How to Write a Poem

Learning how to write a poem requires two things: a love of languageand a need for language to communicate more than it currently does. If this describes youyou’re in the right place to learn poetry. 

This article is an in-depth introduction on how to write a poem. We first answer the question“What is poetry?” We then discuss the literary elements of poetryand showcase some different approaches to the writing process—including our own seven-step process on how to write a poem step by step.

Sohow do you write a poem? Let’s start with what poetry is.

What Poetry Is

It’s important to know what poetry is—and isn’t—before we discuss how to write a poem. The following quote defines poetry nicely:

“Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful.”
—Former US Poet Laureate Rita Dove

Poetry Conveys Feeling

People sometimes imagine poetry as stuffyabstractand difficult to understand. Some poetry may be this waybut in realitypoetry isn’t about being obscure or confusing. Poetry is a lyricalemotive method of self-expressionand poets simply use the elements of poetry to highlight feelings and ideas.

A poem should make the reader feel something.

In other wordsa poem should make the reader feel something—not by telling them what to feelbut by evoking feeling directly.

Here’s a contemporary poem thatdespite its simplicity (or perhaps because of its simplicity)conveys heartfelt emotion.

Poetry is Language at its Richest and Most Condensed

Unlike longer prose writing (such as a short storymemoiror novel)poetry needs to impact the reader in the richest and most condensed way possible. Here’s a famous quote that enforces that distinction:

“Prose: words in their best order; poetry: the best words in the best order.”
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge

So poetry isn’t the place to be filling in long backstories or doing leisurely scene-setting. In poetryevery single word carries maximum impact.

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Poetry Uses Unique Elements

Poetry is not like other kinds of writing: it has its own unique formstoolsand principles. Togetherthese elements of poetry help it to powerfully impact the reader in only a few words.

The elements of poetry help it to powerfully impact the reader in only a few words.

Most poetry is written in verserather than prose. This means that it uses line breaksalongside rhythm or meterto convey something to the reader. Rather than letting the text break at the end of the page (as prose does)verse emphasizes language through line breaks.

Poetry further accentuates its use of language through rhyme and meter. Poetry has a heightened emphasis on the musicality of language itself: its sounds and rhythmsand the feelings they carry.

These devices—rhymemeterand line breaks—are just a few of the essential elements of poetry. Let’s take a deeper look at themas they’re essential to learning how to write a poem. 

More About What Poetry Is

Learn more about what poetry is (and define it for yourself!) here:

https://writers.com/what-is-poetry

Understanding the Elements of Poetry

As we explore how to write a poemthese three major literary elements of poetry should sit in the back of your mind:

1. Rhythm (SoundRhymeand Meter)
2. Form
3. Literary Devices

1. Elements of Poetry: Rhythm

“Rhythm” refers to the lyricalsonic qualities of the poem. How does the poem move and breathe; how does it feel on the tongue?

Traditionallypoets relied on rhyme and meter to accomplish a rhythmically sound poem. Free verse poems—which are poems that don’t require a specific lengthrhyme schemeor meter—only became popular in the West in the 20th centuryso while rhyme and meter aren’t requirements of modern poetrythey are required of certain poetry forms.

Sound

Poetry is capable of evoking certain emotions based solely on the sounds it uses. Words can sound sinisterpercussivefluidcheerfuldouror any other noise/emotion in the complex tapestry of human feeling.

Takefor examplethis excerpt from the poem “Beat! Beat! Drums!” by Walt Whitman:

Red — “b” sounds

Blue — “th” sounds

Green — “w” and “ew” sounds

Purple — “s” sounds

Orange — “d” and “t” sounds

This poem has a lot of percussivedisruptive sounds that reinforce the beating of the drums. The “b,” “d,” “w,” and “t” sounds resemble these drum beatswhile the “th” and “s” sounds are sneakierpenetrating a deeper part of the ear. The cacophony of this excerpt might not sound “lyrical,” but it does manage to command your attentionmuch like drums beating through a city might sound.

To learn more about consonance and assonanceeuphony and cacophonyonomatopoeiaand the other uses of soundtake a look at our article “12 Literary Devices in Poetry.”

https://writers.com/literary-devices-in-poetry

Rhyme

It would be a crime if you weren’t primed on the ins and outs of rhymes. “Rhyme” refers to words that have similar pronunciationslike this set of words: soundhoundbrownedpoundfoundaround.

Many poets assume that their poetry has to rhymeand it’s true that some poems require a complex rhyme scheme. Howeverrhyme isn’t nearly as important to poetry as it used to be. Most traditional poetry forms—sonnetsvillanellesrimes royaletc.—rely on rhymebut contemporary poetry has largely strayed from the strict rhyme schemes of yesterday.

