how to write an essay based on a poem

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Writing About Poetry

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This section covers the basics of how to write about poetry, including why it is done, what you should know, and what you can write about.

Writing about poetry can be one of the most demanding tasks that many students face in a literature class. Poetry, by its very nature, makes demands on a writer who attempts to analyze it that other forms of literature do not. So how can you write a clear, confident, well-supported essay about poetry? This handout offers answers to some common questions about writing about poetry.

What's the Point?

In order to write effectively about poetry, one needs a clear idea of what the point of writing about poetry is. When you are assigned an analytical essay about a poem in an English class, the goal of the assignment is usually to argue a specific thesis about the poem, using your analysis of specific elements in the poem and how those elements relate to each other to support your thesis.

So why would your teacher give you such an assignment? What are the benefits of learning to write analytic essays about poetry? Several important reasons suggest themselves:

• To help you learn to make a text-based argument. That is, to help you to defend ideas based on a text that is available to you and other readers. This sharpens your reasoning skills by forcing you to formulate an interpretation of something someone else has written and to support that interpretation by providing logically valid reasons why someone else who has read the poem should agree with your argument. This isn't a skill that is just important in academics, by the way. Lawyers, politicians, and journalists often find that they need to make use of similar skills.
• To help you to understand what you are reading more fully. Nothing causes a person to make an extra effort to understand difficult material like the task of writing about it. Also, writing has a way of helping you to see things that you may have otherwise missed simply by causing you to think about how to frame your own analysis.
• To help you enjoy poetry more! This may sound unlikely, but one of the real pleasures of poetry is the opportunity to wrestle with the text and co-create meaning with the author. When you put together a well-constructed analysis of the poem, you are not only showing that you understand what is there, you are also contributing to an ongoing conversation about the poem. If your reading is convincing enough, everyone who has read your essay will get a little more out of the poem because of your analysis.

What Should I Know about Writing about Poetry?

Most importantly, you should realize that a paper that you write about a poem or poems is an argument. Make sure that you have something specific that you want to say about the poem that you are discussing. This specific argument that you want to make about the poem will be your thesis. You will support this thesis by drawing examples and evidence from the poem itself. In order to make a credible argument about the poem, you will want to analyze how the poem works—what genre the poem fits into, what its themes are, and what poetic techniques and figures of speech are used.

What Can I Write About?

Theme: One place to start when writing about poetry is to look at any significant themes that emerge in the poetry. Does the poetry deal with themes related to love, death, war, or peace? What other themes show up in the poem? Are there particular historical events that are mentioned in the poem? What are the most important concepts that are addressed in the poem?

Genre: What kind of poem are you looking at? Is it an epic (a long poem on a heroic subject)? Is it a sonnet (a brief poem, usually consisting of fourteen lines)? Is it an ode? A satire? An elegy? A lyric? Does it fit into a specific literary movement such as Modernism, Romanticism, Neoclassicism, or Renaissance poetry? This is another place where you may need to do some research in an introductory poetry text or encyclopedia to find out what distinguishes specific genres and movements.

Versification: Look closely at the poem's rhyme and meter. Is there an identifiable rhyme scheme? Is there a set number of syllables in each line? The most common meter for poetry in English is iambic pentameter, which has five feet of two syllables each (thus the name "pentameter") in each of which the strongly stressed syllable follows the unstressed syllable. You can learn more about rhyme and meter by consulting our handout on sound and meter in poetry or the introduction to a standard textbook for poetry such as the Norton Anthology of Poetry . Also relevant to this category of concerns are techniques such as caesura (a pause in the middle of a line) and enjambment (continuing a grammatical sentence or clause from one line to the next). Is there anything that you can tell about the poem from the choices that the author has made in this area? For more information about important literary terms, see our handout on the subject.

Figures of speech: Are there literary devices being used that affect how you read the poem? Here are some examples of commonly discussed figures of speech:

• metaphor: comparison between two unlike things
• simile: comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as"
• metonymy: one thing stands for something else that is closely related to it (For example, using the phrase "the crown" to refer to the king would be an example of metonymy.)
• synecdoche: a part stands in for a whole (For example, in the phrase "all hands on deck," "hands" stands in for the people in the ship's crew.)
• personification: a non-human thing is endowed with human characteristics
• litotes: a double negative is used for poetic effect (example: not unlike, not displeased)
• irony: a difference between the surface meaning of the words and the implications that may be drawn from them

Cultural Context: How does the poem you are looking at relate to the historical context in which it was written? For example, what's the cultural significance of Walt Whitman's famous elegy for Lincoln "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed" in light of post-Civil War cultural trends in the U.S.A? How does John Donne's devotional poetry relate to the contentious religious climate in seventeenth-century England? These questions may take you out of the literature section of your library altogether and involve finding out about philosophy, history, religion, economics, music, or the visual arts.

What Style Should I Use?

It is useful to follow some standard conventions when writing about poetry. First, when you analyze a poem, it is best to use present tense rather than past tense for your verbs. Second, you will want to make use of numerous quotations from the poem and explain their meaning and their significance to your argument. After all, if you do not quote the poem itself when you are making an argument about it, you damage your credibility. If your teacher asks for outside criticism of the poem as well, you should also cite points made by other critics that are relevant to your argument. A third point to remember is that there are various citation formats for citing both the material you get from the poems themselves and the information you get from other critical sources. The most common citation format for writing about poetry is the Modern Language Association (MLA) format .

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13.4: Sample essay on a poem

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Example: Sample essay written on a Langston Hughes' poem

The following essay is a student’s analysis of Langston Hughes’ poem “I, Too” (poem published in 1926) I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong. Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table When company comes. Nobody’ll dare Say to me, “Eat in the kitchen,” Then. Besides, They’ll see how beautiful I am

And be ashamed — I, too, am America.

Last name 1

Student Name

Professor Name

English 110

Creating Change by Changing Minds

When I log onto Facebook nowadays and scroll through my feed, if it's not advertisements, it's posts talking about the injustices of the world, primarily from racism. These posts are filled with anger and strong hostility. I'm not saying anger is the wrong emotion to feel when faced with injustice, but when that hostility is channeled into violence, this does not bring about justice or change. Long lasting and effective change can only be made through non-violent methods, which is demonstrated by Langston Huges in his poem, "I, Too." In this short poem, Hughes gives many examples of how to effectively and on-violently address and combat racism.

Huges first uses people's religious morality to enlist his readers to resist racism. He starts the poem with his black narrator asserting, "I am the darker brother" (2). Brother to whom? In the Christian religion, a predominate religion during the times of slavery in the U.S and beyond, the terms brother and sister are used to show equality and kinship, and this human connection transcends race. Everyone is equal as children of God, and are all heirs to the promises of divine love and salvation. Simply by the black narrator calling himself a brother, Hughes is attempting to appeal to white Christian Americans, and to deny this connection is to go against the teachings in the Bible about brotherhood. This is very powerful in multiple ways. Firstly, establishing a sense of brotherhood and camaraderie should make anyone who tarnishes that unity feel ashamed. Secondly if anyone truly wishes to receive God's mercy, they would have to treat everyone as equals, or be punished by God, or even be denied eternal life in heaven all together. This technique is effective and long-lasting because the fear or violence inflicted on a person is temporary, but damnation is eternal.

Hughes further combats racism, not through threats of uprisings or reprisals, but rather by transforming hatred into humor and positivity. In response to his segregation, the narrator says, "They send me to eat in the kitchen/When company comes,/But I laugh,/And eat well/And grow strong" (3-7). With this, Hughes rises about racial exclusion and asks his reader to see it for what it is, ridiculous. He also shows how to effectively combat this injustice which is to learn from it and to feel empowered by not letting racists treatment from others hurt, define or hold you back. Additionally, this approach is an invitation to Hughes' white readers to be "in on the joke" and laugh at the mindless and unwarranted exclusion of this appealing and relatable person who is full of confidence and self-worth. Through his narrator, Hughes diffuses racial tensions in an inclusive and non-threatening way, but the underlying message is clear: equality is coming soon. We know he believes this when the poem's speaker states, "Tomorrow,/I'll be at the table/When company comes" (8-10). There is a strong assertion here that racism will not be permitted to continue, but the assertion is not a threat. Hughes carefully navigates the charged issue of racial unity here, particularly at the time he wrote this poem when segregation was in many places in the U.S. the law. The different forms of segregation-emotional, physical, financial, social-that blacks have suffered has and continues to result in violence, but Hughes here shows another path. Highes shows that despite it all, we can still make amends and site down at a table together. As a human family, we can overcome our shameful past by simply choosing to peacefully come together.

Finally Hughes uses American patriotism as a powerful non-violent method to unite his readers to combat racism. The poem concludes, "Besides,/They'll see how beautiful I am/And be ashamed-/I, too, am American" (15-18). Notice how he uses the word American and not American. He is not simply just an inhabitant of America he IS American in that he represents the promise, the overcoming of struggle, and the complicated beauty that makes up this country. He is integral to America's past, present and future. He is, as equally as anyone else, a critical piece in America's very existence and pivotal to its future. As Hughes united his readers through religion and the use of "brother," here he widens the net beyond religion and appeals to all Americans. As we say in our pledge of allegiance, we stand "indivisible with liberty and justice for all." To hate or exclude someone based on race, therefore, is to violate the foundational and inspirational tenants of this country. Hughes does not force or attack in his poem, and he does not promise retribution for all the harms done to blacks. He simple shows that racism in incompatible and contradictory to being truly American, and this realization, this change of heart, is what can bring about enduring change.

It has been shown over and over that violence leads to more violence. Violence might bring about change temporarily, but when people are stripped of choice, violence will reassert itself. Some of the most dramatic social movements that have brought about real change have used non-violent means as seen in Martin Luther King Jr's non-violent protests helping to change U.S. laws and ensure Civil Rights for all, as seen in Gandhi's use of non-violent methods to rid India of centuries of oppressive British rule, and as seen in Nelson Mandela's persistent and non-violent approaches of finally removing Apartheid from South Africa. However, we are not these men. Mos tof us are not leaders of movements, but we are each important and influential. We as individuals can be immensely powerful if we choose to be. We can choose to apply the examples and advice from enlightened minds like Hughes, King, Gandhi, and Mandela. When we see on Facebook or in the news on in-person people targeting or excluding others, or inciting violence againist a person or group based on race, or sexual orientation, or religion, or any other arbitrary difference selected to divide and pit us against one another, we can choose instead to respond with kindness, with humor, with positivity, and with empathy because this leads to the only kind of change that matters.

Works Cited

Hughes, Langston. "I, Too." African-American Poetry: An Anthology 1773-1927 , edited by Joan R.

Sherman, Dover Publications, Inc. Mineola, New York. 1997, p. 74.

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Introduction

Body paragraphs, write poetry: what is a verse paragraph and how to write a poetry essay.

‌ A poem analysis essay evaluates a poem in a literary analysis. It analyzes the words, sounds, feelings and topics that the poet uses in the poem. ‌ A poetry analysis essay should include analysis of the topic, message, rhythm and word choice. It should have both an introduction and a conclusion, similar to normal essay writing or research paper.

‌ Introduce your poem with an introductory paragraph that includes your thesis statement in the topic sentence. ‌ Write the title of the poem and its author. Paraphrase the poem’s contents without going too in depth. A brief summary on Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven," for example, would state that the speaker of the poem is longing for his lost love and becomes beguiled by a raven that speaks only one word, "nevermore."

‌ Write about the poetic language and imagery. ‌ Does the poet use precise and vivid vocabulary to create detailed images? What literary devices are used to enhance meanings? Answer these questions by explaining and analyzing specific examples from the poem. Tell how the poet creates those images. A good example of this would be the poetry essay found at Bookstove.com . The poetry essay analyzes Poe's use of simile and metaphor in "The Raven."

‌ Write about sound and sense. ‌ Does the poet use rhythm and meter to create meaningful sounds in the poem or is it free verse? Does the poet use iambic pentameter or alliteration? Which word sounds does the poet use to create pictures? Does the poet use figurative language? Answer these questions by explaining in your poetry essay how the poet’s choice of words creates meaningful sound. For example, a poetry essay on Poe's "Raven" would show how the ABCBBB rhyme scheme helps to create a deeper sense of melancholy.

‌ Write about emotion and feeling. ‌ Is the poet creating a feeling or mood? Does the poem evoke an emotional response? Do they use personification in their writing process or any figures of speech? Answer these questions in your poetry essay by explaining what kind of response the poet is trying to evoke in his audience through a particular poem. A poetry essay on "The Raven" would describe how the use of melancholy word choices and repetition, coupled with the creepy raven and mourning for the lost Lenore, create a deep sense of sadness and despair for the reader.

