Tips on writing poetry (Part 2) - by poet Tom Afford

For some, poetry spills out like water from a tap. It's an everyday activity, like brushing your teeth. For others it's a real struggle to find inspiration. To put pen to paper. But it can be easy at any stage to get stuck, lose drive. Read on for some tips to assist!

This is part 2 of a two part guide of my top tips for poetry. Link to part 1 at the end!

·?Rhyme - yay or nay?

Throughout much of its history, poetry has been subservient to rhyme. For some poets still, each and every line must scan just so and link to what went before religiously. More recently poets have reacted against that, trying to break free of?any?rhyme, avoiding it entirely. And I can empathise. But I think occasional rhyme can really help to bring your poetry together. Even if it's only fleeting or suggested. Even if it's imperfect. It can help cement the idea that the poem has been crafted. That it all links together. That it should be savoured. Tapping into the canon before. It forces the reader to re-examine the text a bit more carefully. To go back, reassess. Are there other links they've missed? For me a modicum of rhyme is a good thing. But perhaps only a hint.

·?Flow?

Consider this: does your poetry flow? By which I mean does it have an underlying sense of rhythm, direction. Do the words link together, tying things up, rounding things off. Do you at times break it, when meaning dictates that it's appropriate? Reading the words out loud can help things immensely. If your poem doesn't flow, if it stops and starts unintentionally, if certain words grate, chances are your readers won't warm to it as much. But it doesn't always need to be smooth. Hiatus might be deliberate. Play around; experiment.

·?Capture inspiration when it strikes

The idea of some poet dreaming, wandering around fields, composing poetry about flowers, might be painful for some. An effete, outdated idea. But the truth is inspiration can strike any time. You might wake in the night with an idea. Something you see might inspire you. Often it happens when you're relaxed, travelling, on a walk. Or when you're cooped up somewhere, hot and irate. The key is to record the ideas when they occur. It might be that putting a title's enough, which you later revisit and write out in full. Or carry a dictaphone to record things in private. Perhaps you can compose the whole thing on the hoof. Carry a notepad and pen, or have an app on your phone. For me, recording the title, the sense, then revisiting it later works well.

·?Daily routine

Make writing poetry a daily routine. Write poems every day. Ideally at the same time. Make it second nature. Find a pattern that works for you. Whether it's best in the morning or evening. Force yourself to work meeting a deadline. Just an hour. 30 minutes. Late afternoons work better for me when I'm starting to get tired. Make writing poetry a part of your day.

·?Read it out loud!

Most poetry is intended to be read out loud. Failing to do so, you can miss lots of nuance. Read it out loud to yourself. Get others to read your own poetry right back at you. It can help spot mistakes. You might make amends hearing things, spotting what doesn't work quite as you'd intended. The reader might have questions, comments about the subject, about its meaning. Make you rethink. Record yourself reciting it, then listen. What needs changing. What works well. Which words do you relish the sound of?

·?Edit, re-edit

There's real merit in leaving poetry a while. Leave it sat on a shelf, to get a sprinkling of dust, then return to it weeks later. You'll be amazed at what you've produced. Something that seemed forced at the time, might seem inspired. Something that initially amazed you, now rankles. Coming back to old poetry and re-editing is invaluable. Poetry which misses the mark might be rescued with just a few changes. A few deletions. You might spot repeated words, which you'd missed once before. Give yourself time to forget, and don't be afraid to chop and change. In particular, try and condense. Cut down long and rambling to short and punchy.?

·?Engage the reader

It seems obvious to say it, but you need to engage your readers. Shock them, frustrate, delight. Boo! Sex! Bang! So much contemporary poetry is abstract, very long winded, inaccessible, frankly quite boring! You might sigh and walk off. You have to grab your reader's attention and hold them. Drag them kicking and screaming right to the end, keeping their eyes on the page. There's room for long poetry, for complex forms and subjects. But you still have to engage. You can't just ramble?ad infinitum. Mix things up, surprise, disgust and delight. Keep your reader wanting to read more.

So voila. Part 2 of my top tips for writing poetry. Other blogs coming soon! Keep on poeting.

Link to part 1 here:

Link to part 2 here: