Poetry Tips

Poetry Writing Suggestions
Here are some notes from last year’s judges:
*Many students resort to 19th century models of poetry; it’s the 21st century already! Poems don’t have to rhyme, and they don’t have to be so “structured”.
* Good poetry incorporates: concrete language, complex imagery, and sensory details. Don’t write poetry about “love” or “hate” or “sadness”; this is a HUGE poetry faux pas! What is it about love or sadness you’re trying to convey? Find an everyday occurrence or object that can become a metaphor for what you’re trying to express, and use concrete – not abstract – language to express the idea.
* Try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary into your poems. Poetry is a compressed form of creative writing and an opportunity to expand one’s understanding and use of language.
* People often use poetry as “therapy” (i.e., letting their feelings erupt on the page). Many people, then, jump into writing poetry without having actually read any poems. Ask yourself: would you write a novel without reading novels? Try to read some poems before writing your own (see the links page for some poetry web links).
* What makes a good “technical” poem? Many persons submitted technical poems that we weren’t quite sure what they were talking about (some even included a paragraph of exposition before the poem even began). Please be aware that many technical subjects are not common knowledge. Try to convey the basic idea of the technical topic you’re talking about within the poem (e.g., a programming language). But don’t get too enthralled (or big-headed) about describing the technical topic (no one likes an arrogant academic with an inflated sense of self-importance about what they work with). This will help the judges, as well as passersby, fully appreciate the poem. Also remember that technical language can be used creatively. Have fun!

Here are some additional poetry writing tips:
Courtesy of John Hewitt at PoeWar.Com:
* A poem with “Love”, “Destiny”, or “Hate” in the title already has two strikes against it
* Don’t explain everything
* People will remember an image long after they’ve forgotten why it was there
* If you write a bad poem, at least you wrote
* There are many excuses not to write; try using writing as an excuse not to do other things
For more poetry tips, visit: http://www.poewar.com/archives/2004/10/24/poetry-writing-tips/
Courtesy of Lisa Cote:
* Narrow your focus
* Write around your theme
* Express ideas, not emotions
* Ditch the rhymes
* Edit your poems
For more poetry tips, visit: http://www.webcom.com/wordings/artofwrite/poetrytips.html

Some Suggestions on Form (if you’re stuck)
Note: you do not have to have a structured style for your poems
HAIKU
A Haiku is a short, three line poem from the oriental tradition. It is meant to be contemplative and in general usually deals with nature, the seasons, or meditative reflections as a topic. There are 17 syllables in a Haiku, with 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second, and 5 in the third.

Example: Wetlands Haiku
Nitrogen cycle
Cleansing purification
A swamp is heaven
By: Julie Graf, Masters Student in Natural Resources