‌ Write a conclusion to your poetry essay. ‌ Explain the author’s intent, point of view, writing style, and poetic techniques with the poem and whether or not he or she achieved that goal. ‌ Support your opinion with details from the poem. ‌ Also, do some research on background information. Is there a cultural context or historical context the poet is writing from? This could give the reader a better understanding of the poem.

Make sure to use quotation marks when quoting lines of poetry

You can use a writing service to check your spelling and grammar

• Bookstove.com

How to Write an Argumentative Essay on Poetry

Nadia archuleta.

Look at condensed language and not only form an interpretation of the words but also argue your position: That is the assignment when writing an essay about poetry. As a reader, you examine and even evaluate the work. As an essayist, you write about your understanding of the piece. Choose a central idea such as figurative language or theme and use the poem itself to support your interpretation.

Explore this article

• Essay Structure
• Figurative Language

1 Essay Structure

An argumentative essay about poetry carries the same structure as most essays: introduction, body and conclusion. For the introductory paragraph, use a strong quotation from the poem as the hook, give some background and end the introduction with your thesis statement: one sentence stating your interpretation of the poem. For example, you might write, "Sylvia Plath's exaggerated comparisons in her poem 'Daddy' display her guilt over her father's death." Use a minimum of three paragraphs to support your thesis statement, each with a unique point: the sing-song rhyming, the narrator's identity crisis and her admission of a suicide attempt, for example. End with a conclusion that mirrors the introduction, except instead of a hook, relate your interpretation to concerns in the world outside the poem.

2 Figurative Language

Since poetry uses so few words, each one counts. Poets commonly use figures of speech to enhance meaning. Similes, with their telltale "like" or "as" in the middle of comparisons, are easy to spot. However, look especially for metaphors, the comparison of two things seemingly unalike; their meaning often goes deeper than that of similes. Take, for example, Langston Hughes' "Mother to Son," in which the narrator states that her life is not a set of crystal stairs. Analyzing the effectiveness of the metaphor and interpreting the meaning makes an effective central idea.

Theme provides a common topic for essays about poetry. Analyze the images of the poem for words that relate to love, hate, death and other universal ideas. Consider whether the poem reminds you of historical events, or even refers to them directly. For example, Sylvia Plath's "Daddy" explicitly refers to World War II. Consider what the narrator is trying to accomplish in comparing her father to Nazis and herself to a Jew. For example, the comparison provides a commentary on the theme of father-daughter relationships and the power dynamic involved; in this case, the relationship is difficult and the father holds power like a Nazi over a Jew, according to the narrator.

Writing an argumentative essay about poetry means taking an interpretive position and supporting it with evidence. Use evidence from the poem itself and explain your interpretation of each quotation explicitly. Quotations can be direct or indirect, or you may summarize pieces of the poem. Relate all evidence and explanations to your central idea. It may also be useful to consider the historical or social context of the poem if it bolsters your claim. For example, when writing about Wilfred Owen's "Dulce et Decorum Est," it is important to note that the poem is from the World War I era, as the imagery relates directly to tactics used in that war.

• 1 Purdue Online Writing Lab: Writing About Poetry
• 2 Purdue Online Writing Lab: Presentation
• 3 Purdue Online Writing Lab: Argumentative Essays

About the Author

Nadia Archuleta has a B.A. in English writing. She spent five years working abroad and has traveled extensively. She has worked as an English as a Foreign/Second Language teacher for 12 years.

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To learn how to write a poem step-by-step, let’s start where all poets start: the basics.

This article is an in-depth introduction to how to write a poem. We first answer the question, “What is poetry?” We then discuss the literary elements of poetry, and showcase some different approaches to the writing process—including our own seven-step process on how to write a poem step by step.

So, how do you write a poem? Let’s start with what poetry is.

What Poetry Is

It’s important to know what poetry is—and isn’t—before we discuss how to write a poem. The following quote defines poetry nicely:

“Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful.” —Former US Poet Laureate Rita Dove

Poetry Conveys Feeling

People sometimes imagine poetry as stuffy, abstract, and difficult to understand. Some poetry may be this way, but in reality poetry isn’t about being obscure or confusing. Poetry is a lyrical, emotive method of self-expression, using the elements of poetry to highlight feelings and ideas.

A poem should make the reader feel something.

In other words, a poem should make the reader feel something—not by telling them what to feel, but by evoking feeling directly.

Here’s a contemporary poem that, despite its simplicity (or perhaps because of its simplicity), conveys heartfelt emotion.

Poetry is Language at its Richest and Most Condensed

Unlike longer prose writing (such as a short story, memoir, or novel), poetry needs to impact the reader in the richest and most condensed way possible. Here’s a famous quote that enforces that distinction:

“Prose: words in their best order; poetry: the best words in the best order.” —Samuel Taylor Coleridge

So poetry isn’t the place to be filling in long backstories or doing leisurely scene-setting. In poetry, every single word carries maximum impact.

Poetry Uses Unique Elements

Poetry is not like other kinds of writing: it has its own unique forms, tools, and principles. Together, these elements of poetry help it to powerfully impact the reader in only a few words.

The elements of poetry help it to powerfully impact the reader in only a few words.

Most poetry is written in verse , rather than prose . This means that it uses line breaks, alongside rhythm or meter, to convey something to the reader. Rather than letting the text break at the end of the page (as prose does), verse emphasizes language through line breaks.

Poetry further accentuates its use of language through rhyme and meter. Poetry has a heightened emphasis on the musicality of language itself: its sounds and rhythms, and the feelings they carry.

These devices—rhyme, meter, and line breaks—are just a few of the essential elements of poetry, which we’ll explore in more depth now.

Understanding the Elements of Poetry

As we explore how to write a poem step by step, these three major literary elements of poetry should sit in the back of your mind:

• Rhythm (Sound, Rhyme, and Meter)
• Literary Devices

1. Elements of Poetry: Rhythm

“Rhythm” refers to the lyrical, sonic qualities of the poem. How does the poem move and breathe; how does it feel on the tongue?

Traditionally, poets relied on rhyme and meter to accomplish a rhythmically sound poem. Free verse poems—which are poems that don’t require a specific length, rhyme scheme, or meter—only became popular in the West in the 20th century, so while rhyme and meter aren’t requirements of modern poetry, they are required of certain poetry forms.

Poetry is capable of evoking certain emotions based solely on the sounds it uses. Words can sound sinister, percussive, fluid, cheerful, dour, or any other noise/emotion in the complex tapestry of human feeling.

Take, for example, this excerpt from the poem “Beat! Beat! Drums!” by Walt Whitman:

Red — “b” sounds

Blue — “th” sounds

Green — “w” and “ew” sounds

Purple — “s” sounds

Orange — “d” and “t” sounds

This poem has a lot of percussive, disruptive sounds that reinforce the beating of the drums. The “b,” “d,” “w,” and “t” sounds resemble these drum beats, while the “th” and “s” sounds are sneakier, penetrating a deeper part of the ear. The cacophony of this excerpt might not sound “lyrical,” but it does manage to command your attention, much like drums beating through a city might sound.

To learn more about consonance and assonance, euphony and cacophony, and the other uses of sound, take a look at our article “12 Literary Devices in Poetry.”

https://writers.com/literary-devices-in-poetry

It would be a crime if you weren’t primed on the ins and outs of rhymes. “Rhyme” refers to words that have similar pronunciations, like this set of words: sound, hound, browned, pound, found, around.

Many poets assume that their poetry has to rhyme, and it’s true that some poems require a complex rhyme scheme. However, rhyme isn’t nearly as important to poetry as it used to be. Most traditional poetry forms—sonnets, villanelles , rimes royal, etc.—rely on rhyme, but contemporary poetry has largely strayed from the strict rhyme schemes of yesterday.

There are three types of rhymes:

• Homophony: Homophones are words that are spelled differently but sound the same, like “tail” and “tale.” Homophones often lead to commonly misspelled words .
• Perfect Rhyme: Perfect rhymes are word pairs that are identical in sound except for one minor difference. Examples include “slant and pant,” “great and fate,” and “shower and power.”
• Slant Rhyme: Slant rhymes are word pairs that use the same sounds, but their final vowels have different pronunciations. For example, “abut” and “about” are nearly-identical in sound, but are pronounced differently enough that they don’t completely rhyme. This is also known as an oblique rhyme or imperfect rhyme.

Meter refers to the stress patterns of words. Certain poetry forms require that the words in the poem follow a certain stress pattern, meaning some syllables are stressed and others are unstressed.

What is “stressed” and “unstressed”? A stressed syllable is the sound that you emphasize in a word. The bolded syllables in the following words are stressed, and the unbolded syllables are unstressed:

• Un• stressed
• Plat• i• tud• i•nous
• De •act•i• vate
• Con• sti •tu• tion•al

The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables is important to traditional poetry forms. This chart, copied from our article on form in poetry , summarizes the different stress patterns of poetry.

2. Elements of Poetry: Form

“Form” refers to the structure of the poem. Is the poem a sonnet, a villanelle, a free verse piece, a slam poem, a contrapuntal, a ghazal, a blackout poem , or something new and experimental?

Form also refers to the line breaks and stanza breaks in a poem. Unlike prose, where the end of the page decides the line breaks, poets have control over when one line ends and a new one begins. The words that begin and end each line will emphasize the sounds, images, and ideas that are important to the poet.

To learn more about rhyme, meter, and poetry forms, read our full article on the topic:

https://writers.com/what-is-form-in-poetry

3. Elements of Poetry: Literary Devices

“Poetry: the best words in the best order.” — Samuel Taylor Coleridge

How does poetry express complex ideas in concise, lyrical language? Literary devices—like metaphor, symbolism, juxtaposition, irony, and hyperbole—help make poetry possible. Learn how to write and master these devices here:

https://writers.com/common-literary-devices

How to Write a Poem, in 7 Steps

To condense the elements of poetry into an actual poem, we’re going to follow a seven-step approach. However, it’s important to know that every poet’s process is different. While the steps presented here are a logical path to get from idea to finished poem, they’re not the only tried-and-true method of poetry writing. Poets can—and should!—modify these steps and generate their own writing process.

Nonetheless, if you’re new to writing poetry or want to explore a different writing process, try your hand at our approach. Here’s how to write a poem step by step!

1. Devise a Topic

The easiest way to start writing a poem is to begin with a topic.

However, devising a topic is often the hardest part. What should your poem be about? And where can you find ideas?

Here are a few places to search for inspiration:

• Other Works of Literature: Poetry doesn’t exist in a vacuum—it’s part of a larger literary tapestry, and can absolutely be influenced by other works. For example, read “The Golden Shovel” by Terrance Hayes , a poem that was inspired by Gwendolyn Brooks’ “We Real Cool.”
• Real-World Events: Poetry, especially contemporary poetry, has the power to convey new and transformative ideas about the world. Take the poem “A Cigarette” by Ilya Kaminsky , which finds community in a warzone like the eye of a hurricane.
• Your Life: What would poetry be if not a form of memoir? Many contemporary poets have documented their lives in verse. Take Sylvia Plath’s poem “Full Fathom Five” —a daring poem for its time, as few writers so boldly criticized their family as Plath did.
• The Everyday and Mundane: Poetry isn’t just about big, earth-shattering events: much can be said about mundane events, too. Take “Ode to Shea Butter” by Angel Nafis , a poem that celebrates the beautiful “everydayness” of moisturizing.
• Nature: The Earth has always been a source of inspiration for poets, both today and in antiquity. Take “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver , which finds meaning in nature’s quiet rituals.
• Writing Exercises: Prompts and exercises can help spark your creativity, even if the poem you write has nothing to do with the prompt! Here’s 24 writing exercises to get you started.

At this point, you’ve got a topic for your poem. Maybe it’s a topic you’re passionate about, and the words pour from your pen and align themselves into a perfect sonnet! It’s not impossible—most poets have a couple of poems that seemed to write themselves.

However, it’s far more likely you’re searching for the words to talk about this topic. This is where journaling comes in.

Sit in front of a blank piece of paper, with nothing but the topic written on the top. Set a timer for 15-30 minutes and put down all of your thoughts related to the topic. Don’t stop and think for too long, and try not to obsess over finding the right words: what matters here is emotion, the way your subconscious grapples with the topic.

At the end of this journaling session, go back through everything you wrote, and highlight whatever seems important to you: well-written phrases, poignant moments of emotion, even specific words that you want to use in your poem.

Journaling is a low-risk way of exploring your topic without feeling pressured to make it sound poetic. “Sounding poetic” will only leave you with empty language: your journal allows you to speak from the heart. Everything you need for your poem is already inside of you, the journaling process just helps bring it out!

