How to write poetry

Hi my dear ones! Maybe you didn't know this but Teacher Omi is also poet Omi. I have a blog of poems called The Writer's Garden. People ask me sometimes, how I write poetry. And the answer is embarrassingly simple. I just do. I start typing ( or writing in a notebook). And when I'm finished, I call it a poem. There's more to it if I'm writing a formula poem, like rhyming, haiku or sonnet, but not much more.

Um, so you're wondering, 

I do sometimes edit it but only after I've let it marinate. And then not very much. I believe that free writing, just letting the thoughts come, is the most effective. Oh, one step I forgot, which isn't really a step but more of a preparation, is to pick a theme or subject. I know, probably obvious, but it's an important way to overcome writer's block and probably what caused the block in the first place. 

My theme is memories of my childhood with my grandparents. Mostly the ones who lived near Lake Michigan but I'm working toward including my Grand Rapids ones too. The overarching theme is walks with grampa to the lake.  We called it the Big Lake so my poems are the Big Lake Anthology. 

It's important to pick a subject or theme that means a lot to you. You can't really get a good head of writing steam going if you're not interested. And my time with  my grandparents means the world to me. It's been fun exploring these memories with my children and now grandchildren, too. 

I know that there are some poems with a very angry vibe to them. And if that's what you need to write then more power to you! Writing is a perfect way to work through bad feelings and experiences, for sure. I personally am a bit old-fashioned and like the pretty poems that make me feel good. And which I think people prefer to read. Not that this should matter or affect your choice of subject. You do poetry for you. If people want to read it, fine. If they don't, fine. 

And I'm always going to plump for nature poems. You know me and my "get schooling outside" mantra. Our big beautiful world is the best teacher and for a writer, it's an amazingly fertile and endlessly pleasing subject to write about. When I first began writing poetry, I would sit outside. Now that we have phones, I can walk and talk-write into the notepad app on my phone. Then upload to my blog later. 

I don't talk-write directly into the blog template. I'm techno-fied enough to use a blog but still old-school about needing a full computer keyboard. 

Another thing: to rhyme or not, that is the question. The answer is whatever you prefer. You knew I was going to say that! I like to exercise my skills on a rhymer occasionally but I'm more concerned about word choice rather than whether it fits a pattern. I don't want to sacrifice the perfect word, just because it doesn't rhyme. I also feel that word sound is more important. It's like the music of the poem. 

One of my favorite poem styles is onomatopoeia in which words are just sound descriptions. The classic example is Edgar Allen Poe's "The Bells" which is a fabulous read-aloud. And on that  note, poems are meant, in my opinion, to be read aloud. So as you write, practice reading it the way you're thinking it. This will help you "hear" your poem. 

Oh and another fun thing about these sound poems is making up sound words! I love trying to get just exactly the right descriptor for the sound. Here's one called "Campfire music and lightning bugs or fireflies" ( I greatly dislike the title and that's always my nemesis. If you  think of a better one, let me know, please and thanks!) I am particularly and fondly proud of crickle-trickle, sklish-swish and moan-groan. I do hyphenate a lot in onomatopoeia. 

Okay so stay tuned because I'm going to write a post on how to throw a poetry party that promises to big fun!