Writing poetry is an amazing creative and emotional outlet. Are you looking to improve your poetry? Today we’re going to give you 10 tangible and easy-to-follow tips to improve your poetry.
10 Tips to Improve Your Poetry
Start By Familiarizing Yourself With The Basics of Poetry
Before any writing practice, work on becoming familiar with the key elements of poetry, such as rhyme, meter, and structure. By mastering these fundamental aspects, writers can establish a strong base for crafting compelling verses.
It’s essential to recognize the significance of conveying emotions and messages through the art of poetry, allowing words to evoke a profound impact on readers.
Turn To Other Writers for Inspiration
Poets can learn a lot from those who came before us. Read as much poetry as you can, and when you feel flat, read some of our favorite inspirational quotes about writing.
Read a Variety of Poetic Forms
Reading more poetry is a great way to improve your own poetry. Take it a step further by reading a variety of different types of poetry. This can help you understand the different forms of poetry and may help spark inspiration.
Explore a few of our favorite types of poetry:
Get Familiar with Poetic Terms
When you’re a poet, adding more tools to your toolbox (metaphorically, of course) is always a good thing. We’ve created a hand glossary of poetic terms that provides definitions for dozens of literary devices and terms that should help stir your creativity.
Explore Personification
Personification is a writing device that you can use to enhance a poem, regardless of the length. By giving human qualities to traditionally intimate things, you can reveal new and more interactive components of a poem to readers.
Looking for examples of personification? Explore our collection of poems about the moon for classic examples.
Add Sound to Your Poetry
Poetry is a unique genre of writing that can appeal to all of the senses. Using sound devices can literally bring a poem to life.
Sound devices can bring life to poetry, just as personification does. Additionally, sound doesn’t just refer to literal noise, but the way a person says a word or the way a line in a poem is structured. Playing with inflection can add a lot of emotion to a poem.
Practice Makes Perfect
Practice matters. You’ve probably heard that it takes one million tries to become an “expert” at something.
While it’s possible to be intrinsically gifted at writing poetry, that isn’t the case for most people. The more poetry you write, the better you’ll get at it. Plus, you’ll start to develop better writing habits and your own poetic style, which will make writing even more fun.
Forget “The Rules”
New writers, not just poets, often get so wrapped up in traditional poetry guidelines that it dampers their creativity.
If you want to improve your writing, forget the rules. Add an extra line to that sonnet. Get weird with your use of white space.
Let your brain do its thing and let inspiration have its way with you; when you let down your guard, you’ll write great poetry.
Join a Writing Community
This isn’t the movies where writers brood in dark and quiet coffee shops and spend all day writing. This is real life, so join a writing community and get inspired by other folks doing what you’re doing.
Whether you find a community in person, (like at a workshop or local arts center) or a group on Instagram, communities will inspire you to get writing and hold you accountable.
Related: Learn about growing your poetry Instagram profile here.
Seek and Provide Constructive Feedback
Poetry is a continual journey of growth, and constructive criticism plays a pivotal role in this process. Writers should actively seek feedback from peers and mentors, using it as a tool for refinement and improvement. Likewise, providing thoughtful feedback to fellow poets fosters a supportive community where everyone can flourish.
Learn more about revising your writing here.
Ready to Improve Your Poetry?
We hope you find our 10 tips helpful on your journey toward refining and improving your poetry. It can be a fun adventure to grow as a writer, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.
Totally new to poetry? Explore our guide to writing poetry for beginners.
Check out our submissions opportunities if you’ve written something awesome and read our past issues!