Download How to Write Good Poetry

How to Write Good Poetry
English 8
Voice Unit
What is Poetry?
Poetry
Prose
 Fewer words
 Contains rhyme / rhythm
 Often has deeper, hidden
 Writing goes until the end






meaning
Can be about universal themes
Can be about the small
moments in life
Line Breaks
Poetry is often meant to be read
out loud
Emphasis on figurative language



of the space
Many words
Have more “room” to make
your point
Rhyme / rhythm not
important
Breaks exist in the form of
sentences
Why Write Poetry?
 Poetry can be cool because:
 Every word matters and is carefully chosen
 Grammar and mechanics rules can (and are) broken
 You have a deeper meaning to express, which makes it
mysterious
 There’s a lot of room for creativity and self-expression.
 You can play with figurative language and imagery.
How to Write Good Poetry
 Choose your words carefully. They are all important and
have meaning.
 Line breaks:
 Poetry doesn’t go until the end of the page. As an author, you
choose to break the line sooner.
 Option 1: You break the line on an important word.
 “I love the hour before takeoff,
that stretch of no time, no home” - “Vacation”, Rita Dove
Line Breaks
 Poetry doesn’t go until the end of the page. As an author, you
choose to break the line sooner.
 Option 1: You break the line on an important word.
 “I love the hour before takeoff,
that stretch of no time, no home”
- “Vacation”, Rita Dove
 “I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,”
- “I, Too, Sing America”, Langston Hughes
Line Breaks, Cont’d.
 Option 2:
 You break the line to make the important word isolated.
 Ex: “a good poem is a hot turkey
sandwich when you’re
hungry,”
- “Defining the Magic”, Billy Collins
 Ex: “Happiness. It comes on
Unexpectedly.”
- “Happiness”, Raymond Carver
Line Breaks, Cont’d.
 Option 3:
 You break the line to create a certain pattern (like a rhyme):
 Ex: “There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.”
- “Where the Sidewalk Ends”, Shel Silverstein
Experimentation
 There is no right or wrong way to write a poem (except for
when you accidentally write prose).
 We will be experimenting with poetry and how to use poetry
to express certain types of figurative language.
 Your job is to keep an open mind and be willing to work and
rework a poem until it really speaks to you and to your
audience.
 Everyone can be a good poet!!