What is a poetry writing process?
Poetry can be written in several ways, but there is not one correct process for writing poetry. However, there are some steps that many poets follow when writing a poem. Before coming up with ideas, consider if you want to create a poem on its own or one that will be a component of a collection’s overarching theme.
Then, the poet will develop an idea or subject for the poem. They may get this idea from their life experiences or from something they read or heard. Once the poet has an idea, they will start brainstorming and free writing to get all of their thoughts down on paper.
Next, the poet will begin to shape their poem by choosing which words and lines to keep and which to cut. They may also experiment with different ways of arranging the poem on the page. The goal at this stage is to create a first draft of the poem that is interesting and has a good flow. Finally, the poet will revise and edit their poem to make it fit their idea and to make the poem sound more lyrical. They may cut lines, rearrange words, add or delete lines and phrases, change punctuation, and add or remove capitalization.
Why bother with a process?
When writing poetry, there is not one right way to do things. Some poets prefer to sit down and let the words flow out of them, while others take a more careful, deliberate approach. So why bother with a process at all?
For some people, going through a process helps to focus their thoughts and ideas. It can be helpful to follow set steps to stay focused on the details and stay on track. Plus, writing poems is a challenging pursuit without factoring in poetic forms, stressed and unstressed syllables, or how to use line breaks.
A process can also help you to be more efficient with your time. By having a plan and specific goals in mind, you can make the most of your writing sessions and end up with a finished product that you’re proud of. Writing good poetry for aspiring poets is a valuable skill, especially when combined with the consistency of writing a poem often and the editing process deliberate with poetic elements. Now we ask, what’s an important element in a poem, I would say its theme.
What is a theme?
What is a theme, and why is it significant in literature? Well, the folks over at Reedsy blog have this to say about it:
In literature, the theme of a story is, broadly speaking, what a book is about. They are concepts that pervade and recur throughout the writing and are often reinforced by motifs.
The theme of your story can be as broad as ‘love’ or ‘loneliness’ (a thematic concept) or as specific as the idea that “greed is the greatest force in human culture” or “human behavior is the product of upbringing and experience” (both of which are thematic statements, because they express an opinion about the main theme).
We are continually compelled to consider and evaluate thoughts, feelings, and ideas that need to be outlined, pictured, and brought into consciousness. A particular theme in your life, which you replay is important enough to write about. Even if you decide not to, it will eventually turn into another motif or a tale you must tell because it has worth it for you and someone else.
In this case what is the poem about. Ultimately, most themes in literature is about the human condition, such as:
- Circle of Life: What comes around, goes around. The Circle of Life dwells on life’s transience and impermanence: how death isn’t death, just an evolution. Example: Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls.
- Coming of Age: Coming of Age involves the intense experiences of growing up, and how these experiences shape the future of the protagonist. Example: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.
- Good versus Evil: One can argue that every story is about good vs evil, assuming the story has a protagonist and antagonist. Still, good and evil are in eternal conflict with each other, so writers must document how this conflict evolves. Example: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.
- Power and Corruption: Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This theme is often closely related to “Man vs Society.” Additionally, “Power” can refer to a person’s political leadership, personal wealth, physical prowess, etc. Example: Animal Farm by George Orwell.
We are continually compelled to consider and evaluate thoughts, feelings, and ideas that need to be outlined, pictured, and brought into consciousness. A Particular theme in your life which you replay and cannot escape, is important enough to write about. Even if you decide not to, it will eventually turn into another motif or a tale you must tell because it has value that needs to be explored.
Finding a theme
There is no one right way to find a theme for a poem. However, some common strategies that poets use to generate ideas for themes. One approach is to consider what topics and experiences you are passionate about or strongly feel about. Another option is to think about times in your life when you have felt particularly moved by something- either positively or negatively. Once you have brainstormed some potential themes, try free writing to see which inspires the most interesting and evocative ideas. Trust your instincts and go with the most natural and authentic theme.
Developing the theme
After you’ve brainstormed possible themes for your poem, it’s time to develop them into a concrete message. This can be done by looking at the theme from different angles and thinking about how you can explore it in your poem.
One way to develop your theme is to consider what inspired you to write about that particular topic. What are your personal experiences or observations that have led you to this theme? How can you share these experiences in your poem?
Another way to develop your theme is to consider how it relates to the world around us. What current events or social issues does it connect with? How can you use your poem to comment on these issues?
Finally, don’t forget that a good poem needs more than just a strong message – it also needs interesting language and imagery.
