Simple Writing Tips for Newbies

POETRY

Poetry is a work that expresses the innermost nature of feeling about a particular subject or condition.

It uses a distinctive style to describe the beauty and emotions about a fancy topic.

Poetry as an art can come naturally to the writer or come with years of practice.

A few characteristics that makes a good poem are

Use of figurative language
This involves using figures of speech to describe or explain things in a non literal or non traditional way.
Example of figure of speech used are metaphors, hyperbole, onomatopoeia etc

Use of Imagery is something concrete that the writer notices with his senses, like touch, smell or taste. Imagery describes what the poet sees, hears or otherwise senses, be it a literal image or one that exists in his mind.

Visual imagery, describes what the poet sees, is the most common type of image in poetry. It creates a picture that the reader or listener can see in his mind.

The punctuation and format of the poem deal with how it is arranged on the page and how the author intends for you to read it.

Example, if a poem has frequent line breaks and short stanzas, it forces you to read it in a different rhythm than if it were arranged in longer stanzas with fewer breaks. To better understand this concept, read poetry aloud instead of in your head; when you read poetry, or listen to the poet read his own work, you see the impact of the format.

Sound and Tone
Poets use different sounds and tones throughout poetry to change the way it sounds and evoke emotions.

Example, the poet may use alliteration, which is when multiple consecutive words start with the same letter.

Or he may write, "Pretty pugs playfully prance on the promenade."

The poet may choose his letters to give the poem a soft or sharp sound, as well. For example, choosing words that use "soft" consonants like f, m and w produces a different sound than words with "hard" consonants like d, k, t and z.

Choice of Meter
The meter of a poem is the rhythm or pattern of speech with which you read it, and it doesn't happen by accident.

Poets use different meters to give their poetry different rhythms.