Poetry: A Few Pointers

Sharing my thoughts on how easy it is to whip one up!

·        What’s Your STORY? – Take the time to build a story around an emotion or a distant memory that you want to write about. Words usually start to flow if you start that way.

·        Word BLOCK – Everybody struggles with the words. For in poetry, every single one counts. Try to pen down your feelings. Do not worry about the rhyme or the rhythm. Once you have a few sentences jotted down, tune them to your style.

·        Choice of WORDS – Try to use effective words. Do not go overboard with heavy words that your readers will have to Google. And do not overly clichéd words either. Striking the right balance is the key.

·        CONVEY, don’t spell out – Let the readers FEEL your words. Do not sprinkle your work with words like love, happy, sad etc. to convey your emotions. Rephrase your sentences to convey them instead.

·        Do not REPEAT yourself – Both in words and in feelings. Do not spill out lines after lines with the same emotions and words. It can be tiring. Try to go deeper in your thought process and make things engaging for the reader.

·        READ, READ and RE-READ – I know this sounds like a cliché but the poem should have a LOGICAL flow. Make sure that your “story” is still being conveyed. Do not make the reader feel confused at the end. Make sure that your words are getting across. When in doubt, ask a trusted friend/family member to read and interpret it for you.

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