Writing poetry requires you to pay attention to circumstances, both in your mind and around you. You can write a poem about anything, from love and loss to a rusty fence on an old plantation. Writing poetry can be a “scary” thing, especially if you don't feel creative or able to come up with poetic ideas. However, with the right inspiration and approach, you can write a poem that you can proudly share with your class and friends.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Starting a Poetry
Step 1. Try practicing writing
Poetry can start with a stanza, a line or two that just pops up, or an image that can't be erased from your mind. You can find poetry inspiration by practicing writing and paying attention to your surroundings. After getting inspired, you can shape and print your thoughts into poetry.
- For example, you can use help materials (writing prompts) for free writing. You can use lines or images from your freewriting as inspiration for your poem. Try using existing help materials or creating your own.
- You can try brainstorming techniques, such as mapping and listing images or ideas. Techniques like these can help you find inspiration for your poetry.
Step 2. Get inspired by your surroundings and the people around you
You can also get inspired by walking around your house or visiting your favorite places in town. You can observe people sitting on park benches or strolling in the square, then use the moments you observe as inspiration for your poetry.
Try writing a poem about an important person in your life, such as your mother or best friend. You can "use" the person as inspiration for your poem and broaden the picture of his character or nature as an individual
Step 3. Choose a specific theme or topic
You can start writing poetry by focusing on a specific theme or picture that you find interesting or captivating. By focusing on a particular theme or topic, you can set a clearer goal for your poem. This will make it easier for you to narrow down the images and descriptions that will be used later in the poem.
- For example, you might want to write a poem about “love and friendship”. You can think about the special moments in your life when you felt love and friendship, and how you would describe love and friendship based on your relationships with other people.
- Try to think specifically when choosing a theme or topic to make your poem clear and unambiguous. For example, instead of choosing “losing” as a more general theme, choose a more specific theme, such as “losing a child” or “losing a friend”.
Step 4. Select the desired form of poetry
Try to be creative by choosing the desired form of poetry. There are various forms of poetry that can be used, ranging from free verse, sonnets, to distikon (two-strand poetry). You can choose a form of poetry that is easier to use, such as free verse, or a more challenging form, such as a sonnet. Choose one form of poetry and stick to the structure of the poem so that readers can see the unity of the poem.
- You can try short forms of poetry, such as haiku, quints (cinquain or five-strand poems), or concrete poetry. After that, you can play around with the structure and enjoy the challenges of the poetic form.
- If you want to write a funny poem, you can choose a lighter and more interesting form, such as a limeric form. For a more dramatic and romantic poem, you can try a more lyrical form of poetry, such as sonnets, ballads, or distikon (two-strand poems).
Step 5. Read the sample poems
To get a clearer picture of what other poets wrote, you can read examples of poetry. Try reading poems written in the same form, or poems on a theme or topic that you find interesting. You can also read well-known and considered “classic” poems to get a clearer picture of this literary genre. For example, you could read:
- "I" by Chairil Anwar
- “June Rain” by Sapardi Djoko Damono
- “But” by Sutardji Calzoum Bachri
- “A Soldier's Prayer Before the War” by W. S Rendra
- “Rain Magic” by Sapardi Djoko Damono
- "Flowers" by Taufik Ismail
- "Dawn" by Asrul Sani
Part 2 of 3: Writing Poetry
Step 1. Use concrete imagery
Avoid abstract imagery and choose concrete descriptions to describe people, places, and objects in the poem. You should also try to explain something using the five senses: smell, taste, touch, sight and hearing. The use of concrete imagery can immerse the reader in the world of your poetry and create a more “live” image.
For example, instead of describing feelings or images in abstract words, use more concrete words. Instead of simply saying, “I'm so excited”, you can use concrete words to create a clearer picture, such as, “My spirit is burning, burning in the dark.”
Step 2. Use literary tools
Devices (in this case, figure of speech) such as metaphors and similes add variety and depth of meaning to poetry. Using tools like this can make your poem stand out and allow you to offer a more detailed picture for readers. Try using literary tools in your poetry and using different tools so that you don't just use metaphors or similes in the poetry writing process.
- Metaphor is a figure of speech that compares one subject/object with another subject/object in a different or "surprising" way. For example, “I am a bird in a golden cage.”
- Simile is a figure of speech that compares one subject/object with another subject/object which is marked by the word “like” or “like”. For example, “She is like a rainbow in the night” or “A woman's heart is like a deep sea of secrets.”
- You can also use other literary tools such as personification. With this figure of speech, you can describe objects or ideas using human traits or characters. For example, "Dancing palm trees on the beach" or "The wind is screaming, calling your name."
Step 3. Make the writing comfortable to hear
Poetry is written to be read so you need to write poetry and focus on the appropriateness or beauty of the poem when heard. When you write something that is comfortable to hear, you can play with the structure of the poem and the choice of words. Notice how each line of the poem “flows” into the next line, and the placement of words after another can create a sound or rhyme in the poem.
For example, you can pay attention to the comparison between the words "tough" and "steadfast". The word "tough" has the final syllable "ar" which sounds sharper and rhymes. Meanwhile, the word "steadfast" has the final syllable "ah". Both have more or less the same meaning, but the sound of the final syllable in the word "steadfast" sounds softer so that apart from its literal meaning, the word "steadfast" seems to reflect the element of warmth in one's strength
Step 4. Avoid cliches
Poetry will sound more “powerful if you can avoid clichés (in this case, phrases that seem too familiar to mean “lost”). Choose a more creative description and imagery for your poem so that readers will be surprised and interested in your writing. If you feel that a certain phrase or image seems too familiar to the reader, replace it with a more unique phrase or image.
For example, you might notice the use of the cliché “He is always busy, like a bee flies back and forth” to describe a person in poetry. You can replace it with a more unique sentence/phrase, such as "His feet are always stepping, pacing tirelessly" or "Running him down the hall, with slightly hollow steps."
Part 3 of 3: Beautify Poetry
Step 1. Read the poem aloud
After you have finished your draft of the poem, you need to read it aloud to yourself. Pay attention to the sound of the words being read. Also pay attention to the flow from one line to the next. Keep a pen nearby so you can easily mark lines or words that sound silly or messy.
You can also read poetry aloud to other people, such as friends, family, or spouse. Ask them to respond to your poem after hearing it the first time and notice if they seem confused or don't understand a certain phrase or line
Step 2. Get feedback from other people
You can also share your poetry with other poets to get feedback and improve it. You can join a poetry writing group so you can present your work to other writers and improve it together. You can also take poetry writing classes so you can work with coaches and other great poets to improve your writing. After that, you can consider the feedback received from others and use it as a guide for revising your poem later.
Step 3. Revise your poem
After getting feedback, you need to revise your poem until it sounds better. Take advantage of other people's feedback or suggestions to eliminate lines that you feel are confusing or unclear. Show the “grace” to remove things you like and not keep lines that sound pretty, just because you want to include them in the poem (regardless of meaning or ambiguity). Make sure each line of the poem can describe the purpose, theme, or main topic raised in the poem.
