and welcome to the Writer's Workshop Writing Academy's very first lesson on poetry! My name is Life, and I'll be the one teaching you the very basics of the art that is poetry. Thank you for your time, and remember, please make sure that all cellphones, pagers, or any other electronic devices are turned off turning the period of this presentation.
Ask Yourself
Before you even think about writing a poem, I want you to literally ask yourself, "Do I know what poetry and poems are?" Chances are that you do, but I'm going attempt to tell you anyways. Google will tell you that poetry is "Literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of literature." However, I'll tell you that poetry is whatever you want it to be. It can be happy, or it can be sad. It can be inspiring, or it can be dream-crushing. In essence, poetry is emotion that has taken the form of words. However, please remember that my word is obviously not law. In fact, what I want you to be able to do by the end of this workshop is ultimately one thing, which is to find what poetry is to you.
There are a lot of things about poetry that give it form aside from emotion, though. These are what I'm going to refer to as "key terms", because, well... They are. Now I'm not going to go into bigger terms because you probably don't really care, and because
Now, most writers should know these of these terms, so this is really more of a review rather than new information, but it's important for a poet to know these so I'm putting them in anyways:
Allegory: A poem in which the characters, places, objects, or any noun have a hidden symbolic or moral message.
Alliteration: The repetition of initial stressed, consonant sounds in a series of words within a phrase or verse line.
Allusion: When a poem makes a reference to an important work or figure, usually one in text, religion, or history.
Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds without repeating consonants in close proximity to each other.
Free verse: Poems with no rhyme scheme.
Haiku: A Japanese poem consisting in 17 total syllables. Five in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the last.
Hymn: Usually sung, a poem that praises God or other divine being.
Hyperbole: An extreme exaggeration in a poem.
Metaphor: A direct comparison that does not use the words "like", "as", or "than".
Meter: The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllable in a poem.
Motif: A central or recurring action or imagine throughout a poem.
Onomatopoeia: The use of words to imitate the sound they are describing.
Personification: Attributing human characteristics to inanimate objects.
Rhyme: The repetition of similar vowel sounds, typically at the end of a line, where the final consonant sound is also in agreement.
Rhythm: An audible pattern in poems established by the intervals between stressed syllables.
Simile: A comparison between objects that uses comparative words, such as "like", "as", or "than".
Stanza: One or more lines that make a unit of a poem. Stanzas are separated from each other by a single space in a poem. They can be used to mark a shift in time, mood, or thought.
There are many other key terms, but these are just some that I think are really basic if you're starting new. *Please note that these terms do not only apply to poetry. Well, some of them do, but if any clarification on which ones are needed than please let me know. However, most of them can and are used in prose/stories.
That leads me to the last thing I am teaching you, the difference between prose and poetry. (Yes, they are different.) Now, instead of actually typing it out I'm just going to send you here, because it explains everything better. Basically, prose is more common and delivers a message without "fluff", whereas poetry is writing that delivers a message through strong emotions. It is also noticeable that prose is written in sentences instead of poetry which is written in stanzas.
Now then, with all that teaching out of the way there's one last thing for you to do, which is to literally ask yourself. I want you to read the following three poems and give some time to ponder about each of them. Let me know what you thought about them and if you liked, disliked, or feel indifferent about them. Tell me what you thought the poems were about and how you interpreted them. Remember, there's no wrong answer, so don't be afraid to post!
Poem Number One - "Where the Sidewalk Ends"
Poem Number Two - "A Poison Tree"
Poem Number Three - "Anti-Short Story"
Becoming a Poet
Truth be told, becoming a poet isn't hard at all. In fact, all you really have to do to become a poet is write some poetry. But there is a difference between a poet and an efficient poet, and that's what I'm going to try and help you with.
To start off, here's a short list of general tips I have composed to try and help benefit you and your poetic abilities:
- Observe
Wherever and whenever, make sure to look, smell, listen, feel, and, if it's sanitary, taste. The world has plenty of things that go unnoticed, but when notice is taken of such things gears start to work that normally don't. Look for messages and symbols that will help inspire new works, and think about things that you normally would not. It's helpful to broaden your mind to the possibilities that await, because in-turn they'll give birth to extraordinary works of art. - Read
This one is kind of obvious, but I'll say it anyway. By reading poems, you'll increase your library of knowledge. Not only will other poems inspire you, they're also great way to learn. - Practice
This is another obvious one, but I'll stress it anyways. Practice, practice, practice! If you don't write poetry, how will you get better at it? You can read and learn all you want, but how will you know where you are if you don't write? Write poetry until you can no more!!!