There are three types of rhymes:

• Homophony: Homophones are words that are spelled differently but sound the samelike “tail” and “tale.” (Homophones often lead to commonly misspelled words.)

• Perfect Rhyme: Perfect rhymes are word pairs that are identical in sound except for one minor difference. Examples include “slant and pant,” “great and fate,” and “shower and power.”

• Slant Rhyme: Slant rhymes are word pairs that use the same soundsbut their final vowels have different pronunciations. For example“abut” and “about” are nearly-identical in soundbut are pronounced differently enough that they don’t completely rhyme. This is also known as an oblique rhyme or imperfect rhyme.

Meter

Meter refers to the stress patterns of words. Certain poetry forms require that the words in the poem follow a certain stress patternmeaning some syllables are stressed and others are unstressed.

What is “stressed” and “unstressed”? A stressed syllable is the sound that you emphasize in a word. The bolded syllables in the following words are stressedand the unbolded syllables are unstressed:

• Un•stressed
• Plat•i•tud•i•nous
• De•act•i•vate
• Con•sti•tu•tion•al

The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables is important to traditional poetry forms. This chartcopied from our article on form in poetrysummarizes the different stress patterns of poetry.

Learn more about meter here:

Understanding Rhythm and Meter in Poetry

2. Elements of Poetry: Form

“Form” refers to the structure of the poem. Is the poem a sonneta villanellea free verse piecea slam poema contrapuntala ghazala blackout poemor something new and experimental?

Form also refers to the line breaks and stanza breaks in a poem. Unlike prosewhere the end of the page decides the line breakspoets have control over when one line ends and a new one begins. The words that begin and end each line will emphasize the soundsimagesand ideas that are important to the poet.

All poems are a negotiation between form and languagebetween restraint and release. The more you explore the forms and possibilities of poetrythe more you can communicate complex ideas in different ways. 

Form is no easy topic to summarizebut it’s essential to practice with as you learn how to write a poem. To learn more about rhymemeterand poetry formsread our full article on the topic:

https://writers.com/what-is-form-in-poetry

3. Elements of Poetry: Literary Devices

“Poetry: the best words in the best order.” — Samuel Taylor Coleridge

How does poetry express complex ideas in conciselyrical language? Literary devices—like metaphorsymbolismjuxtapositionironyand hyperbole—help make poetry possible. They express complex ideas conciselyand they help readers see the world in newstrangeand powerful ways. 

Like formthe study of literary devices is essential to learning how to write a poembut there are also far too many to include in this article. Learn how to write and master literary devices here:

https://writers.com/common-literary-devices

How to Write a Poemin 7 Steps

To condense the elements of poetry into an actual poemwe’re going to follow a seven-step approach. Howeverit’s important to know that every poet’s process is different. While the steps presented here are a logical path to get from idea to finished poemthey’re not the only tried-and-true method of poetry writing. Poets can—and should!—modify these steps and generate their own writing process.

Nonethelessif you’re new to writing poetry or want to explore a different writing processtry your hand at our approach. Here’s how to write a poem step by step!

1. Devise a Topic

The easiest way to start writing a poem is to begin with a topic.

Howeverdevising a topic is often the hardest part. What should your poem be about? And where can you find ideas?

Here are a few places to search for inspiration:

• Other Works of Literature: Poetry doesn’t exist in a vacuum—it’s part of a larger literary tapestryand can absolutely be influenced by other works. For exampleread “The Golden Shovel” by Terrance Hayesa poem that was inspired by Gwendolyn Brooks’ “We Real Cool.”
• Real-World Events: Poetryespecially contemporary poetryhas the power to convey new and transformative ideas about the world. Take the poem “A Cigarette” by Ilya Kaminskywhich finds community in a warzone like the eye of a hurricane.
• Your Life: What would poetry be if not a form of memoir? Many contemporary poets have documented their lives in verse. Take Sylvia Plath’s poem “Full Fathom Five”—a daring poem for its timeas few writers so boldly criticized their family as Plath did.
• The Everyday and Mundane: Poetry isn’t just about bigearth-shattering events: much can be said about mundane eventstoo. Take “Ode to Shea Butter” by Angel Nafisa poem that celebrates the beautiful “everydayness” of moisturizing.
• Nature: The Earth has always been a source of inspiration for poetsboth today and in antiquity. Take “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliverwhich finds meaning in nature’s quiet rituals.
• Writing Exercises: Prompts and exercises can help spark your creativityeven if the poem you write has nothing to do with the prompt! Here’s 24 writing exercises to get you startedand some poetry prompts that might help youtoo.

