How to Write Poems - Poetry Unveiled

What cannot be told in a story can be told in poem, a poem can be short or long as it should be. The words however, have to be wisely chosen, it is not an anecdote but a short, rhythmic narration of words and phrases that dance in rhythm and melody.

A poem can be a powerful motivation; the power of pen can never be as powerful as in poetry.

Does the pitch and tone of voice matter?

A poem needs to be told differently, the tone of voice, the modulation of sound and harmonics matter. The sound waves have to be synchronous in perfect harmony. Believe it or not, the gestures, the expressions and the poet’s vocal cords matter a lot.

 Having said all that, let’s take a short tour to Best Books on Poetry, which you may love to read and present to your kids, friends and family.

There are many different types of poetry. Poetry can also be subdivided based on different parameters. Emotions could be one parameter, so you have Poetry for Darkness, Poetry for Love, and Poetry for Fun. Other parameter could be Language specific, you have Italian poetry, Spanish poetry and English poetry, the style of each language is different. Or the parameter could be Country specific, the culture manifests in such poetry for example, American and English poetry could have subtle differences, whereas Japanese and Chinese poetry composition could be entirely different.

English poetry has many forms. The poetry that has foundation in lyrics, rhyming words and rhythm is Sonnet, Ode and Elegy. In these poetries, all of the parameters viz, rich lyrics, rhyming words and rhythm may not be present together. One of them might be absent, but rhythm is important and has to be omnipresent while the flow has to be maintained throughout.

So, we understand that the rhythm and flow are the two important parameters of poetry. Such poetry requires a lot of imagination and richness of language. Poetry is nothing but the art of using language, articulation and formation of meaningful verses.

Majority of the poetry is the mastery of articulation, for example Ballad and Epic are examples of Narrative poetry, a form of storytelling. The Ballad and Epic might be less complicated to the form of poetry that depends on strong lyrics and richness of phrases. The Ballad need not be rhyming but the audience needs to be held together with the dramma and action. This is the soul and essence of Ballad and Epic poetries.

Some might argue that parody is also a form of poetry that is a manipulated version and humorous imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing. For example a popular parody could be the hilarious and burlesque imitation of a musical composition of Hamlet's soliloquy.

An articulate poet is brilliant with words and is control of the pace of his poetry. Consistent use of flowery words, rhyming phrases and penchant for a creative medley of words should be his Mantra. The poems should be inspiring, adorable and more than anything else addictive.

Perhaps, Sonnet and Haiku are most popular and talked about poetries. Sonnet and Haiku poetries are something that I would especially mentioning, listing and quoting about.  The famous English poet Shakespeare could use language fluently in brilliant ways to create Sonnet; much of his love potion is narrated in Sonnet which follows a metrical pattern invented by him.

Sonnet is one of the most popular poetry from Shakespeare. It uses the sonnet style that Shakespeare invented, 14 lines long with three quatrains made of four rhymed lines and a couplet made of a pair of rhymed lines. If you find it confusing, perhaps try to find a Sonnet and read it to understand better.

Haiku poetry is an oriental form of poetry originated from Japan, written by Basho, a genius of his time. Haiku poetry describes nature and emotions but with the Haiku structure. Haiku poetry involves the usage of three lines and seventeen syllables which are further segmented in five, seven, five structures.