Writing poetry is a pure and personal way to satisfy creative urges. No one can say that a person’s poem is written in the “wrong” way, but there are a few tips that could help one to write stronger poetry.

Many people write poetry for themselves and not for a greater audience, in which case the following suggestions may not matter. However, for those who would like to write stronger poems, these four writing poetry tips may be kept in mind.

1. Grammar and Punctuation: Grammar and punctuation do not have to be followed as closely as in other modes of writing—much freedom is allowed in poetry. Also, poems can consist of stanzas, or not (like paragraphs, but not indented). While the rules are not strict, one must be consistent. The number of lines in each stanza, capitalizing lines (or not), rhyming (or not) should be uniform throughout.

Example:

“The free bird leaps
on the back of the win
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.”

-From: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou

2. Rhyme: One may choose to rhyme or not when writing poetry. However, it is better to rhyme when writing poetry for children. When written in this way, it is easier for the children to memorize the poem and they will be able to follow the words as they are reciting it. This will help them learn to read.

3. Pick A Topic: The writer should have a topic in mind as the poem is written. Then the writer may go with the flow as he keeps coming back to the main idea. This will allow one’s writing to flow and make a point at the same time. For instance, in Maya Angelou’s poem above, she focuses on the image of a bird while taking the reader on a journey through her beautiful language.

4. Be Yourself: A person may idolize other poets, but she must remember that poetry should be unique to the author—“be yourself” is a good adage to live by. A poet is loved for his style and for the topics he writes about. At the same time, a poet writes for himself and does not worry about what others think.

The four reminders above may be simple, but they will aide one in the art of writing poetry. The writing must be consistent, can rhyme or not, should stay on topic and, most importantly, must be unique to the author. Poetry is beautiful in creativity and in style. Each person who chooses to write poetry opens a window into the mind for readers.

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Jen received her master's degree in Literacy Education in 2003 and since then has worked on helping to grow awareness about children's literacy and writing. Jen has 7 post(s) at Free Writing Center