Poetry is one of the most versatile types of writing, and that’s why I enjoy it so much. It’s great for both beginning and seasoned writers because of how flexible it is, although sometimes poetry can be a little intimidating. If the idea of writing poetry scares you, here’s a guide to choosing what kinds of poetry you should write!
Structure vs. Freedom
If you prefer to have more structure in your writing, try a structured poetry style. Popular poetry styles with predetermined forms are limericks, sonnets, haikus, and epics. While many people find poetry intimidating because of the strict forms of some of the styles, conforming to a structure can actually make it easier to know where to start.
If you prefer freedom, try free verse poetry. A lot of people don’t respect free verse—they see it as the “cheap” or “lazy” way to write poetry. However, what many don’t notice or appreciate is that good free verse has a rhythm, too; it just isn’t predetermined. Words don’t need to rhyme for a piece to have good rhythm, so free verse relies heavily on the latter. Free verse gives poets the freedom to convey what they want to without feeling the need to “reach” for a rhyme or certain pattern.
Traditional vs. Unique
If you’re more of a traditional person, I recommend formatting your poem in a widely recognized way: single-spaced, clear divides between stanzas, the first letter of each line capitalized.
If you want to make sure your poem looks unique, I recommend playing with the formatting! For instance, I write a lot of poetry with no capital letters or punctuation, which changes its tone even when it isn’t being read aloud.
Light-Hearted vs. Serious
If you enjoy writing works that are cheerful and light-hearted, I recommend picking a fun topic and then writing down a list of words that will help you maintain the tone you’re looking for. For instance, if I were to write a poem about a butterfly sitting on a flower, my list might look something like:
Brilliant
Vibrant
Fluttering
Dancing
Breeze
And so on.
If you enjoy writing works that are more serious or chilling, I would recommend doing the same exercise; only this time, look for words that would be useful in maintaining a more serious tone. For instance, if I were to write a poem about betrayal, my list might look something like:
Forgotten
Slithering
Sunken
Fury
Despair
And so on.
If you haven’t given poetry a shot — or you haven’t written it in a while — I hope this guide inspires you to get started on a new project! Now, get out there and write!