Making Poetry An Art

[Storyteller.]

Making Poetry An Art
By Holly (Algernon)

1. Write as though you are appealing to the five senses. Taste, touch, smell, sight, and hearing. This is a great way to convey to the reader the very essence of your poetry. People understand when you are directing your words to their "vulnerable" zones. When you are speaking to your lover, you try and use words to describe how they taste and how they look. It's alluring. The same goes for poetry. If you can seduce someone with your words, they will want more, and enjoy your writing.

2. Try and bring words together by using adjectives, less facts, and contractions. Example: "You have hurt me a lot because now I see that you really do not love me." Rephrased: "You've pained me due to the hollow absence of your promise of love." Do you see? Description is key. Less facts. Poetry is about expression. Before you shape your poem at the end, type/write it out in a paragraph form. If the paragraph works, your poetry is just a paragraph broken up. There are no rules to poetry, It doesn't have to be formed just right. Break it up, have fun.

3. Put your soul inside your written words. I'm not a fan of angst poetry. It's okay to have some sad, teenage tragedies in your poetry, but the best poems are written from the soul. For example, "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" was a song sung by slaves, when they would work all day, and sing from the bottom of their soul. Similarly, Edgar Allen Poe's poetry is sad, but he still has part of his soul in his written works. Know what I'm saying? This is the most important part of poetry; pour your soul into your poems.

4. Shape your poem. Give your poem a unique shape. For example, if you are writing about a rose, organise your lines in the shape of a rose, to give your poem a more professional look. Then, write your poem out on some nice paper, frame it, and hang it up. Your words are valuable, and keeping them is worth it. Honour your work.