"I want people to relate to my poem, so I am going to use words and phrases that are common enough for them to get right off the bat."
No Billy. Well no. Poetry should not be obvious, unless that obviousness is a statement in itself that supports the poems theme. Cliches are the natural enemy of poems, as a rule of thumb.
No more "angels", unless your enjoying a bowl of angel hair pasta.
No more "fading lights", unless they are streaking across your car window.
No more "mirror mirror on the wall", please God stop it Wattpadders! I've read this phrase verbatim in far too many poems. Dysney should sue you all, because that is a cliche they started.
What goes around comes around
The early bird gets the worm
Don't stop believing
The good die young...
Use your hand to cover half of the above phrases. If your mind can guess the next half without actually reading them, yeah, that is a trite phrase that should be paraphrased at best when it comes to poetry.
Be original, that's why you're a poet right? It's okay to let a cliche inspire your poetry. To be honest I use cliches in my poetry. I actually have a poem that's first lines read:
Let me start out by saying,
I hate cliches, but
they are relevant to this spoken word, so
please excuse my first offense...
See what I mean about context yet? Don't use cliches, but if you do, use them to your advantage to fit the central theme of your poem.
But never ever ever write mirror mirror on the wall... ever!
"Mirror mirror on the wall
I wish that I was tall
Mirror mirror on the wall
I love shopping at the mall
Mirror mirror on the wall
I wish my best friend would call"
No Billy no! Don't do it! Write something only you can write. Write something that you think will stand alone against everything anyone else on Wattpad has ever written, because you can, and only you can.
"Dandelion broth, not chicken soup"
YOU ARE READING
A Wattpad Poetry Guide
PoesíaA lot of poets have come to me for advice on Wattpad. I've decided to stop critiquing so much and focus my efforts on a general guide of my knowledge, experience, and ideals that will surly benefit any aspiring Wattpad poet. A special thanks to Bill...
