Suggestions For Poets

“Show, don’t tell”. Poetry is first about image and then about emotion. A well-crafted image will create the desired response. Paint such a vivid picture with your words that your reader has no choice but to follow you: to envision your image and to make your emotion – your pain, hurt, loneliness, or joy – his/her own. It is my opinion that you should never tell your reader what you feel or believe or what he/she ought to feel or believe. Ought to doesn’t apply to feelings. Just as a poet owns his/her descriptions and feelings, a reader must be free to experience his/her emotions and draw his/her conclusions from what you write.

Never preach. Never say what ought to be said because you think people ought to hear it. Poets are not preachers. If you want to preach, write an essay. There is nothing poetic about sermonizing, and there is nothing wrong with writing an essay. Poetry is not morally superior or inferior to any other form of writing: It’s just different, especially in its emphasis. The purpose of poetry is to seek truth through imagery, not to vent (although many poems begin as rants). Poetry at its finest creates images that sing – with both truth and beauty – no matter the subjects. Let the words in a poem dictate where you go. If you say something you did not intend to say, so what?

Find your own voice. Write poems that only you (with your personal experience and way of looking at things) could write. Sometimes poems begin in a generic manner, but they should become more specific in revision. Never use clichés unless you are quoting someone. Believable dialog is filled with clichés, because people talk that way, but a poet should use original metaphors and similes that make sense. If they don’t, take them out. Every poem should contain a bit of mystery. It is fine if the reader doesn’t fully understand what something means, but it is not fine to say something that is just plain weird. You are not responsible for the size of your reader’s vocabulary or for telling your reader all of your life’s experiences. Tell what you want to tell when you want to tell it. Ignore suggestions that don’t work for you. I am writing suggestions right now, but I admit there are times when even “the rules” can be broken. A poet is, after all, an artist. But even artists use correct grammar. One has to know the rules first before intentionally breaking them for the sake of art, not in ignorance.

Listen for the music in the words you choose. Since the voice is an instrument, all human speech creates musical patterns. Poetry exaggerates this quality. Rhythm is part, but not all, of this music. I left-justify all of my poems, because I am better able to see how long it takes my eyes to go from one line to the next when I read a poem, when they are arranged that way. This is a personal choice. Many fine poets center their lines. But be careful you aren’t centering your lines only because you like the way it looks. Traditionally, poetry is meant to be heard— that is, read aloud. How poetry sounds often matters more than how it looks, except on greeting cards. I am still uncomfortable when one line is much longer than the others, yet I want to stop revising in ways that continue to value the eye over the ear.

Be careful when you use rhyme. Forced rhyme allows writers to say stupid things or things that just aren’t true. That is due to the limited number of words that rhyme with a given word. I think knowing this explains, at least in part, why so many modern poets write free verse. Slant rhyme (where the rhyming words appear in different positions in the lines, rather than at the end) is interesting, especially if used sparingly. Even so, free verse is not superior to more traditional poetic forms. A poet who writes in forms, such as sonnets, must realize, of course, that a different set of rules will dictate his/her choices.

Showcase your vocabulary in appropriate places. It is not your responsibility to limit your word choice to your reader’s vocabulary, unless you are writing for children. It is fine if your reader needs to use a dictionary. But, in poetry, less is usually more. Choose the right word, not more words. This is especially important when selecting adjectives, because writers tend to overuse them. When revising, pick strong verbs, a few appropriate adjectives, and even fewer adverbs. Use any noun that you know, even if your readers will not recognize it. Have fun! So no one’s heard of the Whitmunger River! What’s wrong with inventing a river? And is anyone truly confused? Do write for yourself first, but be aware that if your readers can’t follow what you’re saying, they will read something else.

Revise. Revise. Revise. Revise. Revision is really the most rewarding part of writing. A poet’s work is never done. Play with words to see what effects different ones produce. Sometimes you will be amazed at what you have said. At times, it is better than you thought it would be. Try using onomatopoeia, consonance, or assonance devices. It is all right to revise any poem you have written, including those that have been published. If you can improve your poem, improve it. After all, you own it.

first published in The Centrifugal Eye