3. Think About Form

As one of the elements of poetry, form plays a crucial role in how the poem is both written and read. Have you ever wanted to write a sestina ? How about a contrapuntal, or a double cinquain, or a series of tanka? Your poem can take a multitude of forms, including the beautifully unstructured free verse form; while form can be decided in the editing process, it doesn’t hurt to think about it now.

4. Write the First Line

After a productive journaling session, you’ll be much more acquainted with the state of your heart. You might have a line in your journal that you really want to begin with, or you might want to start fresh and refer back to your journal when you need to! Either way, it’s time to begin.

What should the first line of your poem be? There’s no strict rule here—you don’t have to start your poem with a certain image or literary device. However, here’s a few ways that poets often begin their work:

• Set the Scene: Poetry can tell stories just like prose does. Anne Carson does just this in her poem “Lines,” situating the scene in a conversation with the speaker’s mother.
• Start at the Conflict: Right away, tell the reader where it hurts most. Margaret Atwood does this in “Ghost Cat,” a poem about aging.
• Start With a Contradiction: Juxtaposition and contrast are two powerful tools in the poet’s toolkit. Joan Larkin’s poem “Want” begins and ends with these devices. Carlos Gimenez Smith also begins his poem “Entanglement” with a juxtaposition.
• Start With Your Title: Some poets will use the title as their first line, like Ron Padgett’s poem “Ladies and Gentlemen in Outer Space.”

There are many other ways to begin poems, so play around with different literary devices, and when you’re stuck, turn to other poetry for inspiration.

5. Develop Ideas and Devices

You might not know where your poem is going until you finish writing it. In the meantime, stick to your literary devices. Avoid using too many abstract nouns, develop striking images, use metaphors and similes to strike interesting comparisons, and above all, speak from the heart.

6. Write the Closing Line

Some poems end “full circle,” meaning that the images the poet used in the beginning are reintroduced at the end. Gwendolyn Brooks does this in her poem “my dreams, my work, must wait till after hell.”

Yet, many poets don’t realize what their poems are about until they write the ending line . Poetry is a search for truth, especially the hard truths that aren’t easily explained in casual speech. Your poem, too, might not be finished until it comes across a necessary truth, so write until you strike the heart of what you feel, and the poem will come to its own conclusion.

7. Edit, Edit, Edit!

Do you have a working first draft of your poem? Congratulations! Getting your feelings onto the page is a feat in itself.

Yet, no guide on how to write a poem is complete without a note on editing. If you plan on sharing or publishing your work, or if you simply want to edit your poem to near-perfection, keep these tips in mind.

• Adjectives and Adverbs: Use these parts of speech sparingly. Most imagery shouldn’t rely on adjectives and adverbs, because the image should be striking and vivid on its own, without too much help from excess language.
• Concrete Line Breaks: Line breaks help emphasize important words, making certain images and ideas clearer to the reader. As a general rule, most of your lines should start and end with concrete words—nouns and verbs especially.
• Stanza Breaks: Stanzas are like paragraphs to poetry. A stanza can develop a new idea, contrast an existing idea, or signal a transition in the poem’s tone. Make sure each stanza clearly stands for something as a unit of the poem.
• Mixed Metaphors: A mixed metaphor is when two metaphors occupy the same idea, making the poem unnecessarily difficult to understand. Here’s an example of a mixed metaphor: “a watched clock never boils.” The meaning can be discerned, but the image remains unclear. Be wary of mixed metaphors—though some poets (like Shakespeare) make them work, they’re tricky and often disruptive.
• Abstractions: Above all, avoid using excessively abstract language. It’s fine to use the word “love” 2 or 3 times in a poem, but don’t use it twice in every stanza. Let the imagery in your poem express your feelings and ideas, and only use abstractions as brief connective tissue in otherwise-concrete writing.

Lastly, don’t feel pressured to “do something” with your poem. Not all poems need to be shared and edited. Poetry doesn’t have to be “good,” either—it can simply be a statement of emotions by the poet, for the poet. Publishing is an admirable goal, but also, give yourself permission to write bad poems, unedited poems, abstract poems, and poems with an audience of one. Write for yourself—editing is for the other readers.

How to Write a Poem: Different Approaches and Philosophies

Poetry is the oldest literary form, pre-dating prose, theater, and the written word itself. As such, there are many different schools of thought when it comes to writing poetry. You might be wondering how to write a poem through different methods and approaches: here’s four philosophies to get you started.

How to Write a Poem: Poetry as Emotion

If you asked a Romantic Poet “what is poetry?”, they would tell you that poetry is the spontaneous emotion of the soul.

The Romantic Era viewed poetry as an extension of human emotion—a way of perceiving the world through unbridled creativity, centered around the human soul. While many Romantic poets used traditional forms in their poetry, the Romantics weren’t afraid to break from tradition, either.

To write like a Romantic, feel—and feel intensely. The words will follow the emotions, as long as a blank page sits in front of you.

How to Write a Poem: Poetry as Stream of Consciousness

If you asked a Modernist poet, “What is poetry?” they would tell you that poetry is the search for complex truths.

Modernist Poets were keen on the use of poetry as a window into the mind. A common technique of the time was “Stream of Consciousness,” which is unfiltered writing that flows directly from the poet’s inner dialogue. By tapping into one’s subconscious, the poet might uncover deeper truths and emotions they were initially unaware of.

Depending on who you are as a writer, Stream of Consciousness can be tricky to master, but this guide covers the basics of how to write using this technique.

How to Write a Poem: Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a practice of documenting the mind, rather than trying to control or edit what it produces. This practice was popularized by the Beat Poets , who in turn were inspired by Eastern philosophies and Buddhist teachings. If you asked a Beat Poet “what is poetry?”, they would tell you that poetry is the human consciousness, unadulterated.

To learn more about the art of leaving your mind alone , take a look at our guide on Mindfulness, from instructor Marc Olmsted.

https://writers.com/mindful-writing

How to Write a Poem: Poem as Camera Lens

Many contemporary poets use poetry as a camera lens, documenting global events and commenting on both politics and injustice. If you find yourself itching to write poetry about the modern day, press your thumb against the pulse of the world and write what you feel.

Additionally, check out these two essays by Electric Literature on the politics of poetry:

• What Can Poetry Do That Politics Can’t?
• Why All Poems Are Political (TL;DR: Poetry is an urgent expression of freedom).

Okay, I Know How to Write a Good Poem. What Next?

Poetry, like all art forms, takes practice and dedication. You might write a poem you enjoy now, and think it’s awfully written 3 years from now; you might also write some of your best work after reading this guide. Poetry is fickle, but the pen lasts forever, so write poems as long as you can!

Once you understand how to write a poem, and after you’ve drafted some pieces that you’re proud of and ready to share, here are some next steps you can take.

Publish in Literary Journals

Want to see your name in print? These literary journals house some of the best poetry being published today.

https://writers.com/best-places-submit-poetry-online

Assemble and Publish a Manuscript

A poem can tell a story. So can a collection of poems. If you’re interested in publishing a poetry book, learn how to compose and format one here:

https://writers.com/poetry-manuscript-format

Join a Writing Community

writers.com is an online community of writers, and we’d love it if you shared your poetry with us! Join us on Facebook and check out our upcoming poetry courses .

Poetry doesn’t exist in a vacuum, it exists to educate and uplift society. The world is waiting for your voice, so find a group and share your work!

Sean Glatch

27 comments.

super useful! love these articles 💕

Indeed, very helpful, consize. I could not say more than thank you.

I’ve never read a better guide on how to write poetry step by step. Not only does it give great tips, but it also provides helpful links! Thank you so much.

Thank you very much, Hamna! I’m so glad this guide was helpful for you.

Best guide so far

Very inspirational and marvelous tips

Thank you super tips very helpful.

I have never gone through the steps of writing poetry like this, I will take a closer look at your post.

Beautiful! Thank you! I’m really excited to try journaling as a starter step x

[…] How to Write a Poem, Step-by-Step […]

This is really helpful, thanks so much

Extremely thorough! Nice job.

Thank you so much for sharing your awesome tips for beginner writers!

People must reboot this and bookmark it. Your writing and explanation is detailed to the core. Thanks for helping me understand different poetic elements. While reading, actually, I start thinking about how my husband construct his songs and why other artists lack that organization (or desire to be better). Anyway, this gave me clarity.

I’m starting to use poetry as an outlet for my blogs, but I also have to keep in mind I’m transitioning from a blogger to a poetic sweet kitty potato (ha). It’s a unique transition, but I’m so used to writing a lot, it’s strange to see an open blog post with a lot of lines and few paragraphs.

Anyway, thanks again!

I’m happy this article was so helpful, Eternity! Thanks for commenting, and best of luck with your poetry blog.

Yours in verse, Sean

One of the best articles I read on how to write poems. And it is totally step by step process which is easy to read and understand.

Thanks for the step step explanation in how to write poems it’s a very helpful to me and also for everyone one. THANKYOU

Totally detailed and in a simple language told the best way how to write poems. It is a guide that one should read and follow. It gives the detailed guidance about how to write poems. One of the best articles written on how to write poems.

what a guidance thank you so much now i can write a poem thank you again again and again

The most inspirational and informative article I have ever read in the 21st century.It gives the most relevent,practical, comprehensive and effective insights and guides to aspiring writers.

Thank you so much. This is so useful to me a poetry

[…] Write a short story/poem (Here are some tips) […]

It was very helpful and am willing to try it out for my writing Thanks ❤️

Thank you so much. This is so helpful to me, and am willing to try it out for my writing .

Absolutely constructive, direct, and so useful as I’m striving to develop a recent piece. Thank you!

thank you for your explanation……,love it

Really great. Nothing less.

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Poetry Explications

What this handout is about.

A poetry explication is a relatively short analysis which describes the possible meanings and relationships of the words, images, and other small units that make up a poem. Writing an explication is an effective way for a reader to connect a poem’s subject matter with its structural features. This handout reviews some of the important techniques of approaching and writing a poetry explication, and includes parts of two sample explications.

Preparing to write the explication

Before you try to tackle your first draft of the explication, it’s important to first take a few preliminary steps to help familiarize yourself with the poem and reveal possible avenues of analysis.

• Read the poem or excerpt of poetry silently, then read it aloud (if not in a testing situation). Repeat as necessary.
• Circle, highlight, underline, or otherwise note specific moments that caught your attention as you were reading, and reflect on why you noticed them. These could be moments that made sense to you, profoundly confused you, or something in between. Such moments might be single words, phrases, or formal features (e.g., rhyme, meter, enjambment).
• Reflect on the poem and what it conveyed to you as a reader. You might not be able to fully and logically describe this, but take note of what you noticed. You might consider jotting down your initial thoughts after your first reading, and then noting how your ideas changed after you re-read the poem.

The large issues

Before you really delve into linguistic and formal elements, it’s first important to take a step back and get a sense of the “big picture” of a poem. The following key questions can be helpful when assessing a poem’s overall message:

How did the poem affect you as a reader? The word “affect” can be helpful to consider here since it denotes the overall subjective experience one has in response to reading something (or seeing or experiencing anything, really). This can encompass thoughts, emotions, moods, ideas, etc.—whatever the experience produced in you as a person. You can ask yourself what affective, or emotional, atmosphere the poem produced, even if something about it is difficult to describe. What adjective would you use to describe the tone of the poem? Happy? Sad? Thoughtful? Despairing? Joyous? How did the poem make you feel generally? Did the poem bring to mind certain ideas or images, etc.?

Does the poem have an identifiable speaker or addressee? Is the poem attributed to a specific speaker, or is this unclear or ambiguous? Is the speaker clearly addressing a specific second person audience, or a general one, or does this not come up? Is there a specific dramatic motivation driving the speaker to speak? You may have to make decisions about how to discuss the speaker or addressee in your explication, so it’s worth noticing how the poem is framed.

What seems to be the larger theme, or point, of the poem? This is the first question to try to address. Even if the larger message of the poem seems highly ambiguous, it’s important to first try to get a sense of this before you can move into analyzing the poem more fully. Does the poem seem to be an attempt to understand something? To appreciate something? To express a feeling? To work through a complex idea? To convey an image? Some combination of motivations?

After considering these questions, keep in mind that it’s okay if the poem still confuses you or eludes your full understanding. In fact, this sense of mystery can encourage further thought when trying to explicate a poem. Keep thinking carefully about the intricacies of the language and you may be able to convey some of this sense in your explication.