2. Journal

At this pointyou’ve got a topic for your poem. Maybe it’s a topic you’re passionate aboutand the words pour from your pen and align themselves into a perfect sonnet! It’s not impossible—most poets have a couple of poems that seemed to write themselves.

Howeverit’s far more likely you’re searching for the words to talk about this topic. This is where journaling comes in.

Sit in front of a blank piece of paperwith nothing but the topic written on the top. Set a timer for 15-30 minutes and put down all of your thoughts related to the topic. Don’t stop and think for too longand try not to obsess over finding the right words: what matters here is emotionthe way your subconscious grapples with the topic.

At the end of this journaling sessiongo back through everything you wroteand highlight whatever seems important to you: well-written phrasespoignant moments of emotioneven specific words that you want to use in your poem.

Journaling is a low-risk way of exploring your topic without feeling pressured to make it sound poetic. “Sounding poetic” will only leave you with empty language: your journal allows you to speak from the heart. Everything you need for your poem is already inside of youthe journaling process just helps bring it out!

Learn more about keeping a daily journal here:

How to Start Journaling: Practical Advice on How to Journal Daily

3. Think About Form

As one of the elements of poetryform plays a crucial role in how the poem is both written and read. Have you ever wanted to write a sestina? How about a contrapuntalor a double cinquainor a series of tanka? Your poem can take a multitude of formsincluding the beautifully unstructured free verse form; while form can be decided in the process of revising and editingit doesn’t hurt to think about it now.

4. Write the First Line

After a productive journaling sessionyou’ll be much more acquainted with the state of your heart. You might have a line in your journal that you really want to begin withor you might want to start fresh and refer back to your journal when you need to! Either wayit’s time to begin.

What should the first line of your poem be? There are no strict rules of poetry here—you don’t have to start your poem with a certain image or literary device. Howeverhere’s a few ways that poets often begin their work:

• Set the Scene: Poetry can tell stories just like prose does. Anne Carson does just this in her poem “Lines,” situating the scene in a conversation with the speaker’s mother.
• Start at the Conflict: Right awaytell the reader where it hurts most. Margaret Atwood does this in “Ghost Cat,” a poem about aging.
• Start With a Contradiction: Juxtaposition and contrast are two powerful tools in the poet’s toolkit. Joan Larkin’s poem “Want” begins and ends with these devices. Carlos Gimenez Smith also begins his poem “Entanglement” with a juxtaposition.
• Start With Your Title: Some poets will use the title as their first linelike Ron Padgett’s poem “Ladies and Gentlemen in Outer Space.”

There are many other ways to begin poemsso play around with different literary devicesand when you’re stuckturn to other poetry for inspiration. You can learn more about starting a poem here: 

How to Start a Poem (When You Don’t Know Where to Start)

5. Develop Ideas and Devices

You might not know where your poem is going until you finish writing it. In the meantimestick to your literary devices. Avoid using too many abstract nouns. Additionallydevelop striking imagesuse metaphors and similes to strike interesting comparisonsand above allspeak from the heart.

6. Write the Closing Line

Some poems end “full circle,” meaning that the images the poet used in the beginning are reintroduced at the end. Gwendolyn Brooks does this in her poem “my dreamsmy workmust wait till after hell.”

Yetmany poets don’t realize what their poems are about until they write the ending line. Poetry is a search for truthespecially the hard truths that aren’t easily explained in casual speech. Your poemtoomight not be finished until it comes across a necessary truthso write until you strike the heart of what you feeland the poem will come to its own conclusion.

7. EditEditEdit!

Do you have a working first draft of your poem? Congratulations! Getting your feelings onto the page is a feat in itself.

Yetno guide on how to write a poem is complete without a note on editing. If you plan on sharing or publishing your workor if you simply want to edit your poem to near-perfectionkeep these tips in mind.

• Adjectives and Adverbs: Use these parts of speech sparingly. Most imagery shouldn’t rely on adjectives and adverbsbecause the image should be striking and vivid on its ownwithout too much help from excess language.
• Concrete Line Breaks: Line breaks help emphasize important wordsmaking certain images and themes clearer to the reader. As a general rulemost of your lines should start and end with concrete words—nouns and verbs especially.
• Stanza Breaks: Stanzas are like paragraphs to poetry. A stanza can develop a new ideacontrast an existing ideaor signal a transition in the poem’s tone. Make sure each stanza clearly stands for something as a unit of the poem.
• Mixed Metaphors: A mixed metaphor is when two metaphors occupy the same ideamaking the poem unnecessarily difficult to understand. Here’s an example of a mixed metaphor: “a watched clock never boils.” The meaning can be discernedbut the image remains unclear. Be wary of mixed metaphors—though some poets (like Shakespeare) make them workthey’re tricky and often disruptive.
• Abstractions: Above allavoid using excessively abstract language. It’s fine to use the word “love” 2 or 3 times in a poembut don’t use it twice in every stanza. Let the imagery in your poem express your feelings and ideasand only use abstractions as brief connective tissue in otherwise-concrete writing.

