How to write poetry
Hi everyone! I’ve been on an incredible journey writing poetry and have decided to share some of my tips and tricks with you. I have a background in teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) and science (I’m a high school science teacher) and I also have credentials in Communications (majoring in Public Relations), so I bring a unique perspective to this cathartic and poignant craft.
If you’d like to write rhyming poetry for greeting cards, a special gift, the expression of deep feelings or just for the heck of it, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve written two books of poetry, entitled ‘The Scent of Eucalyptus’ and ‘Elysian dreams’ which have brought me a huge amount of joy. Here’s a sample of what I write:
The mermaid
Auburn hair in emerald light,
The wavelets crash the shore.
Her pensive eyes peruse the bay,
How robust their rapport.
Her days spent dancing in the deep
With octopi for kin.
These pale gold sands her chance to sleep
And sun translucent skin.
The startling cliffs of chalk-white stone,
The aqua water’s gleam.
A flock of gulls in unison,
Mauve violets’ dulcet dreams.
A pelican, her oldest friend
He paddles back and forth.
A method to his madness though,
He scans the south and north.
Her breathing even as she rests,
Her smooth metallic tail.
A loosely woven cloak of reeds,
Her lovely form to veil.
Yet sits a cottage far above,
With battered beams of oak.
The evidence of watchful orbs
A curlicue of smoke.
His easel placed on threadbare rug,
Smudged palette of his paints.
No visitors allowed to pass,
Euphoria to taint.
A tiny shell within her hand,
She clasps its coiling shape.
A present from an unknown source,
T’was on her makeshift cape.
Her name, he wonders what it is,
His lady of the sea.
Protector and purveyor he,
She is his fantasy.
So if you’d like to find out more about how to pen poems like this one, stay tuned! Topics will include why I started writing, plastic and naïve thinking, emotions and writing authentically, line stress and syllables, research, fieldwork, characterisation and how to host a book launch.
In addition, I’ve written a free PDF book called ‘Unlocking figurative language’ which covers literary techniques such as personification, metaphor, assonance, onomatopoeia, rhyme and repetition, amongst others. Whether you just want to write poetic prose or you think you’re the next singer-songwriter, these blog posts will help you make your written work sparkle.