The details

To analyze the design of the poem, we must focus on the poem’s parts, namely how the poem dramatizes conflicts or ideas in language. By concentrating on the parts, we develop our understanding of the poem’s structure, and we gather support and evidence for our interpretations. Some of the details we should consider include the following:

• Form: Does the poem represent a particular form (sonnet, sestina, etc.)? Does the poem present any unique variations from the traditional structure of that form?
• Rhetoric: How does the speaker make particular statements? Does the rhetoric seem odd in any way? Why? Consider the predicates and what they reveal about the speaker.
• Syntax: Consider the subjects, verbs, and objects of each statement and what these elements reveal about the speaker. Do any statements have convoluted or vague syntax?
• Vocabulary: Why does the poet choose one word over another in each line? Do any of the words have multiple or archaic meanings that add other meanings to the line? Use the Oxford English Dictionary as a resource.

The patterns

As you analyze the design line by line, look for certain patterns to develop which provide insight into the dramatic situation, the speaker’s state of mind, or the poet’s use of details. Some of the most common patterns include the following:

• Rhetorical Patterns: Look for statements that follow the same format.
• Rhyme: Consider the significance of the end words joined by sound; in a poem with no rhymes, consider the importance of the end words.
• Patterns of Sound: Alliteration and assonance create sound effects and often cluster significant words.
• Visual Patterns: How does the poem look on the page?
• Rhythm and Meter: Consider how rhythm and meter influence our perception of the speaker and language.

Basic terms for talking about meter

Meter (from the Greek metron, meaning measure) refers principally to the recurrence of regular beats in a poetic line. In this way, meter pertains to the structure of the poem as it is written.

The most common form of meter in English verse since the 14th century is accentual-syllabic meter, in which the basic unit is the foot. A foot is a combination of two or three stressed and/or unstressed syllables. The following are the four most common metrical feet in English poetry:

• IAMBIC (the noun is “iamb”): an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable, a pattern which comes closest to approximating the natural rhythm of speech. Note line 23 from Shelley’s “Stanzas Written in Dejection, Near Naples”: ⏑ / ⏑ / ⏑ / ⏑ / And walked | with in | ward glo | ry crowned
• TROCHAIC (the noun is “trochee”): a stressed followed by an unstressed syllable, as in the first line of Blake’s “Introduction” to Songs of Innocence: / ⏑ / ⏑ / ⏑ / Piping | down the | valleys | wild
• ANAPESTIC (the noun is “anapest”): two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable, as in the opening to Byron’s “The Destruction of Sennacherib”: ⏑ ⏑ / ⏑ ⏑ / ⏑ ⏑ / ⏑ ⏑ / The Assyr | ian came down | like the wolf | on the fold
• DACTYLIC (the noun is “dactyl”): a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables, as in Thomas Hardy’s “The Voice”: / ⏑ ⏑ / ⏑ ⏑ / ⏑ ⏑ / ⏑ ⏑ Woman much | missed, how you | call to me, | call to me

Meter also refers to the number of feet in a line:

Any number above six (hexameter) is heard as a combination of smaller parts; for example, what we might call heptameter (seven feet in a line) is indistinguishable (aurally) from successive lines of tetrameter and trimeter (4-3).

To scan a line is to determine its metrical pattern. Perhaps the best way to begin scanning a line is to mark the natural stresses on the polysyllabic words. Take Shelley’s line:

And walked with inward glory crowned.

Then mark the polysyllabic nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs that are normally stressed:

Then fill in the rest:

Then divide the line into feet:

Then note the sequence:

The line consists of four iambs; therefore, we identify the line as iambic tetrameter.

I got rhythm

Rhythm refers particularly to the way a line is voiced, i.e., how one speaks the line. Often, when a reader reads a line of verse, choices of stress and unstress may need to be made. For example, the first line of Keats’ “Ode on Melancholy” presents the reader with a problem:

No, no, go not to Lethe, neither twist

If we determine the regular pattern of beats (the meter) of this line, we will most likely identify the line as iambic pentameter. If we read the line this way, the statement takes on a musing, somewhat disinterested tone. However, because the first five words are monosyllabic, we may choose to read the line differently. In fact, we may be tempted, especially when reading aloud, to stress the first two syllables equally, making the opening an emphatic, directive statement. Note that monosyllabic words allow the meaning of the line to vary according to which words we choose to stress when reading (i.e., the choice of rhythm we make).

The first line of Milton’s Paradise Lost presents a different type of problem.

Of Man’s First Disobedience, and the Fruit

Again, this line is predominantly iambic, but a problem occurs with the word “Disobedience.” If we read strictly by the meter, then we must fuse the last two syllables of the word. However, if we read the word normally, we have a breakage in the line’s metrical structure. In this way, the poet forges a tension between meter and rhythm: does the word remain contained by the structure, or do we choose to stretch the word out of the normal foot, thereby disobeying the structure in which it was made? Such tension adds meaning to the poem by using meter and rhythm to dramatize certain conflicts. In this example, Milton forges such a tension to present immediately the essential conflicts that lead to the fall of Adam and Eve.

Writing the explication

The explication should follow the same format as the preparation: begin with the large issues and basic design of the poem and work through each line to the more specific details and patterns.

The first paragraph

The first paragraph should present the large issues; it should inform the reader which conflicts are dramatized and should describe the dramatic situation of the speaker. The explication does not require a formal introductory paragraph; the writer should simply start explicating immediately. According to UNC ‘s Professor William Harmon, the foolproof way to begin any explication is with the following sentence:

“This poem dramatizes the conflict between …”

Such a beginning ensures that you will introduce the major conflict or theme in the poem and organize your explication accordingly.

Here is an example. A student’s explication of Wordsworth’s “Composed upon Westminster Bridge” might begin in the following way:

This poem dramatizes the conflict between appearance and reality, particularly as this conflict relates to what the speaker seems to say and what he really says. From Westminster Bridge, the speaker looks at London at sunrise, and he explains that all people should be struck by such a beautiful scene. The speaker notes that the city is silent, and he points to several specific objects, naming them only in general terms: “Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples” (6). After describing the “glittering” aspect of these objects, he asserts that these city places are just as beautiful in the morning as country places like “valley, rock, or hill” (8,10). Finally, after describing his deep feeling of calmness, the speaker notes how the “houses seem asleep” and that “all that mighty heart is lying still” (13, 14). In this way, the speaker seems to say simply that London looks beautiful in the morning.

The next paragraphs

The next paragraphs should expand the discussion of the conflict by focusing on details of form, rhetoric, syntax, and vocabulary. In these paragraphs, the writer should explain the poem line by line in terms of these details, and they should incorporate important elements of rhyme, rhythm, and meter during this discussion.

The student’s explication continues with a topic sentence that directs the discussion of the first five lines:

However, the poem begins with several oddities that suggest the speaker is saying more than what he seems to say initially. For example, the poem is an Italian sonnet and follows the abbaabbacdcdcd rhyme scheme. The fact that the poet chooses to write a sonnet about London in an Italian form suggests that what he says may not be actually praising the city. Also, the rhetoric of the first two lines seems awkward compared to a normal speaking voice: “Earth has not anything to show more fair. / Dull would he be of soul who could pass by” (1-2). The odd syntax continues when the poet personifies the city: “This City now doth, like a garment, wear / The beauty of the morning” (4-5). Here, the city wears the morning’s beauty, so it is not the city but the morning that is beautiful …

The conclusion

The explication has no formal concluding paragraph; do not simply restate the main points of the introduction! The end of the explication should focus on sound effects or visual patterns as the final element of asserting an explanation. Or, as does the undergraduate here, the writer may choose simply to stop writing when they reach the end of the poem:

The poem ends with a vague statement: “And all that mighty heart is lying still!” In this line, the city’s heart could be dead, or it could be simply deceiving the one observing the scene. In this way, the poet reinforces the conflict between the appearance of the city in the morning and what such a scene and his words actually reveal.

Tips to keep in mind

Refer to the speaking voice in the poem as the “speaker” or “the poet.” For example, do not write, “In this poem, Wordsworth says that London is beautiful in the morning.” However, you can write,

“In this poem, Wordsworth presents a speaker who…”

We cannot absolutely identify Wordsworth with the speaker of the poem, so it is more accurate to talk about “the speaker” or “the poet” in an explication.

Use the present tense when writing the explication. The poem, as a work of literature, continues to exist!

To avoid unnecessary uses of the verb “to be” in your compositions, the following list suggests some verbs you can use when writing the explication:

An example of an explication written for a timed exam

The Fountain

Fountain, fountain, what do you say Singing at night alone? “It is enough to rise and fall Here in my basin of stone.” But are you content as you seem to be So near the freedom and rush of the sea? “I have listened all night to its laboring sound, It heaves and sags, as the moon runs round; Ocean and fountain, shadow and tree, Nothing escapes, nothing is free.”

—Sara Teasdale (American, 1884-1933)

As a direct address to an inanimate object “The Fountain” presents three main conflicts concerning the appearance to the observer and the reality in the poem. First, since the speaker addresses an object usually considered voiceless, the reader may abandon his/her normal perception of the fountain and enter the poet’s imaginative address. Secondly, the speaker not only addresses the fountain but asserts that it speaks and sings, personifying the object with vocal abilities. These acts imply that, not only can the fountain speak in a musical form, but the fountain also has the ability to present some particular meaning (“what do you say” (1)). Finally, the poet gives the fountain a voice to say that its perpetual motion (rising and falling) is “enough” to maintain its sense of existence. This final personification fully dramatizes the conflict between the fountain’s appearance and the poem’s statement of reality by giving the object intelligence and voice.

The first strophe, four lines of alternating 4- and 3-foot lines, takes the form of a ballad stanza. In this way, the poem begins by suggesting that it will be story that will perhaps teach a certain lesson. The opening trochees and repetition stress the address to the fountain, and the iamb which ends line 1 and the trochee that begins line 2 stress the actions of the fountain itself. The response of the fountain illustrates its own rise and fall in the iambic line 3, and the rhyme of “alone” and “stone” emphasizes that the fountain is really a physical object, even though it can speak in this poem.

The second strophe expands the conflicts as the speaker questions the fountain. The first couplet connects the rhyming words “be” and “sea” these connections stress the question, “Is the fountain content when it exists so close to a large, open body of water like the ocean?” The fountain responds to the tempting “rush of the sea” with much wisdom (6). The fountain’s reply posits the sea as “laboring” versus the speaker’s assertion of its freedom; the sea becomes characterized by heavily accented “heaves and sags” and not open rushing (7, 8). In this way, the fountain suggests that the sea’s waters may be described in images of labor, work, and fatigue; governed by the moon, these waters are not free at all. The “as” of line 8 becomes a key word, illustrating that the sea’s waters are not free but commanded by the moon, which is itself governed by gravity in its orbit around Earth. Since the moon, an object far away in the heavens, controls the ocean, the sea cannot be free as the speaker asserts.

The poet reveals the fountain’s intelligence in rhyming couplets which present closed-in, epigrammatic statements. These couplets draw attention to the contained nature of the all objects in the poem, and they draw attention to the final line’s lesson. This last line works on several levels to address the poem’s conflicts. First, the line refers to the fountain itself; in this final rhymed couplet is the illustration of the water’s perpetual motion in the fountain, its continually recycled movement rising and falling. Second, the line refers to the ocean; in this respect the water cannot escape its boundary or control its own motions. The ocean itself is trapped between landmasses and is controlled by a distant object’s gravitational pull. Finally, the line addresses the speaker, leaving him/her with an overriding sense of fate and fallacy. The fallacy here is that the fountain presents this wisdom of reality to defy the speaker’s original idea that the fountain and the ocean appear to be trapped and free. Also, the direct statement of the last line certainly addresses the human speaker as well as the human reader. This statement implies that we are all trapped or controlled by some remote object or entity. At the same time, the assertion that “Nothing escapes” reflects the limitations of life in the world and the death that no person can escape. Our own thoughts are restricted by our mortality as well as by our limits of relying on appearances. By personifying a voiceless object, the poem presents a different perception of reality, placing the reader in the same position of the speaker and inviting the reader to question the conflict between appearance and reality, between what we see and what we can know.

Suggestions for improvement

The writer observes and presents many of the most salient points of the short poem, but they could indeed organize the explication more coherently. To improve this explication, the writer could focus more on the speaker’s state of mind. In this way, the writer could explore the implications of the dramatic situation even further: why does the speaker ask a question of a mute object? With this line of thought, the writer could also examine more closely the speaker’s movement from perplexity (I am trapped but the waters are free) to a kind of resolution (the fountain and the sea are as trapped as I am). Finally, the writer could include a more detailed consideration of rhythm, meter, and rhyme.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Poem Analysis Essay Guide: Outline, Template, Structure

Poetry analysis, which is similar to poetry review, involves analyzing the language and figures of speech used by a poet. It also entails sharing personal views regarding the poem and breaking down the poetic instruments utilized by the said poet. However, it’s not just about the words used (Headrick, 2014). It entails reading between the lines and understanding what made the poet come up with a particular poem. So it may require some background research on the author and history behind the creation of the poem.

