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.