How To Write Poetry – Beginner's Guide

Poetry has been one of the most ancient and potent parts of literature. The rhymes and the deep meanings hidden in them have always strung chords in the hearts of people for several millennia. Even in today’s modern world, it has not lost its charm, and still revered by the intelligentsia and common man alike. There is always a generation of established poets and that of a budding one.

Today, many poets think of poetry as something of an alien nature. They think that it does not belong here. In other instances, they just do not acknowledge the importance it carries and relates to the complicated play of words with little to offer in a practical sense. The problem is acuter in writers who are just starting out.

They do not understand that the trends and techniques set and propagated by Whitman, Keats, and Blake should be followed to the teeth. Poetry has made great progress since these giants have left. Now, poetry has room more than ever and is accessible to anyone.

In this article, we will discuss, at length, what is poetry and how you can work your way into it if you are a new writer.

We will start from the most accessible, popular, and probably the easiest form of poetry and then make our way from the other advanced types.

Remember, there are many types, but you should not limit yourself to one type. Also, the saying that “rules are meant to be broken” greatly applies when it comes to poetry. Just create something that is meaningful and cannot be counted as torture on the ears!

Types Of Poetry

Here is the list of some of the types of poetry:

• Prose Poetry

• Narrative Poetry

• Sonnet

• Epic Poetry

• Free Verse Poetry

Now, we will discuss each one in detail and give you examples for better understanding.

Prose Poetry

For the beginning writers, prose poetry could be just the thing to get started. In recent times, it has experienced a tremendous surge in popularity and become everyone’s favorite form.

The nomenclature it takes comes from the fact that it is still written in prose sentences. It follows syntax structure and other rules of prose writing. By holding to its prose basis, it can still adopt many of the characteristics that are related to poetry. In a broader sense, it is a hybrid between prose and poetry and an excellent example of the evolution of literature.

There are many “advocates” in the ranks of poetry who would not consider it “real poetry” but the popular vote is in its favor.

Building on the main premise, most of the times, prose poems focus on the following elements in the piece:

• Tone

• Symbolism

• Metaphor

• Specific Theme

For a novice writer, it is the best gateway into the realm of poetry. You can make great progress at advanced levels by learning ropes in this beginner-friendly but wildly popular poetry type.

Here are things to keep in mind while writing prose poetry:

• You will not break lines after sentences

• You can divide the piece into paragraphs. It can be of any length, from a sentence fragment to multiple paragraphs

• Try to match the natural rhythm of your thoughts with that of the prose

• You should use techniques that are employed in poetry in general, like rhyme, repetition, alliteration, etc.

• You should target something between prose and poetry

• Try to say more with less

James Tate and Garry Young are some of the masters in this field.

Narrative Poetry

If you have ever read poetry in your life, there are healthy chances that you have read a piece of narrative poetry. It has a story to it, like the beginning of a character or thing. This is commonly referred to as arch. This story has a plot that is complemented by a strong narrative voice.

The main thing here is that poets do not shy away from using symbolism in this type of poetry. For instance, they would tell the story of a pencil in an unwavering, precise way, but when you read between the lines, you can draw other references and conclusions from the narration. The poet might be telling his story with a pencil or pen being the metaphor!

As far as the length and forms of these poems are concerned, there is a lot of variety to it. This is what shows that poetry is not synonymous with some uptight writing style with no room for the poet to define things for himself.

Sonnets

There is no way you speak English and you do not know who William Shakespeare is. He is said to be the King of the Drama. That is an apt title, but he is also the King of Sonnets. The dramatist has written a major portion of his work following this specific type of poetry. In the early period of English literature, Sonnet was considered to be the zenith of language and art.

This form follows a specific code. It is a traditional type of poetry that has these features:

• 14 Lines

• Iambic Meter

• Ending Rhyme Scheme

Traditionally, there are three types of sonnets found in the literature:

• The Petrarchan

• The Shakespearean

• The Spenserian

You can explore these types online and get to know them better with examples.

Epic Poetry

As the name suggests these days, epic poetry was used to be epic poetry during the times of the Romans and the Greeks. It was the most popular because it was directly related to the values of that time.

An epic poem would describe the hero’s journey. The best thing about an epic poem was that it was realistic and relatable at the time. The difficulties a hero faced and how he conquered his personal demons and those of the world were written in those epic poems.

In simpler terms, they were a long, detailed account of the trials that the hero faced on his way to glory and fame. There are many epic poems in the literature of every major language that find their roots in the mythology of the corresponding culture. This may be the reason they are still popular to some extent.

Following are some of the examples of epic poetry:

• The Odyssey by Homer

• The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spencer

• Paradise Lost by John Milton

Free Verse Poetry

Again, some traditionalists claim that free verse poetry is not a true form of poetry. But it exists and that should be enough for a novice writer like you to give it a try.

You can throw all the rules out the window if you feel like it. Read the works of some of the best poets in this category and then go your own way with no remorse at all!

You do not need to follow any set rules like format, rhyme scheme, tone, or pattern. As a beginner, it is perfect for you because it does not put any limitations on how you want to use your writing to achieve the title of poet.

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