Do not worry, we can take care of your academic needs! If you feel that you do not have enough time to complete the assignment then order a custom essay online from us. Our essay writers service have vast experience with this type of work. We have a wide range of free guides and blogs to help you so that you will have more time for the important things. If you still have doubts, you can easily check essayservice review on sitejabber.

What Is A Poetry Analysis?

Poetry analysis may define as a critical review given on a poem, a reflection on the depth and gravity of a poem. It revolves around multiple aspects of a poem starting from the subject of a poem, its theme (meaning), tone, literary devices or speech figures, form to the feeling of the poet to how a reader feels about the poem. It is not only the analysis of techniques used in a poem, but poetry analysis provides a broader and wider picture of the poem, its reality, its hidden meanings between the lines, a study of poet’s mind, feeling and intention behind a poem. Different techniques used in poetry analysis are helpful tools in investigating and reviewing the poem. Behind every review or analysis vital research on poet (author), era (time frame), possible reasons, the background behind the conceptualization poem is vital.

One should read, understand and develop a thesis. Writing services also recommend researching more on the poet and his past works to understand the root of this particular idea.

If you have been asked to write a poem analysis essay, then it means to examine the piece and further dissect it into key elements including its form, techniques used and historical value. Then further appreciating the poem and highlighting to others these points, and gaining a better understanding.

It is also important to show as many ideas as possible that relate to the poem and then create conclusions on this.

To start writing a poetry analysis essay let's look at the prewriting stage.

How to Choose a Topic for a Poetry Analysis Essay?

• In the subject of the poem we mainly focus on the reasons such as why is the poem written or what is it all about?
• What is the context, the central content of the poem?
• Who wrote the poem and why?
• When and where the poet did write the poem, what or who has influenced the poet and what are the key features of the poem?

A topic should be chosen based on the theme you want to write. The theme is the message that the poem is trying to convey. You need to look therefore for concepts and notions that pop up in the poem and come up with an appropriate theme based on those perceptions or "feelings". If you can’t still figure out what topic you should choose for your analysis, it is recommended that you go through other poems similar poems and get a suitable topic for your analysis. Don’t also forget to cite your poem well. And also use in-text citations while quoting from the poem.

Related: COMING UP WITH ESSAY TOPIC IDEAS .

Poem Analysis Essay Outline

To create a good essay, it is needed to plan out the structure of a poem analysis essay so the writing stage will be easier and faster.

Here is an outline of a poem analysis essay to use:

Opening paragraph - Introduce the Poem, title, author and background.

Body of text - Make most of the analysis, linking ideas and referencing to the poem.

Conclusion - State one main idea, feelings and meanings.

Poem Analysis Essay Introduction

To start an introduction to a poem analysis essay, include the name of the poem and the author . Other details like the date of when it was published can also be stated. Then some background information and interesting facts or trivia regarding the poem or author can also be included here.

Poem Analysis Essay Body

When writing the main body of text keep in mind you have to reference all ideas to the poem so include a quotation to back up the sentence, otherwise, it will be a wasted comparison and not count. Be clear with your statements.

Poem Analysis Essay Conclusion

Now, this is where you should take a step back from analyzing the individual elements of the poem and work out its meaning as a whole. Combine the different elements of the analysis and put forward one main idea.

What is the poet trying to say, and how is it enforced and with what feeling? Then look at the meaning and what timeframe does this evolve over?

For example, is it obvious from the start, or does it gradually change towards the end? The last few lines can be very significant within a poem and so should be included in the poem analysis essay conclusion and commented on the impact on the piece.

Remember that you can always send us a " write an essay for me " text and have your assignment done for you.

How to Analyze a Poem?

Before even thinking about your first draft, read the poem as much as possible. If it's possible, listen to it in the original form. This depends on many factors which include if the poet is still alive?

Also reading aloud can help identify other characteristics that could be missed and even to a friend or colleague will give a chance to more insight. It is important to remember that poetry is a form of art painted with only words, this said it could take time to fully appreciate the piece. So take note of any first thoughts you have about the poem, even if they are negative.

Your opinions can change over time but still mark these first thoughts down.

So that to analyze a poem properly, you have to pay attention to the following aspects:

Title of the Poem

So let's go deeper into the poem analysis essay and look at the title. The poet may have spent a lot of time thinking about naming the piece so what can be observed from this and what further questions can be asked?

• What are your expectations? For example, the poem could be titled “Alone” written by Edgar Allan Poe and from this it is natural to assume it will be sad. After reading further does the reality turn out to be different?
• What is the literature style used? So for example, the work could be called “His last sonnet” by John Keats. From appearance, it is possible to deduce that it could be in sonnet form and if not why did the poet choose to mislead the audience?
• What is the poem about? In the poem, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways” by Elizabeth Barrett, it already states what could be included and what to expect but if it differs from the title what would this suggest?

Literal Meaning of the Poetry

According to our  to fully appreciate a piece, it is needed to understand all the words used. So, for example, get a good dictionary and look up all the unknown words. Then go through partly known words and phrases and check these too. Also, maybe check the meaning of words that are used a lot, but remember some text may have had a different meaning a century ago, so use the internet to look up anything that is not clear. Furthermore, people and places and any cultural relevance of the time should be researched too to get a deeper look at the poet's attitude towards the piece. Patterns might become visible at this point and maybe the theme of the poem.

Structure of the Poem

When looking at the structure of the piece this will reveal more information so pay close attention to this. Look at the organization and sections, this will unlock more questions:

• What does each part discuss?
• How do the parts relate to each other?
• Can you see formal separations?
• What logical sense does it have?
• Is there emotional sense that can be evaluated?
• Does having a strict format say anything about the poet?
• Also failing to have a strict structure does this reveal something?

Once you have observed the structure, it is possible to go deeper into the poem analysis essay and investigate how the speaker communicates the poem to the reader.

Tone and Intonation of the Poetry

So now it is possible to look at the poet and see what details can be obtained from them. Is it possible to see the gender or age of the speaker? Is there some race or religious references to pick up on? Then can we see if the speaker is directly communicating their thoughts and ideas to the reader? If not, what is the character the poet has created to convey the ideas or messages? Does the poet's persona differ to the character created and what can be analyzed from this? Also the mood of the speaker could be available now, are they happy or sad, and how can you find out this from the poem?

Once the poet is understood it is possible to move onto who or what the poem is designed for. Then you can see the purpose of the poetry, what does the poet want from the reader? It is also possible that the poet does not desire a response from the audience and is simply making a statement or expressing themselves.

For example, a poem about spring could just be a happy statement that winter has ended. Looking from the other side, this could be an attempt to attract someone's attention or maybe just an instruction to plow the field.

Purpose of the Poem

The subject of the poem can help identify the purpose, as this usually will be what the poet is describing. Then the theme can be identified also, and what does it say about the work? Are there any links between the theme and the subject and what can analyzed from that? The timeframe is also an important factor to consider, for example, the poet's goal back when it was written, may have changed and why? Furthermore, has the original purpose survived the test of time and can it be said to be the best indicator of success?

Language and Imagery of the Poetry

Until this point it was only possible to analyze the literal information available which is the denotative meaning.’ Now let's look at the imagery, symbolism and figures of speech, this is the connotative meaning.

This is where you should look for pictures described within the text and analyze why they have been depicted? So for example, if the poet thas decided to describe the moon this could set the time in the work or maybe the mood of the poem. Also look for groups of images described and patterns within this, what can be deducted from that?

So when looking for symbolism within the text this could be an event or physical object, including people and places that represent non-physical entities like an emotion or concept. For example, a bird flying through the air can be seen as freedom and escaping usual conforms.

Poetic devices

In your analysis you will look at techniques like metaphors, similes, personification and alliteration to include just a few. It's important to identify the actual device used and why it was chosen. For example, when comparing something within the text using a metaphor then look at how they are connected and in what way they are expressed? Try to use all available clues to gain better insight into the mind of the poet.

Music of the Poem

Poetry and music have deep connections and can be compared together due to the history and uses throughout the ages.

Here are some things to look out for to help with those comparisons:

• Meter - This can be available to investigate in different ways, for example, iambic pentameter has a strict five beats per line just like a musical score if used what does it say?
• Rhythm - Just like with music, poem can have a rhythm but if there is no given meter, it is needed to look closer and observe what this does to the work. For example, a particular beat that is fast could make the poem happy.
• Special effects - Looking for not so obvious signs where the poet has written in a way so you take longer to pronounce words. Also it is possible to grab your attention in other ways, for what reason has the writer done that?
• Rhyme - There are many different types of rhyming techniques used within poetry, once identified look at how it impacts on the work like make it humorous for example? Be careful to look for unusual patterns for example rhymes within the lines and not just at the end of the sentences, even reading out aloud might help find these and then what does it this say about the poem?
• Sound effects - The depiction of different sounds can be powerful and also using different voices, look at what impact this has on the piece and why?
• Breaking Rules - Rhyme and meter for example can have very specific rules but what if the poet decided to break these conventional techniques and make something new, what does this add to the work and why

How to Write a Poem Analysis Essay?

Below you will find a compelling guide on how to analyze poetry with handy writing tips:

• Choose a suitable poem - If possible, before you start, pick the main subject of your essay, a poem that you would like to analyze. The more you find it interesting, the easier it will be to handle the task.
• Read it fully - If you are wondering how to analyse poetry, the first step you can’t go without is carefully reading the chosen poem multiple times and, preferably, out loud.
• Always double-check the meanings - When reading a poem, don’t forget to check for the meanings of unknown (and known as well) words and phrases.
• Collect all the details you need - To write a compelling essay, you need to study the poem’s structure, contents, main ideas, as well as other background details.
• Explore hidden meanings - When analyzing poem, be sure to look beyond the words. Instead, focus on finding broader, hidden ideas that the author wanted to share through his piece.
• Make an outline - Once you have analyzed poem, outline your essay and write it following the plan.
• Proofread and edit - Finally, once your essay is ready, take your time to revise and polish it carefully.

Poetry Analysis Template

To write a winning poem analysis essay, use the template below or order an essay from our professionals.

Introduction

• Name of Poem
• Name of Poet
• Date of Publication
• Background or any relevant information

Form of poem

• Structure of poem
• Rhyme of poem

Meaning of poem

• Overall meaning
• How can we relate the poem to our life

Poetic Techniques

• Literary devices

Form of the Poem

Poems are written in some ways, here one need to identify which structure the poet has used for the poem. The forms of poems broadly are stanzas, rhythm, punctuation and rhymes. Carefully analyze the length and number of stanzas , does the rhythm impacts the meaning of the poem, is there many punctuations or little, either the rhyme is consistent, or it’s breaking and what is the rhyme contributing to the meaning of the poem or is it random.

Theme, Meaning or Message of the Poem

In this part, we focus on the topic, main issue or idea of the poem. There are layers of meaning hidden in a poem.

• Meaning: surface meaning that what is actually or physically happening in the poem which a reader can sense.
• Deeper Meaning: the central idea of the poem or what is it actually about.
• Theme: in poetry, there is always a hidden meaning in every line, which depicts the message about life.

Numerous topics can be covered in poems such as love, life, death, birth, nature, memory, war, age, sexuality, experience, religion, race, faith, creator and many others.

Tone of the Poem

The tone of the poem shows attitude or mood of the language used by the poet. Analyze the different shades of the language used in the poem for example; is it formal, judgmental, informal, critical, positive, bitter, reflective, solemn, frustrated, optimistic, ironic, scornful, regretful or morbid.

Literary Device used in the Poem

Find out what the different literary devices are or what sort of figures of speech is used by the poet . Analyze these techniques and suggest their use in the poem by the poet. The poem can contain a symbol, similes, metaphor, alliteration, allegories, oxymoron, assonances, dissonances, repetition, hyperbole, irony.

Conclusion or Feel of the Poem

Lastly, analyze the emotions and feelings linked with the poem; of the poet and what do you feel when you read the poem. This is the very critical part of reviewing a poem because we analyze the inner depth of the poem, the intention & feelings of the poet, the targeted audience, does the poem reflect the poet’s persona, perspective or it does not match with the poet.

Poetry Analysis Essay Example

Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe’s Poem “Annabel Lee”

Written in 1849 and first published after the author’s death, Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe is a beautiful story of true love that goes beyond life. In the poem, the author is commemorating the girl named Annabel Lee, whom he knew since childhood. Despite the young age, the love between the narrator and Annabel was so deep and true that even angels were jealous, and, according to Edgar Allan Poe, their jealousy was so severe that they killed the love of his life. The poem ends with young Annabel Lee being buried in a tomb, leaving the readers with a feeling that the author kept holding on to his love for her for many years after her death.

