Poem

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Poem

Writing poetry is an opportunity to let your imagination soar—freedom some students love and others find intimidating. Breaking down the process of writing your poem into manageable tasks can make it a little easier.

Task 1: Requirements

Make sure you understand what your teacher expects of you. Review all of the information you have about the assignment and verify that you can answer the following questions. If you don’t know an answer, ask your teacher.

When is your poem due?

Is there a requirement for style or length?

Did your teacher provide any other guidelines for your poem?

Task 2: Topic

Whether you’re starting from scratch or your teacher gave you a starting point—such as a poem about nature or love or humor—your first job is to decide what to write about.

1. Start by brainstorming. Don’t censor yourself—write down any ideas that come to mind. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, consider using something that you know, such as a hobby or a special interest.

Once you have a few ideas down on paper, pick the one that most appeals to you. Example: Your teacher assigned you to write a poem on any subject, so you started by taking stock of the world around you. You considered writing about your best friend, your pet cat, or the madness of the city at rush hour. Instead, you settled on writing about your second-best friend: your violin.

2. Now take a look at your subject and determine what makes it special. Poetry draws pictures with words. Pick out the elements you wish to draw. Pay special attention to the little things, the details of your subject. Example: Your violin is secondhand, smooth to the touch, familiar, aggravating, out of tune, surly, twangy, shrill, mellifluous, comforting, never out of your sight.

Task 3: Write

Find a quiet spot and start writing—now, don’t put it off. Most writers will tell you that the hardest part of their craft is simply applying “seat of pants to seat of chair.”

1. Write down your thoughts about your topic—even if you don’t think you have anything to say. Start with paragraphs of gibberish if you have to. Let the words come to you. As you write, let your imagination roam freely. Poetry is all about mood, feelings, and word pictures. Tip: Don’t get distracted by spelling, punctuation, or grammar. Right now your job is to have fun and be creative. Pay attention to the moods and feelings the words create, but don’t dwell on finding the perfect words. Get your thoughts and feelings down now, you can refine them later.

2. Rewrite your thoughts, this time breaking them into lines. Devote one line to each thought.

3. Relax! You’ve done it—you’ve written a poem. The hardest part is behind you. If you can spare the time, don’t even think about your poem for a day or two. This will help you approach the next step with a fresh eye.

Task 4: Rewrite

As any poet will tell you, rewriting is one of the most important parts of the creative writing process.

Read your poem, line by line. As you read each line, ask yourself:

What is the main point of this line?

Do I use vivid imagery to show my readers the main point, or am I simply telling it to them? If it’s the latter, rework the line to paint a visual picture.

How does the rhythm of the words sound? Are my lines fairly uniform in length and complexity? Shorten any unwieldy lines by simplifying them or breaking them into two lines.

Task 5: Final draft

You’re almost done.

1. Run a spell check on your poem.

2. Read your poem from start to finish, the same way your teacher will. Fix any grammar mistakes or other errors you find.

3. Once you’re satisfied your poem represents your best effort, get a second opinion. Ask a parent or other trusted person to read your piece with a critical eye and to give you feedback. Make any changes you think necessary.

4. Read your poem one last time to make sure you didn’t introduce any new errors.

5. Hand in your work. Congratulations!