A Wattpad Poetry Guide

So you want to be a poet?

What is poetry?

"Poetry comes from the heart, and as such it is instantaneously brilliant no matter what. Poetry is so beautiful it can be anything really, just let your heart wander and write whatever you want."

No Billy. Well yes poetry can have a deep connection to the emotions of the reader and speaker/poet, but if what those first few sentences say are what you want to believe about poetry I can't help you. More power to you and your right to share whatever it is your heart is telling you, but if you don't want to learn about the intimate details of what a poem can potentially be, this guide is not for you.

I'm not going to say that a poem should or shouldn't be anything here. Poetry is always evolving, and I don't want to be like the guy who cursed free verse when it first came out. All the dos and don'ts of poetry should be understood within the context of each individual poem. If your poem has no punctuation for example, there should be a good reason for it. Don't tell me you have some poetic licence that puts you above the laws of grammar in all your poems. I'd much rather hear you say you intended your poem to be read fast with only slight pauses for emphasis. Even so a lack of punctuation has an impact on the poems theme as well. If the speaker/poet of a poem is talking about how much he or she loves books and poems and Wattpad, do I really believe that if they don't even care to punctuate?

Poetry should focus on language that accentuates a theme, a general phrase regarding the poems contents. Without a theme your poem is weak, without supporting language your theme is weak. And yes language includes punctuation. Sorry that's one of my pet peeves with Wattpad poetry, not that I want this to end up being a rant book.

Anyways feel free to comment if you agree or disagree. Let me know if you want me to update with any specific topic. Thank you for reading! I hope I can help spread a better understanding and appreciation for the unsung art of poetry through this book.