The two evident topics in the poem are love and loss. The entire narration revolves around the author’s agonizing memory, at the same time demonstrating to the readers the purity and power of true love that makes him cherish the memory of his beloved one even after she is gone. Apart from that, Edgar Allan Poe also discusses such issues of love as jealousy and envy. The author states that the love of the two teens was so strong that even angels in heaven were not half as happy as Annabel and Edgar, which caused them to invade the teens’ romantic “kingdom by the sea” and kill the girl.

The topics discussed in the poem, as well as the style of narration itself, give the poem a very romantic atmosphere. It follows the main principles of the romantic era in poetry in the 18th and 19th centuries, which Edgar Allan Poe was representing. At the same time, the author also gives his poem a sense of musicality and rhythm. The poem’s rhyme scheme puts emphasis on the words “Lee”, “me”, and “sea”. The repetition of these words gives the poem a song-like sound.

A significant role in Edgar Allan Poe’s poem is played by imagery, which emphasizes the author’s unique style. The main imagery used by Allan Poe in Annabel Lee is the Kingdom. The author uses this imagery to set the right tone for his poem and give it a sort of a fairytale feel. At the same time, this imagery is used to take the reader to a different place, though not specifying what exactly this place is. To confirm this - the author uses the phrase “the kingdom by the sea” multiple times in his piece, never specifying its meaning. This trick enables the readers to leave this to their own imagination.

Apart from the Kingdom, the author also operates with the imagery of angels and demons. The narrator blames them for their envy for their deep love, which resulted in the death of Annable Lee. Thus, the author gives a negative attitude towards this imagery. This brings us to another big topic of good and evil discussed in the poem.

Nevertheless, even though the angels’ intervention seems to be clear to the reader from what the author says, Poe’s choice of words doesn’t directly implicate their responsibility for the girl’s death. The narrator blames everybody for his loss. However, he does this in a very tactical and covert way.

In conclusion, it becomes clear that the narrator in Annabel Lee did not only pursue a goal to share his pain and loss. He also emphasizes that true love is everlasting by stating that his love for the gone girl lives with him after all these years. With all its deep topics, imagery, and musicality, Annabel Lee is now considered one of the best works by Edgar Allan Poe.

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How to Start an Introduction When Writing an Essay About Poetry

Related articles, how to acknowledge poetry in apa references, a good way to start off a sonnet poem, how to write a creative title for my essays.

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Take a piece of literature that was written in an often condensed form of a language and explain it; that is the assignment when writing an essay about poetry. Writing such an essay can help you understand complex forms of literature and make evaluations of them citing examples from the text. Writing an essay on poetry can ultimately help you appreciate the poetic form more by understanding the craft that is involved. The introduction to an essay provides the foundation for the entire paper, and it is imperative to write a well-structured introduction.

When writing an essay, you should start from a general idea or concept and work toward something specific. The first part of the introduction is called "the hook." The hook is designed to draw the reader of the essay in. Depending on the angle you chose for your essay, you may need to give background information on the culture or historical events relevant to the poem. Briefly preview these main points after the hook. Giving your reader an idea of what you will discuss functions as a road map to your essay, showing your reader how you will get to you main point. The final sentence of your introduction should then end with your thesis statement.

Grab the Reader's Attention

The key to a strong introduction for an essay is the hook or attention grabber. The hook comes at the very beginning of the essay, and its job is to draw the reader in and get them interested in what you have to say. For an essay about poetry you may choose to start with a line or two from the poem, but make sure you refer to the lines at some point in the essay. Another option is to write an interesting statement about the poem’s place in culture or history. Alternately, you could write a rhetorical question that gets the reader thinking about the context of the poem.

Present an Angle

When writing about poetry, decide what point of view you will take. You can write about the poem's theme, which is the most important concepts featured in the poem such as war or death. Another option is writing about genre and structure. The poem may be a specific type of verse, such as a sonnet; it therefore features a specific structure that you can analyze. You may also choose to examine the poem within its particular cultural or historical context. Or, you may choose to analyze figures of speech within the poem, such as metaphor and personification, as a means to interpret the piece.

Write a Thesis Statement

The thesis statement serves as the foundation of any essay. Feature it prominently in the introduction, as the final sentence. The perspective you chose to take in the introduction drives the thesis statement. Consider your main idea and why it is important. For example, what influence did historical events have on the poem and why are they significant? Alternately, you might choose to answer the question of what the use of personification adds to the poem and why is it significant. To create a strong thesis statement, answer the questions you want to address in one assertive sentence.

• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Writing About Poetry
• Purdue Online Writing Lab:Developing a Thesis
• University of Maryland and University College: Introductions
• Essay Info: Introduction

Nadia Archuleta has a B.A. in English writing. She spent five years working abroad and has traveled extensively. She has worked as an English as a Foreign/Second Language teacher for 12 years.

How to Write the Intro Paragraph of a Literary Elements Essay

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• Writing Poetry

How to Write a Poem

Last Updated: March 29, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Alicia Cook . Alicia Cook is a Professional Writer based in Newark, New Jersey. With over 12 years of experience, Alicia specializes in poetry and uses her platform to advocate for families affected by addiction and to fight for breaking the stigma against addiction and mental illness. She holds a BA in English and Journalism from Georgian Court University and an MBA from Saint Peter’s University. Alicia is a bestselling poet with Andrews McMeel Publishing and her work has been featured in numerous media outlets including the NY Post, CNN, USA Today, the HuffPost, the LA Times, American Songwriter Magazine, and Bustle. She was named by Teen Vogue as one of the 10 social media poets to know and her poetry mixtape, “Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately” was a finalist in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. There are 16 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 7,066,084 times.

Writing a poem is about observing the world within or around you. A poem can be about anything, from love to loss to the rusty gate at the old farm. Writing poetry can seem daunting, especially if you do not feel you are naturally or bursting with poetic ideas. With the right inspiration and approach, you can write a poem that you can be proud to share with others in the class or with your friends.

Start Writing Poetry

• Pick a topic or theme that interests you, or brainstorm ideas by writing to a prompt like “what water feels like” or “how it feels to get bad news.”
• Read famous poems and choose a poem format that you like. For example, you could try a playful structure like a limerick or a romantic one like a sonnet.
• Write lines for your poem with sound in mind. Read your poem out loud and consider the way the words in your poems flow together. Make any necessary edits.

Sample Poems

Starting the Poem

Brainstorming for Ideas Try a free write. Grab a notebook or your computer and just start writing—about your day, your feelings, or how you don’t know what to write about. Let your mind wander for 5-10 minutes and see what you can come up with. Write to a prompt. Look up poem prompts online or come up with your own, like “what water feels like” or “how it feels to get bad news.” Write down whatever comes to mind and see where it takes you. Make a list or mind map of images. Think about a situation that’s full of emotion for you and write down a list of images or ideas that you associate with it. You could also write about something you see right in front of you, or take a walk and note down things you see.

Finding a Topic Go for a walk. Head to your favorite park or spot in the city, or just take a walk through your neighborhood. Use the people you see and nature and buildings you pass as inspiration for a poem. Write about someone you care about. Think about someone who’s really important to you, like a parent or your best friend. Recall a special moment you shared with them and use it to form a poem that shows that you care about them. Pick a memory you have strong feelings about. Close your eyes, clear your head, and see what memories come to the forefront of your mind. Pay attention to what emotions they bring up for you—positive or negative—and probe into those. Strong emotional moments make for beautiful, interesting poems.

• For example, you may decide to write a poem around the theme of “love and friendship.” You may then think about specific moments in your life where you experienced love and friendship as well as how you would characterize love and friendship based on your relationships with others.
• Try to be specific when you choose a theme or idea, as this can help your poem feel less vague or unclear. For example, rather than choosing the general theme of “loss,” you may choose the more specific theme, such as “loss of a child” or “loss of a best friend.”

• You may decide to try a poetic form that is short, such as the haiku , the cinquain , or the shape poem. You could then play around with the poetic form and have fun with the challenges of a particular form. Try rearranging words to make your poem sound interesting.
• You may opt for a form that is more funny and playful, such as the limerick form, if you are trying to write a funny poem. Or you may go for a more lyrical form like the sonnet , the ballad , or the rhyming couplet for a poem that is more dramatic and romantic.

• “Kubla Khan” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge [4] X Research source
• “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman [5] X Research source
• “I measure every Grief I meet” by Emily Dickinson [6] X Research source
• “Sonnet 18” by William Shakespeare [7] X Research source
• “One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop [8] X Research source
• “Night Funeral in Harlem” by Langston Hughes [9] X Research source
• “The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams [10] X Research source

Writing the Poem

• For example, rather than try to describe a feeling or image with abstract words, use concrete words instead. Rather than write, “I felt happy,” you may use concrete words to create a concrete image, such as, “My smile lit up the room like wildfire.”

Try a New Literary Device Metaphor: This device compares one thing to another in a surprising way. A metaphor is a great way to add unique imagery and create an interesting tone. Example: “I was a bird on a wire, trying not to look down.” Simile: Similes compare two things using “like” or “as.” They might seem interchangeable with metaphors, but both create a different flow and rhythm you can play with. Example: “She was as alone as a crow in a field,” or “My heart is like an empty stage.” Personification: If you personify an object or idea, you’re describing it by using human qualities or attributes. This can clear up abstract ideas or images that are hard to visualize. Example: “The wind breathed in the night.” Alliteration: Alliteration occurs when you use words in quick succession that begin with the same letter. This is a great tool if you want to play with the way your poem sounds. Example: “Lucy let her luck linger.”

• For example, you may notice how the word “glow” sounds compared to the word “glitter.” “Glow” has an “ow” sound, which conjures an image of warmth and softness to the listener. The word “glitter” is two syllables and has a more pronounced “tt” sound. This word creates a sharper, more rhythmic sound for the listener.

• For example, you may notice you have used the cliche, “she was as busy as a bee” to describe a person in your poem. You may replace this cliche with a more unique phrase, such as “her hands were always occupied” or “she moved through the kitchen at a frantic pace.”

Polishing the Poem

• You may also read the poem out loud to others, such as friends, family, or a partner. Have them respond to the poem on the initial listen and notice if they seem confused or unclear about certain phrases or lines.

• You may go over the poem with a fine-tooth comb and remove any cliches or familiar phrases. You should also make sure spelling and grammar in the poem are correct.

Community Q&A

Reader Videos

• Brainstorm big things in your life and how they have impacted you. For example, if you write about how someone you know died, the tone of the poem could be the great sadness and loss you feel deep down and how it feels like a piece of you is missing. Thanks Helpful 17 Not Helpful 1
• Think about what really matters in your life. It can give you ideas when you think about the people and places you love. You can write a poem in the form of the struggles in your life or the dangers you have had to face. You can also write a poem about happiness someone or something has brought to your life. Remember, what you write about should set the mood of your poem. Thanks Helpful 18 Not Helpful 4

Tips from our Readers

• Poems are written mainly to touch the heart. Write a poem on something that's emotionally dear to you or that evokes some other feeling.
• There's no real rules around poetry. Write something that you enjoy writing and reading and don't worry about the rest!
• If you need inspiration, look at photos online or in a magazine or go for a long walk around your neighborhood.
• Try writing a poem based on a memorable dream you had the night before (or whenever!).