Tips for Writing
Okay, so what exactly is different here than what I said above? Well, those were general things you should be doing, so now I'm going to get a little more detailed about how you can create some powerful poems.
- Rhyme Schemes
I'm sure that a lot of enjoy rhyming in your poems, and that's totally, 100% great. But isn't an AABBCCetc. scheme a little basic? Why not try to mix things up a little. How about ABCDDBCA? Or ABBABCCBCDDC? The possibilities are endless when it comes to rhyme schemes!- If you don't know what I mean by "ABC" than keep reading this. Each letter stands for a certain sound that is used in each line. For example, a poem with an ABAB rhyme scheme would look like this:
Around the box
There is a clock
That looks like a fox
Picking a lock
In this case, "A" represents the "ox" sound, while "B" represents the "ock" sound.
- If you don't know what I mean by "ABC" than keep reading this. Each letter stands for a certain sound that is used in each line. For example, a poem with an ABAB rhyme scheme would look like this:
- Symbolizing
Symbolizing, or symbolism, is when you you use one object/place/event/person/thing/etc. to represent another object/place/event/person/thing/etc. Some examples would be how in mythology, Zeus is represented by the eagle, or how District 11 from The Hunger Games can be represented by coal.
By using symbols in poetry, the author can directly deliver an image and/or message to the reader. This can convey deeper meanings in your poetry, as well as show your own personality. The reason it can is because some symbols have different meanings to everyone, even if some symbols (like how the dove represents love) are commonly thought of.
For example, if my mother's favorite color was blue, and she always wore blue, everything was blue, etc. I might write a poem about my mother using the color blue as a symbol for her. However, someone who grew up on the beach and loves spending their time in the ocean might associate the color blue with the ocean.
This is why and how symbols in your poems can cause a powerful and odd effect on the reader, because everyone will interpret it differently. By using symbols instead of direct words, the reader gets a vague image of what the author is trying portray. While this may seem like you're leaving the reader empty-handed, you're actually giving them time to think about your poem, which is a really great thing to do rather than leave them thinking nothing.
- Denotative & Connotative
Again, I'm sure most of you know what denotative and connotative mean, but I'll tell you anyway. Denotative can simply be described as the dictionary definition of a word. For example, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a boulder is "A detached and rounded or much-worn mass of rock".
Connotative is what we associate with a certain word. What would you associate with the word boulder? For me, things that come to mind are rocks, running, temples, booby traps, Indiana Jones, my favorite Mario Party mini-game (it involved running from a boulder), and The Boulder from Avatar: The Last Airbender.
But to get to the point of this bullet, using connotative and denotative definitions effectively can also give personal meaning in your poems, thus showing off your own personality and style. A good example of using denotative and connotative definitions well can be seen in the poem "A Dream Within A Dream" by Edgar Allan Poe. There is a small paragraph at the bottom of that page that explains how, but I'll post it at the bottom:
Create
So... you've read this entire article, and now you think you can take on poetry? Great, because that was my goal! Like I stated previously, there's not much to poetry, I just like to make it seem so. But now, it's your turn to make something of poetry, and make poetry itself.
Go off, into the world and write about whatever tickles your fancy. The only way to become a poet is to write poetry, so what are you waiting for? Stop reading this article and go write poetry. Now. That's right, I'm watching you. Now. Don't wait. Go now.
Follow these- and whatever tips you may find great- and use them well. Study poetry. Read poetry. Write poetry. Eat poetry. Breathe poetry. Sleep poetry. Dream poetry. Live poetry. Just don't go crazy.
Well... I hope you enjoyed this article and found at least something useful! Let me know how you feel about those three poems and everything I tried to teach you. Thanks for reading!
Sources & helpful links:
- http://ose.utsc.utoronto.ca/ose/story.php?id=5808
- http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/text/poetry-101-resources-beginners
- http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Poem
- http://www.creative-writing-now.com/how-to-write-poetry.html
- http://www.unitedpress.co.uk/downloads/How-To-Write-Your-First-Poem-A-Beginners-Guide.pdf
- http://www.poetry.org/
- http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/
- http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-function-of-symbolism-in-poetry.htm#didyouknowout