Lastlydon’t feel pressured to “do something” with your poem. Not all poems need to be shared and edited. Poetry doesn’t have to be “good,” either—it can simply be a statement of emotions by the poetfor the poet. Publishing is an admirable goalbut alsogive yourself permission to write bad poemsunedited poemsabstract poemsand poems with an audience of one. Write for yourself—editing is for the other readers.

How to Write a Poem: Different Approaches and Philosophies

Poetry is the oldest literary formpre-dating prosetheaterand the written word itself. As suchthere are many different schools of thought when it comes to writing poetry. You might be wondering how to write a poem through different methods and approaches. Here are four philosophies to get you started.

How to Write a Poem: Poetry as Emotion

If you asked a Romantic Poet “what is poetry?”they would tell you that poetry is the spontaneous emotion of the soul.

The Romantic Era viewed poetry as an extension of human emotion—a way of perceiving the world through unbridled creativitycentered around the human soul. While many Romantic poets used traditional forms in their poetrythe Romantics weren’t afraid to break from traditioneither.

To write like a Romanticfeel—and feel intensely. The words will follow the emotionsas long as a blank page sits in front of you.

How to Write a Poem: Poetry as Stream of Consciousness

If you asked a Modernist poet“What is poetry?” they would tell you that poetry is the search for complex truths.

Modernist Poets were keen on the use of poetry as a window into the mind. A common technique of the time was “Stream of Consciousness,” which is unfiltered writing that flows directly from the poet’s inner dialogue. By tapping into one’s subconsciousthe poet might uncover deeper truths and emotions they were initially unaware of.

Depending on who you are as a writerStream of Consciousness can be tricky to masterbut this guide covers the basics of how to write using this technique.

How to Write a Poem: Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a practice of documenting the mindrather than trying to control or edit what it produces. This practice was popularized by the Beat Poetswho in turn were inspired by Eastern philosophies and Buddhist teachings. If you asked a Beat Poet “what is poetry?”they would tell you that poetry is the human consciousnessunadulterated.

To learn more about the art of leaving your mind alonetake a look at our guide on Mindfulnessfrom instructor Marc Olmsted.

https://writers.com/mindful-writing

How to Write a Poem: The “After” Poem

Did another poem really inspire you? Do you want to write a poem like that oneor borrow a technique that poet used? Poets are borrowing from each other all the time—but the key word is “borrow,” as they don’t steal or plagiarize. 

Other poetry is a great way to create doorways into your own work. You will also expand your poetic toolkit by experimenting with different s and voices. If you want to write a poem that builds upon the work of anotherwrite an “after” poem—a poem that is written “after” the poet that inspired you. Other poetry is a great way to search for inspiration. An example of an “after” poem is Ocean Vuong’s poem “Someday I’ll Love Ocean Vuong”which is “after” Roger Reeves and Frank O’Hara. (O’Hara has a poem in which he says “someday I’ll love Frank O’Hara.”

Be sure you also know how to read poetry like a poet. 

How to Write a Poem: Poem as Camera Lens

Many contemporary poets use poetry as a camera lensdocumenting global events and commenting on both politics and injustice. If you find yourself itching to write poetry about the modern daypress your thumb against the pulse of the world and write what you feel.

Additionallycheck out these two essays by Electric Literature on the politics of poetry:

• What Can Poetry Do That Politics Can’t?
• Why All Poems Are Political (TL;DR: Poetry is an urgent expression of freedom).

OkayI Know How to Write a Poem. What Next?

Poetrylike all art formstakes practice and dedication. You might write a poem you enjoy nowand think it’s awfully written 3 years from now; you might also write some of your best work after reading this guide. Poetry is ficklebut the pen lasts foreverso write poems as long as you can!

Once you understand how to write a poemand after you’ve drafted some pieces that you’re proud of and ready to sharehere are some next steps you can take.

Publish in Literary Journals

Want to see your name in print? These literary journals house some of the best poetry being published today.

https://writers.com/best-places-submit-poetry-online

Assemble and Publish a Manuscript

A poem can tell a story. So can a collection of poems. If you’re interested in publishing a poetry booklearn how to compose and format one here:

https://writers.com/poetry-manuscript-format

How to Write a Poem: Join a Writing Community

Writers.com is an online community of writersand we’d love it if you shared your poetry with us! Join us on Facebook and check out our upcoming poetry courses.

Poetry doesn’t exist in a vacuumit exists to educate and uplift society. The world is waiting for your voiceso find a group and share your work!