Example
Once you have the poem’s theme, emotion, essence, question, and message you wish to convey—write a short summary of the poem. You can further iterate and add more information to it in a later step the more and more you grasp. Ultimately, it’s to give our soup of chaos some form to sculpt.
Maiden’s Myth is one of the few poems in the book, The Cool and Warmth of Hearts, in the section titled “Love of Life.” The book has several sections within its own sub-theme of love, where many poems fall. With Maiden’s Myth, I took the Byronic Hero invented by Lord Byron, a fictional character who represents heroic virtue and value, intense affection for adventure and mystery, and impulsiveness that allows them to brave the unknown. This poem’s theme follows similarly to the Byronic Hero, a passion for adventure and mystery where the protagonist must heed the call to adventure as a supernatural force urges him to explore:
The familiar spoils of joy dawn themselves every morn.
On the hillside ridge in the Fjord did born
late noon to roll in the coastal sands, and carved dunes
and stroll upward the grasslands under the blood moon.The thrill did bore the joyous departure laid ahead,
and said: Viva la Vida; extoll the flames that bred
journeys unveiled the Warrior of Light; in spite,
the Warrior of Night availed its aim of blight.Only something amiss held the key to my heart—
a star shot across a cryptic message to impart,
a secret only I could unlock, did not heed;
yet, enticed by a gnaw, and urged—venture with speed.Hidden, only this night could reveal in the Fjord’s bypass.
I stumbled upon a temple and entered its sole pass,
a peculiar charm in its atmosphere of August
etched in the walls in glamorous tales: a divine goddess.Archaic letters littered about, shrouded in mystery.
If only I could decipher glyphs behind this beauty,
for it filled me with wonder and limitless awe.
Perturb by these halls with no end in sight, I dared not thaw.Yet did I understand? The thrill of this adventure
billowed the moonlit crimson tides to censure
the strife I denied from my life; but joy had sprung
the further I ventured, and this venture I swung.Something at the end captured me in trembles—
the room alighted, four torches helped center its vessel,
and there she stood, having aged well in her slumber;
what mirrors unveiled the maiden’s myths from under.
The poem falls under the overarching theme of love. I interpreted the shared affection for this hero’s urges as his genuine passion for life through his intrepid, impulsive, and curious character to visit a mysterious location and discover what awaited him about this long-sleeping princess that lured him deeper to explore.
Process with Examples
If you’re someone who loves to read my entire poetry writing process with examples, then you can check out my free download, where I provide the following:
- I provide the entire poetry writing process with an example poem published in my book, The Cool and Warmth of Hearts, from start to finish.
- I provide this in several formats for free, such as a PDF and JPG with an infographic.
- Lastly, the Google Doc template I use for every poem can be downloaded in other formats, e.g., .docx, .odt, and more.
Here is the link to it, and I hope you enjoy it! Thanks—Poetry Writing Process.
The Gist
Don’t worry about whether you should create a free verse poem, a narrative poem, or even what kind of poetry you should write. Poetry is a style of creative writing that is both arduous and freeing since all the words that morph into the right words go to the core of the poem’s theme. Writing freely and without a plan requires an open mind and an interest in the subject matter. However, structure helps you focus on what needs to be said in written words rather than worrying about figurative language, literary devices, or a rhyme scheme. Remember, writing with the quality of William Shakespeare or Emily Dickinson begins with your first poem, so get started.
- Poetry can be written in several ways, but there is not one correct process for writing poetry. The poet will develop an idea or subject for the poem. For some people, going through an approach helps to focus their thoughts and ideas.
- By having a plan and specific goals in mind, you can make the most of your writing sessions and end up with a finished product that you’re proud of.
- Remember the theme of a story is what a book is about, in this case what is the poem about. Ultimately, most themes in literature are about the human condition, such as Circle of Life, Coming of Age, Good versus Evil, Power and Corruption, and with the example poem above the Love and Pursuit of Adventure.
- A particular theme in your life, which you replay and can’t escape, is important enough to write about.
- There is no one right way to find a theme for a poem. One approach is to consider what topics and experiences you are passionate about or strongly feel about. However, if you plan to share the poem with others or publish in a poem it must have a theme that others can resonate or strongly identify as part of the human condition; otherwise, it’ll come across as ambiguous.
- After you’ve brainstormed possible themes for your poem, it’s time to develop them into a concrete message.
- One way to develop your theme is to consider what inspired you to write about that particular topic. Another way to build your theme is to consider how it relates to the world around us. Also, the impact and insights it has on your life.
The following poetry writing process covers the structure.