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• ↑ https://www.edutopia.org/article/every-student-can-be-poet/
• ↑ https://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/creative1/poetry-writing-tips-h
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/the-empowerment-diary/201604/the-secret-writing-transformative-poetry
• ↑ https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/readingpoetry/
• ↑ https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45477/song-of-myself-1892-version
• ↑ https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/i-measure-every-grief-i-meet-561
• ↑ https://poets.org/poem/shall-i-compare-thee-summers-day-sonnet-18
• ↑ https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47536/one-art
• ↑ https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/night-funeral-harlem
• ↑ https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45502/the-red-wheelbarrow
• ↑ https://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/creative1/poetry-writing-tips-how-to-write-a-poem/
• ↑ https://www.literacymn.org/sites/default/files/learning_center_docs/metaphors_and_similes.pdf
• ↑ https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1266002.pdf
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/poetry-explications/
• ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5709796/
• ↑ https://milnepublishing.geneseo.edu/naming-the-unnameable/chapter/chapter-eight-revision/

About This Article

Writing a poem can seem intimidating at first, but with a little patience and inspiration, you can produce a beautiful work of written art. If you’re not sure what to write about, spend a few minutes jotting down whatever thoughts come into your head. Think about your feelings, your experiences and memories, people in your life, or things that you sense in your environment and see if any of those things inspire you. You can also try working from writing prompts. Once you’ve done some free writing, look for themes and ideas in what you’ve written, and choose one that feels inspiring to you. Common themes include things like love, loss, family, or nature. After you choose a theme, think about how you’d like to structure the poem. For example, you might stick to a traditional format, such as a limerick, haiku, or quatrain. If you’d rather not feel constrained by rhymes or meter, consider writing a free verse poem and simply let the words flow in whatever way feels right. You can also read poems by other authors to get ideas and inspiration. When you’re writing the poem, look for ways to express your thoughts using powerful, sensory language. For example, instead of saying something like “I felt happy,” try using a colorful simile, like “My heart soared like a bird set free.” As you’re writing, also think about how the poem will sound when read out loud. Try reading it to yourself or a friend to see if it’s pleasing to the ear. If a word or phrase doesn’t flow the way you like, replace it with something else that has a similar meaning. You might not be satisfied with the first draft of your poem, and that’s totally okay. Read it to yourself, get feedback from friends, teachers, or other people you trust, and keep revising until you feel like you’ve created a poem that really captures the feelings you’re trying to convey. For help choosing a structure for your poem, like a haiku, limerick, or sonnet, read the article! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Write a Poem With Explanations and a Sample of Poetry

11 December 2023

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Poetry services to express emotions, academic purposes, communicate about social movements, and serve as entertainment, among other reasons. In this case, poem stanzas, rhyme schemes, and poetry meters are the main characteristics of defining poetry and poem types. Based on these characteristics, there are many types of poetry, such as blank verse, Haiku poetry, and rhyme poems, among others. If people want to learn how to write a poem, the choice of words, punctuation, and other stylistic devices help in communicating themes. Also, balance is essential in verses to ensure poets do not include sentimentality in the poem. In turn, subversion of the ordinary use of language is crucial in making poetry artistic and comfortable for the audience to remember the message.

General Characteristics on How to Write a Poem

A poem is a piece of writing intended to express ideas and various emotions of the author regarding a specific subject. Basically, poets pay attention to features, such as diction, rhyme, symbolism, and imagery in the writing to communicate. In this case, the type of literature is different from the official forms of writing, such as letters and books. In most cases, poets are allowed to flaunt the rules of grammar to create imagery, rhythm, or a specific message to the audience. Also, poetry is closely related to music in comparison to other forms of literature. Hence, people write different types of poems for various reasons with the kinds determined with the use of poetry features, such as stanzas, rhyme, and poetry meters. In turn, the message the poet intends to communicate determines the wording and content.

Why People Need to Write Poems

Different factors make poets write poetry. Basically, one of the reasons on how to write poetry is the fact that people want to express themselves on various issues. Using a poem, a person can express their emotions, such as pain, fear, love, hate, melancholy, and many other feelings. Also, authors write poetry to express their ideas on subjects, such as the environment, a lover, a leader, or a practice. In this case, the lack of strict regulation of language for lyrics makes poets prefer to use the genre in expressing themselves. For instance, William Shakespeare used poems in his plays to express the feelings of his characters towards various issues. As a result, dramas are lively and exciting to follow for the audience.

Academic Poetry

Academic poetry is another reason why people write poems. In this case, academic poets mainly write to inform people about a specific subject. Also, poems were written for educational purposes to employ stylistic devices, such as rhyme and rhythm, to pass elaborate messages. Therefore, poets who identify their works as an academic poetry center their works on scholarly disciplines. For instance, a poet who is a technologist is likely to write about technical issues such as futuristic poems on the use of technology in various spheres.

Communication in Writing a Poem

Another reason why people write poems is to communicate about social movements. For instance, there are many poems on the issue of racial attacks on Black people by police dubbed as a Black Lives Matter. Basically, people interested in social movement poetry mainly write about social issues, such as homosexuality, racism, and animal rights, among others. Also, environmentalist movements have produced a large number of poems on topics, such as pollution, deforestation, and global warming. Therefore, social movements are another reason why authors write poetry. In turn, they use the lyrics to communicate their perspective on social issues of their interest.

Comercial Purposes for Writing a Poem

Also, poets write to entertain and earn a salary from the poems. A characteristic feature of poetry intended for commercial purposes is their entertaining nature to the general population. For instance, a collection of poems by Amanda Lovelace titled The Princess Saves Herself in This One has sold millions of copies. In this case, the entertaining nature of the literature in the book makes people buy and write poetry. However, making money is not the primary reason for the author to write a poetry piece. In turn, informing and entertaining are the primary reasons for the authors to write good poetry. Therefore, some poets rely on their composition to earn income from their works.

Theoretical Background on How to Write a Poem

The main elements defining poems are stanzas, rhyme schemes, and meters. Basically, a poetry verse is a primary tool used in building poetry. In this case, a stanza is equal to a paragraph that expresses ideas and defines them. Also, a rhyme scheme is the flow of words and sounds in the poem to create consistency. Then, there are different types of rhyme schemes that poets write when reinforcing the message in their lyrics. In this case, a meter in poetry is used to define the length of lines, stanzas, and the written piece itself by considering how to write a poem. Thus, the use of a meter helps in identifying the ideas and how they flow in the poem. In turn, different types of poetry defined by the various elements of a poem discussed above.

1. Write a Blank Verse Poem

This type of poetry is common in classic literature, such as those written by William Shakespeare and John Milton. In this case, the main feature of blank verse poetry is the standard iambic pentameter if authors learn how to write a poem. Therefore, each line of the poem has five iambs, where the second syllable is stressed. In turn, another common feature in the works is the lack of rhyming words in the lines.

2. Write Rhymed Poetry

Rhymed poetry have a rhyme scheme that has words at the end of each line sound similar to the others in the same position. As a consequence, poets write rhymed pieces by using the rhyme scheme as the main reason for word selection. However, the poetry of this classification may have different rhyme schemes between different stanzas.

3. Write Haiku Poems

As the name suggests, the type of poetry has its origin in Japan. In this case, the poem’s defining feature is the specific number of syllables in particular lines in each stanza. Traditionally, haiku poetry has five syllables in the first line, seven in the second line, and five syllables in the third line, covering how to write a poem. Thus, the three-line poetic form is definitive for this type of poem.

4. Write a Free Verse Poem

As the name suggests, the type of poetry has no defined structure followed. For example, poetry under the category has no repetitive rhyme scheme, metric, or rhythm. In the literature, poets write pieces by breaking the universal poetic laws at will. Therefore, free verse poems do not follow the rigid rules of poetry. In turn, authors are allowed to craft the lines, stanzas, and the lyric with the main focus being communication.

5. Write Pastoral Poetry

One of the most prominent poets today is Gary Snyder. In this case, the natural world characterizes the type of poetry is the primary subject of how to write a poem. Also, countryside life and scenery are significant subjects in pastoral poems across the globe. Thus, elements, such as forests and history, are common in the form of poetry.

6. Write Epic Poems

A characteristic feature of epic poetry is their lengthy size of both stanzas and the complete verse. In this case, authors tell epic stories of the past about heroes, heroines, gods, and goddesses. Also, the performance of abnormal feats by the subjects of the narrative forms a distinguishing feature of this poetry.

7. Write an Elegy Poem

A distinguishing feature of this poetry is the reflection on death or loss. Features of death, mourning, and injury are consistent in this type of poetry. Also, in this poetry, authors write about subjects such as the consolation of those who lose a loved one and redemption. Therefore, other elements related to death and loss, such as war and mythological themes, are also covered in this type of work.

8. Write Lyric Poetry

These are poems that are concerned with the feelings and emotions of the narrator or the poet. In this case, the main idea of lyrics is that they have a song-like pattern with a clear storyline, covering how to write a poem. Primarily, poetry intends to invoke the emotions of the audience by talking about emotional events in one’s life or that of closely related persons. The name comes from lyres, an instrument played when reading the poems.

9. Write Ballads

Primarily, a ballad is a narrative verse that is poetic. Also, a ballad poem can be a musical verse that is similar to rhymed quatrains. Therefore, it is a story told poetically with intonations and other musical elements present.

10. Write Soliloquy Poetry

The defining characteristic of this poetry is the presence of a single character who speaks to themselves. In the monologue, narrators write about inner thoughts to the audience. Therefore, the focus of this poetry is on feelings or convictions about a specific subject. In this case, Shakespeare is one of the famous poets with soliloquy poems that are based on different issues and used to describe feelings of characters in his plays.

11. Write Sonnets

A primary feature of sonnet poetry is its fourteen lines. Mainly, the lyrics are of love but not exclusively on the topic. In the fourteen tracks, sonnet poems have a rhyme scheme that is dependent on the specifications of the lyrics. Also, other main themes in sonnet poetry include rejection and loss of a loved one.

Content on How to Write a Poem

In writing a poem, wording and placement of content are essential for the poet to communicate the intended message. Also, punctuation in poetry is one of the features that poets employ is sending a specific message to the audience. In this case, punctuation can help in creating sounds or changing the meaning of words and sentences. For instance, a poet can decide not to use full stops to indicate continuity of the story narrated in the poem. Apart from punctuation, there are other stylistic devices used when writing poems to communicate with the target audience.

Storytelling

Storytelling is one of the means used in communicating a specific message to the audience. For instance, in a poem on imaginary characters, authors write about emotions and their lovers. Therefore, storytelling serves in poetry as a method of sending information to the audience.

People use imagery to communicate the intended message if they know how to write a poem. Basically, the use of descriptive words, sounds, oxymoron, similes, and proverbs help the poet in communicating. Considering that poems are literary works, they use a language that forms images in the mind of readers. Moreover, the intention is to make people not only read the message but also feel it in their hearts. Therefore, one should focus on impressing the other senses of the audience apart from just plainly reading the text.

How to Write a Good Poem with Balance

Balance in writing poems is another essential aspect that a poet should consider. Despite the need to communicate specific messages, the writing style, choice of words, and selection of styles should appeal to the target audience. For instance, using archaic language in writing a children’s poetry can lead to misunderstanding of the writing. Also, the use of vulgar language does not improve a poem. Instead, poets prefer to write by using euphemisms to describe events such as making love or murder. In turn, confrontational style is avoided in poetry, as it may put off the audience who may feel offended by the written piece.

Subverted Style, Metaphors, and Similes

Subverting the ordinary and the use of metaphors and similes helps in improving poetry. In this case, regular writing often irks the audience and hard to remember the message in comparison to a subverted style. Using subverted language to make the word flowery makes it easy to remember the content of poetry and the meaning derived from poetry. Also, metaphors and similes help to make the language fancy and more artistic to follow the rules on how to write a poem. In turn, metaphors and similes help in passing the message to the audience.

Delivering a Message

Poets intend to communicate a specific message to the audience through themes in the poems. In this case, some of the common issues in lyrics are love, pain, suffering, among others. When writing poetry, the central theme and supportive themes should dominate. For instance, a poem that writes about love should use words, imagery, and symbols that communicate love. Also, the use of actual words helps in the communication of intended themes.

The Choice of Words

The choice of words is essential in poems. In this case, words should be specific, short, and precise, considering a meter of a poem. Therefore, the used word should carry a particular meaning that the poet intends if authors understand how to write a poem. Also, the lack of message precision makes poetry lose relevance. For instance, when describing time, words, such as midnight and midday, are a more accurate representation of time in comparison to at night and during the day, respectively. Thus, clarity is essential in poetry, and poets achieve it through careful choice of words.

Writing a Poem and Revisions

Revising a poem after writing it to ensure they fulfill all the expectations is essential. Basically, proofreading to confirm that the target audience can identify the themes and correct words poets write in their poetry pieces is a crucial step. Also, the removal of clichés and concepts that may suggest sentimentality is essential. In this case, poets should ensure that they achieve the goal of writing a poem. Thus, revision is necessary to eliminate mistakes and to replace words with more appropriate words. In turn, the following example is a sample poem on COVID-19:

The Fear of Unseen

The unseen enemy is moving amidst the dearly, The new scourge devastating the weary. It takes the best of best, And leaves the worst people for last. A disease in the air, Tormenting even the fair. No longer walk in pair, But the wise should not live in fear.

How to Write an Analysis of a Poem

The author writes about the COVID-19 pandemic that is affecting persons across the world. Basically, the first line talks about the possibility of the virus being contracted by persons that one loves and cherishes. Therefore, it suggests that wise people should be fearful of moving around. In this case, the illness has impacted social life, such as walking in pairs as people seek to keep a social distance that is one of the WHO recommended ways of stopping the spread of the virus.

Intepretation of a Written Poem

In the poem, the word such as “tormenting” indicates the impact of COVID-19 on humans. In particular, such a word helps to paint an image of the effect of the disease on humans. Also, the line that reads “a disease in the air” does not mean that COVID-19 is airborne. Instead, it refers to the lack of signs that one is just about to get infected with it.

