In the world of writing, there are many different types and styles. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, graphic, verse novels, etc. The list can go on and on. The key is to find the type of writing that interests you. This means trying new genres and styles.
Today, I want you to explore poetry. It is National Poetry Month after all. If you’ve never written poetry before, it’s okay. This is a first draft. They’re meant to be messy and imperfect. It’s how we learn.
First, I want you to read a few poems. I recommend Mary Oliver, Emily Dickinson, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, but feel free to choose any poet that sparks your interest. You can find poems by each of these writers online. Read them out loud, study their work. Look at their word choices, the way it flows, the melody of the poem. As writers, we need to be great readers. It’s how we learn and study. It’s how we improve.
Next, I’m going to give you a prompt and I want you to write a poem. Another thing, no rhyming. Yes, there are many great poems that rhyme, but for today, let’s skip it. I want you to focus on word choice and imagery. Choose vivid words and images.
Here’s your poetry topic: Home.
If you start with this topic and go off course, that’s okay. Go where you need to go. Choose something different if you need to. The goal is to get words on the page. Let’s aim for 10 lines of poetry. If that seems like too much, write what you can. My hope is that you learn something, write something, and keep going.
You got this.
Happy writing!
Photo by Christopher Harris on Unsplash