Bush Poetry – Start the day with Poetry.

October 31, 2019

Writing poems: five things you need to know

1) Read so much poetry (and not only)

It goes without saying that an artist cannot disregard what happens around him . Unfortunately the great paradox of poetry is that all (or almost) write it and none (or almost) the law. I don’t believe in painters who never go to galleries, museums or exhibitions, or to directors who don’t go to the movies, or musicians who don’t go to concerts or don’t listen to records. In the same way whoever writes “poems” without reading them, perhaps with the chilling excuse of not wanting to be influenced, demonstrates an intellectual littleness and, let us notice, almost always writes trivial verses.

The more influences there are, the more our poetic style will have the chance to be original. And then poetry is free and primitive art: it doesn’t even need a tool or tool to be produced. Be free also in the sources from which to draw.

2) Read your poetry aloud

Sound and rhythm are fundamental elements of a poem. Reading our compositions in a loud voice we will be able to find imperfections and falls of tone and in addition we will improve in the vehicle of poetic disclosure par excellence: the oral transmission. I invite you to read in this regard ” by voice alt (r) a: the magic of reading “

Too often I attend readings that penalize texts that are instead very interesting.

By refining our “ear” for poetry , we will also inevitably improve our writing.

3) Eat and digest your poetry

The artist must have a physical and sensorial relationship with his work and poetry is no exception.A poetic work needs to be digested, to settle down . To declare a poem concluded, its re-reading must make us resonate with the lighting that made it start. Some (rare) times can be an instant sensation, when poetry gets out of the blue and does not need to be touched up, but most (I would say almost all) our poetic flow needs bridges, lugs, locks, in order to arrive in a more complete way to the sea of our and others’ emotions. Then let your text decant until you hear it “ring out” in you.

4) Don’t fall madly in love …

… of your sentences, of course. Often we do not want to be separated from a phrase or a word that seemed fantastic to us but that in the economy of poetry that is taking shape is perhaps too many.

The words look at you, they call you, they flatter you … keep a certain distance and independence. The reading of the article “the poetic style” can give other ideas

5) Confontarsi with other poets and with yourself

The last suggestion is linked to the first. Even if poetic creation is an extremely solitary act, sharing and comparison with other authors and / or with the public is fundamental for our artistic growth because it instantly gives us many answers about our work.

The basics of poetry

Writing in verse : The verse is the fundamental metric unit of poetry. Said in a “rough” way: every now and then you have to go to the head, otherwise you don’t write poetry but prose! However, it is not possible to head to case, because it is necessary to divide the verses with knowledge of the facts, based on one’s style and the metric adopted.
Metric : represents the set of rules to follow to write a poem. The metric can vary, assuming also a personal style: in that case we speak of free metrics. For example, if you write a sonnet it is essential to divide the work into a certain number of triplets and quatrains.
Language : this is something that many people do not know. Writing poetry does not mean composing works by speaking in common language. One of the substantial differences between poetry and prose is the presence of a different way of “talking”, for example with the use of rhetorical figures or rhymes. As already mentioned, it is not enough to wrap each time to define one’s own writings as poetry.
Grammar : with reference to the previous point, we must never exceed in what is commonly defined as “poetic license”. Remember that the rules of Italian grammar also apply to poetry. Therefore, avoid distorting words and verbs by deceiving yourself that you have given life to a sublime way of writing.
Punctuation : The use of punctuation is essential. Just move a comma or remove a point to completely change the rhythm and effectiveness of a verse . Punctuation is a very powerful weapon for communicating well, but it can also be lethal if misplaced: use it wisely.
Inspiration: write only if you feel inspired and look for a situation or place that really inspires you. Remember that poetry is humility and sensitivity. Avoid writing poetry directly on the computer in an attempt to “save time”: true poets write in the traditional way, living every word printed on paper!