What is a good place to start with poetry?

As a beginner, it's best to start with simple poems that are easy to understand . Classic poems like “Mary Had a Little Lamb” or “The Owl and the puss*cat” are great starting points. They have a clear rhythm, rhyme, and narrative structure, which can help you understand the basics of poetry.

How do you start a poetry response?

There are few different ways of responding to a poem. One way is to identify a theme in the original poem and write your poem about the same theme . If the original poem is about the poet's personal experience, you can tell the story of a similar experience that you had.

What is the easiest type of poetry to write?

Perhaps the most simple, poetic form. An acrostic is when the first, last or other letters in a line spell out a specific word. The word is the subject of the poem. You'll find examples of acrostics from writing lessons around the world here.

How do I write my first poem?

Choose a topic: Think about what you want to write about. This could be anything from a personal experience to a specific image or emotion that you want to convey. Pick a form: There are many different forms of poetry, such as sonnets, haikus, and free verse. Pick a form that feels comfortable for.

How do you write the first sentence of a poem?

The opening line of a poem should grab the reader's attention, invoke the thematic intentions of the poem, and give an insight into the poet's writing style .

What do you call a female poet?

A poetess is a female poet. Most female poets prefer to be called poets.

Does poetry pay well?

$30,000 is the 25th percentile . Salaries below this are outliers. $82,000 is the 75th percentile.

Submit Poems to Magazines One of the most effective ways to get paid to write poetry if you love writing poems is to find magazines that pay for accepted poem. Many online and print publications like literary journals accept poems and give money to writers who send their work.

How long should a poetry answer be?

Here is how much to write for each section. A poetry essay will be approx 1000-1500 words . Longer isn't always better.

Is poetry writing profitable?

Poetry writing is generally not considered a highly lucrative career in terms of financial rewards . Most poets do not rely solely on their poetry for income, as the market for poetry can be limited. However, there are exceptions, and some poets do achieve success and recognition that leads to financial opportunities.

If You Want To Get Into Poetry, Here's Where To Start (2024)

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Hands up who was completely blown away by the power of 22-year-old Amanda Gorman as she read her poem, The Hill We Climb, on the US Capitol last week.

We’re used to hearing poetry during the big moments in life – from births to deaths to marriages – and they don’t get much bigger than a presidential inauguration, Judith Palmer, director of The Poetry Society, tells HuffPost UK.

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“Amanda wasn’t just reading a text. She was performing it. She was there at this huge moment in history, saying: here’s something I’ve written,” says Palmer. “She wanted to communicate – a message of hope and a recognition of where we are right now, where we have been and where we might go in the future.”

Poems are there for the taking

Poetry is published in anthologies, collections and magazines; performed and recorded live and online; and shared more widely than ever before on social media – especially by young writers.

Poetry is portable

“One of the great things about poetry is that it’s a really portable art form,” says Palmer. “You can slip a book in your pocket (at least, in the days we used to go places) and it’s also great for a journey where you are getting on and off.”

Add poems to your playlists. Download a podcast. Though for some people, it will always be about the joy of turning pages, Palmer says.

“A poem is something you can return to and read the same lines again and again, unlike a novel where maybe you can lose your thread. And with a poetry book, you can pick it up at the back, start at the beginning or dive into the middle.” There really aren’t any rules. Find a way of reading that suits you.

Think of it like music

Not really connecting to a poem or poet? Don’t force it. “Just as there are lots of different kinds of music for different moods, there are lots of different kinds of poetry, too,” says Palmer. “If you don’t like one thing, try something else.”

Find what – or who – speaks to you, then pursue the trail. Social media can be useful for this. Follow writers you enjoy and they’ll help you discover others. Yrsa Daley-Ward has a huge following on Instagram, while poet and teacher Kate Clanchy uses Twitter to share her teenage students’ work – it’s brilliant!

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Poetry in small doses

“People have got back into pamphlets lately,” says Palmer. “These are like a really short book, which might have only 16 or 24 pages, with poems all on a subject – for example, Ella Frears’ poems on motorway service stations.”

Yes, really. The young British poet took a road trip from Cornwall (where she was born) to London (where she now lives), stopping at every service station – and two Travelodges – en route. Poetry doesn’t have to be about daffodils.

Candlestick Press publishes beautifully designed pamphlets in envelopes, with the tagline “instead of a card”. Each contains 10 poems on a particular theme: winter, love, mothers, cats, dogs, breakfast or happiness, for example. Send one to a friend or treat yourself.

Don’t just read it, write it

It sounds obvious, but another way of getting into poetry is writing your own. “Lots of people like writing poetry when they try it,” says Palmer. “They find they want to have the platform and a voice. In normal times, there are lots of open mic sessions where you can go and hear other people read their work – and read yours. But you can also find groups that you can start writing with online.”

For those under 25, The Poetry Society runs the Young Poets’ Network, with year-round free activities and monthly suggestions for things to write about. There are also plenty of poetry competitions for poets of all ages to enter, often with paid prizes and the chance to be published to a wider readership.

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“It’s a good way to write a poem because a competition gives you a deadline,” says Palmer. “Sometimes you jot down a few lines and never take it anywhere. How about you write two lines, then see if you can think of a third, a fourth and a fifth? Maybe you win. Maybe you don’t. But it made you finish your poem.”

And remember Amanda Gorman: “The only approval you need is your own.”

This new year, we focus on fun, not denial (because we’ve all had enough of that). Follow our month-long plan, with a new ‘Here, Try This’ idea each day, spanning easy ways to engage your body and mind, inspiration for your food and home, and tips for boosting how you feel – inside and out.

If You Want To Get Into Poetry, Here's Where To Start (2024)

Poems are there for the taking

Poetry is portable

Think of it like music

Poetry in small doses

Don’t just read it, write it

FAQs

What is a good place to start with poetry? ›