Rhyme Scheme

Also, this poetry piece uses a rhyme scheme where the last word of the lines has similar sounds. For instance, the first and second lines of poetry end with the words “dearly” and “weary.” In this case, two terms are similar in pronunciations and form a rhyme scheme. Also, there is a precise rhyme scheme that is constant in the rest of the poem, with words sharing the same meaning occurring in two adjacent lines.

Writing Style in a Poem

Another style applied in the poem is the personification of the disease. Basically, the poet gives it the power to torment and move. In this case, a virus is an inanimate object given the ability to move and devastate human beings in the poem. Also, repetition is employed to reinforce the message of the author. In turn, the author writes a phrase like “the worst people for last” to enhance the theme in the line. Therefore, different elements of poetry and stylistic devices are used in this sample poetry to help the author to communicate the message to the audience.

Summing Up on How to Write a Poem

Poetry serves different purposes leading to specific types of poems. In this case, poets use lyrics to write, communicate, express themselves, for academic purposes, for commercial purposes, and to advance social justice goals. Basically, factors that determine the type of poetry include the rhyme scheme and the meters. Therefore, the characteristics of poetry determine their classification and forms that depend on the message, arrangement of content in the poem, and other elements. When writing poetry, the use of language, pronunciation, and stylistic devices helps poets to communicate. Therefore, the correct choice of words, clarity of the message, and balance of the content are essential in writing a good poem.

 Major Points on Poetry Writing

Reasons for writing a poem.

• To express their emotions.
• For academic reasons.
• Communication of social movement issues.
• To write for entertainment.

Defining Elements of Poetry

• A number of lines.
• Rhyme scheme.
• Poetry meters.

Types of Poems

• Blank verse.
• Rhymed poetry.
• Free verse poems.
• Pastoral poetry.
• Elegy poetry.
• Lyric poems.
• Soliloquy poems.

Qualities of Poems

• Good punctuation.
• Use of storytelling.
• Use of imagery created through descriptive words, sounds, oxymoron, similes, etc.
• Balance in messaging.
• Subversion of the ordinary.
• Clearly communicate themes.
• Choice of words.
• Proofread to ensure the right use of all the elements of written pieces.

To Learn More, Read Relevant Articles

How to write a well-developed poem analysis essay, how to write a perfect 500-word essay with samples and tips.

Paragraph to Poem Generator

Are you looking for an easy way to convert your paragraph to a poem? Try our online paragraph to poem generator and enjoy immediate results within a few minutes. This free tool creates interesting poems easily according to your instructions. Just add your details to the poem maker, and it will generate results you can use in your literature assignment.

• 🔢 How to Use the Tool?
• 🤩 The 5 Benefits
• ⚖️ Prose vs. Poetry
• 🔁 How to make a Poem from Paragraph

🔎 References

🔢 paragraph to poem generator: how to use it.

To use the tool, you’ll need to take the following steps:

• Add the text . Paste the paragraph you want to be converted to a poem into the tool.
• Specify the details . Provide the tool with additional information: the poem’s mood, genre, and the preferred writing style.
• Enjoy the result . Note that the generated poem should be used for reference and inspiration only.

🤩 Paragraph to Poem Generator: The Benefits

Our poem generator from paragraph tool has a lot of benefits.

⚖️ Prose Paragraph vs. Poem: What's the Difference?

In this section, we’ll look at the differences between prose and poetry.

Prose is a type of writing that uses ordinary vocabulary and grammar. It has a natural flow and looks just like a spoken piece would look.

The prose is characterized by regular rhythm, grammar, and punctuation . It is normally used in short stories, novels, and essays. Thus, this genre is straightforward and doesn't follow any artificial structure.

Nature is beautiful and therapeutic, but no one seems to notice its splendor. Swaying trees, chirping birds, and colorful flowers on summer days will lift your spirits. Nature is such a wonder to all who embrace its radiance.

In contrast, poetry is a type of writing that:

• Uses a rhyming or metrical scheme to produce musical effects;
• Contains figurative language like similes, symbolism, and metaphors;
• Utilizes rhythmic structures to communicate ideas, write lyrics, illustrate scenes, or narrate a story;
• Is an artistic genre that evokes readers' emotions and imagination.

Therefore, poems can follow a specific type of structure, with meter, and rhyming lines, while prose is free form and doesn't follow meter or rhyme.

Macy gives her chocolate a shake, She laughs, and her belly aches, When it is time to bake, The river waves and birds awake.

Prose: Forms & Features

Prose is a form of written language that follows a simple grammatical format and has a natural flow of words . It doesn't follow a specific structure; no metrical or rhyming scheme exists. Prose is a simple piece of literature with basic speech patterns.

Here are common types of prose:

Poetry: Forms & Features

Poetry is a type of literature writing that uses rhymes, meter, and figurative language to communicate different ideas and meanings . Although poetry is a bit complex, it guides the readers to understand the deeper meaning without clearly explaining the details. You need to understand the features of a poem to comprehend the message.

Here are the main elements of a poem.

Poetic forms are guidelines that establish the poem's structure, rhythm, and meter. These forms are responsible for directing a poem's purpose and tone. You can write an interesting poem when the form aligns with the poetic form:

Some of the common poetry forms include:

This is the recurring sound pattern in a poem. Rhymes are used to emphasize a rhyme scheme or pattern.

The main types are:

• Internal rhyme
• Imperfect rhyme

Poetic meter is the metric pattern in verse. These include:

You can use these metrical feet to create a metric pattern in your poem.

A theme is the main idea being expressed in a poem. Some poetic themes include nature, love, and death, to name a few.

Tone and Mood

Also known as diction, this refers to the sound and language used in a poem. It reveals the poem's attitude through figurative language and choice of words.

Paragraph vs. Poem: Similarities & Differences

🔁 generating a poem from paragraph: useful tips.

When generating a poem from a paragraph, you must be specific about the information you enter on the poem generator.

The first step is to indicate the poem format – is it a traditional poem, sonnet, free verse, or haiku?

Ensure you specify the type of poem you want to be generated as well as the poem's rhythm. You can use the iamb meter for the rhythm and add the poet whose style you want to base your poem on and the literary devices you want incorporated.

🖋 Paragraph to Poem Example

Love is a beautiful yet painful feeling when directed to the wrong person. Unrequited love and heartbreak is a common feeling that has inspired many famous poets to create captivating poems.

• Narrative mood
• Shakespeare’s style
• Traditional rhymed poem

In love's sweet realm, where hearts aspire to soar, A beauty bright, a flame that burns anew, Yet treacherous when fate's winds start to roar, Unrequited, a pain that lovers knew. Oh, Cupid's arrow aimed awry, alas, In shadows cast upon affection's dance, Where longing hearts in shattered dreams amass, And tears like rivers weave a mournful trance. The Bard himself did words of woe compose, Of Juliet and Romeo's tragic fate, A tale of love that bloom'd but found its close, A lesson writ in sorrow's bitter weight. So let us learn from Shakespeare's ageless verse, To guard our hearts and love's potential curse.

Thank you for reading this article! If you want to analyze a poem written by someone else or even your own, try our poem analysis generator .

❓ Poem Generator FAQ

❓ how does this poem generator work.

This AI-powered generator evaluates the information you input into the tool and generates accurate results. All you have to do is specify the topic, mood, genre, and poetry style of a famous poet.

❓ What Is the Bot That Writes Poems?

You can use numerous online tools to generate poems automatically, such as ChatGPT. However, our tool is great in terms of free access and has ready-made tips to help seamless functionality.

❓ How Can I Create My Own Poem?

You can create your own poem by practicing a lot and writing manually, or you can generate poems on this advanced tool and use the results for inspiration.

❓ How Do You Make an AI-generated Poem?

You can create an AI-generated and describe the verse you need in detail. However, our AI poetry generator is faster and more accurate.

• Glossary of Poetic Genres
• Prose vs. Poetry: Key Differences and Similarities
• Poetry vs Prose - Difference and Comparison
• 11 Types of Poetry to Know, With Examples
• 15 Types of Poetry (Plus Examples of Each)

How to Use ChatGPT to Write a Poetry Book

I n the world of AI, ChatGPT is rising fast to be one of the most well-known services. For a creative writer, it can be a great deal of help in multiple ways. From generating ideas for overcoming writer’s block to researching themes for your next story, ChatGPT is the perfect assistant.

But, can it help with the entire process of creating a poetry book? If you ask the right questions, there’s no reason why it can’t.

Below is a guide on how to use OpenAI’s ChatGPT to write a poetry book, from brainstorming to publication.

Brainstorm Ideas

The beginning of every poetry book needs one thing: poems. Many times, the poems can be based on one theme or showcase a storyline.

To write poetry, though, you have to be in the right emotional headspace for it. If you’re not, it can be a bit difficult to scribe lines.

ChatGPT can help with that. Brainstorming ideas can come in the nature of prompts, collaboration, and even sharing other poetry to inspire your thought process.

If you’re curious about what topic your poetry should focus on, ask ChatGPT for a list of themes and pick which ones resonate with you.

You may already know what theme you’re going for. If so, you can ask for prompts about that theme or have ChatGPT ask you questions to help refine your ideas. The questions should be thought-provoking to help you infuse as much emotion into your work as you can. Remember, AI can’t feel, so it’s up to you to make your readers feel your art.

If you really want to test your poetic abilities, ask the AI to suggest a new poetic approach with steps to help guide you. Even if it doesn’t make it to a final draft, it’s still a good exercise to enhance your writing abilities.

Help With Language and Style

There are so many creative ways that ChatGPT can be used . Helping to build poems with fluid language and style is one of them.

Having refined language and style in a poem helps to express your ideas and emotions to your readers. If it’s inconsistent and hard to understand, your readers won’t be able to keep up with the art you’re trying to create in your book.

Using poetic devices can help to make a good poem great. Ask ChatGPT for a poetic device that will fit within the poem structure you’re going for.

You can also ask ChatGPT for some good imagery words that align with the subject of your poem. For example, if you’re writing about the moon’s reflection on top of the water, but you’re having a hard time with wording, you can choose from a list offered by the AI.

Offer Alternative Word Choices

The thesaurus is every writer’s best friend when they can’t think of the right words to use. ChatGPT can be used to find alternative words and even offer words for a concept you’re thinking of.

For instance, if you have a line that you know will be about a dying leaf on a stick, but you don’t want to use the word "stick," ask ChatGPT for a more attractive synonym.

Assist With Form and Structure

Beyond the words, form and structure are some of the most important elements of a poem. They determine the type of poem it is and how the poem progresses to create an experience for the reader. In other words, the meter, stanza lengths, and rhyme schemes of a poem, just to name a few.

If there’s a particular style of poem you’re looking to write, ChatGPT can give you the guidelines to create it. Additionally, you can ask about rhyme schemes for a poem with a certain amount of lines and choose from the options available.

Frankly, any question you have regarding poetry can be asked and ChatGPT will be able to provide an answer with examples.

Proofread and Edit

Proofreading and editing are such helpful features within ChatGPT , even with poetry. You can copy and paste your newly written poem and ask the AI to check for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and other oversights you may have missed.

In terms of editing, though, you’ll want to make sure that ChatGPT doesn’t change your poetry too much. You still want the work to be your own. Additionally, there’s a good chance that the emotions you’ve purposely embedded into the poems will be altered.

Suggestions for Poem Arrangement

In a poetry book, the arrangement of the poems is essential for creating a story—whether there’s a narrative or simply an emotional development. You’ll want your readers to follow along in the book and take something away from it.

It would probably be a bit overwhelming to copy and paste every poem into the search bar and ask ChatGPT to arrange your work. However, you can let the AI know what kind of poems you have and ask for a list of ways to organize them.

In the end, it should be your decision what poem gets placed where.

Guidance With Publication

The publication of a poetry book is a big step for a poet, and there are several questions to ask yourself. Should you consider a full-length poetry book or a chapbook? Are you going to self-publish or attempt to find a publisher?

Though these questions will tend to be more of a personal choice, ChatGPT can help guide you with facts and research. Make sure you give enough information so the answer can be tailored to what you have created.

Assist With Marketing and Promotion

Although ChatGPT can’t promote your book for you, it can offer suggestions for how you can do it successfully. In the search bar, jot down all the information about your book and how to promote it, and see what it spits out for you. It could be anything from creating an effective book ad to marketing yourself on social media.

There are numerous suggestions that can be offered, so if you don’t like what it has given you, or you want more ideas, simply tell ChatGPT that you would like to see more.

Put Your Poetry Out Into the World With the Help of ChatGPT

ChatGPT is a great resource to help with all stages of writing. It can bring ideas to life and test your skills with new writing techniques. When it comes to writing a poetry book, ChatGPT can assist from the initial prompt to the marketing campaign of your self-published chapbook.

Whenever you’re ready to start your poetry book undertaking, test out ChatGPT to see how it can help your process.