How to Get Started in the World of Poetry, Part 1

Today you are you,

that is truer than true

There is no one alive

that is youer than you

-Dr. Seuss

Ever wonder if there was a better way to express your feelings than emojis? Formal letters can definitely let someone know how you feel, but if you want to give them a glimpse into your soul — poetry, my friend, can help you do just that.

Poetry is not only a tool for expressing love (as many might think), nor is it a difficult skill to gain proficiency in. For many of us from the X and Y generations, Dr. Seuss is our first foray into the colorful world of poetry. As we grow older, our next leg of the journey in poetry comes when we start singing lyrics that move us. Admittedly, my preference for wordsmithing came in the form of Black Sabbath’s “Falling off the Edge of the World”. Ronnie James Dio used not only rhyme, but also metaphor, allegory, and imagery to take us on a journey in 5 minutes.

Poetry, however, doesn’t need a band for rhythm or an amplifier to project sound. As a form of creative expression that needs only time, words, and a pen, I am going to give you a few quick tips so you can create your very own Cat in the Hat or Fields of Gold.

Poetry is a packed and portioned language with a theme. Therefore, step 1 of writing your first poem is finding your theme. Themes can range from apple-carving to zip lining, but once you have made a choice, the theme will become the parameters of your masterpiece. Can’t think of a theme? I suggest the most recent event in your life. This can include a trip to the loo, a frustrating moment with an appliance, or that bag of popcorn that lied to you about how long it would take to pop. Your theme will affect the tone of your poem, and in turn, the word choices you make to convey that tone.

Step 2 is even easier. Once you have a theme, you have a title. In poetry, titles do not have to be too clear to the reader. I encourage you to make your title an abstract reference to your theme. For instance, if a poem’s theme is about appreciating your best friend, it can be named after the date you met, or a specific place you bonded. Either choice, though, should have some reference in the material. After you have a theme and title, freely write your poem. This method is called free-verse. Do not worry about what rhymes or how long each line of your poem is, but make sure your words don’t fall off the edge of the page.

To give poetry a likability factor, rhythm is infused. Rhythm in poetry is the combination of stressed and unstressed syllables in a pattern. These combinations have names like ‘anapest’, ‘spondee’, and ‘dactyl’, but for simplicity’s sake, we will use one type: the ‘iamb’. What is an ‘iamb’? An Iamb is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable: fatigue, extinct, decide, demise, avenge… (wow, that got dark real quick). Pro-tip: if you are having trouble figuring out where the stress is in a word, sound it out with a ‘hum’. The higher pitch will indicate the stressed syllables. For instance, humming ‘extinguish’ tells us that the second syllable is stressed. So for this next step, hum the first line of your poem. For example:

Harness the force like a Jedi

Then, replace non-iambic patterns with iambic words until we have an iambic line. You might end up with something like this:

Control /the force / as Je/di do

Feels great, right? By bringing the line into a rhythm, you may have noticed you were combing your mind for new ways to express thoughts, or even learning new words from a thesaurus. In this way, poetry is an effective means to discover language in new ways (even foreign languages!) Not only can you learn new words, but you might see words and phrases in a new light — a way you’ve never noticed before. The parameters set by maintaining rhythm also made you become more creative! Now for the second line.

At this point, I would suggest deciding on a structure and length for your work of art. Poems can be as short as haikus or as long as a stage play, but until we are maestros it is a great idea to first decide on a finale. This is your soul being expressed, and depending on the intended audience, your message might be lost if it is too long. For instance, if Sam-I-Am was rejected by too many characters before finally meeting someone who would try his green eggs and ham, Dr. Seuss would not have one of the top 10 children’s books of all time.

There is much more to poetry than love and rhyming, and today we covered some basic concepts to get you started. Hopefully, you have made a rhythmic line (or two) with a consistent theme and a fun title. Next time, we will learn how to take our words and give them explosive energy with figurative language. Practice, play, and practice some more. Please let me see what you have come up with!

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