Poetry Information

Mechanical Poetry


Do you ever stare at the paper, waiting for poetic inspiration? Well, you can stop waiting and start using systematic techniques for creating poetry. If it seems too mechanical or artificial at first, don't worry. The point is just to get you writing, because creativity is stimulated by work.

When You Have A Poem In Mind

If you have your topic, ask yourself why it's important, and write down your answer. How do you feel about it? Write down those feelings. Write a line or a scene that exemplifies what you are trying to point out. Then, start rearranging the words into a poem. The main thing is to do anything other than waiting to stimulate your creativity.

Sometimes poems can come from a simple description. Write down a description of an event, and then find a way to form it into something more succinct and poetic. The poem below, "Religion," was created in this way:

On the shoulder of Keystone Road
A woman was laying in the dirt
Calling out for help
While ninety-three christians
Fourteen muslims
And five jews
Drove by
On a sunny afternoon

When You Need Ideas For Poems

1. Look around and write down what you see.

2. Write about anything that you felt today.

3. Ask anyone for a topic and start writing.

4. Use random words, one per line, to create a verse.

The following verse was written in a few minutes using four randomly chosen words:

Our dirty little secret
Our sorrow none can see
Is not
For things we cannot have
But for things we cannot be

Poets can break through the worst writers-block, by simply using any "tricks" available to start writing poems. Try it. Even very artificial, or "mechanical" techniques will get your creativity flowing. You'll find more of these poetic techniques in part two.

Steve Gillman has been playing with poetry for thirty years. He and his wife Ana created the game "Deal-A-Poem," which can be accessed for free at: http://www.dealapoem.com


MORE RESOURCES:

MLive.com

Subtle, humble 'Jellyfish' is visual poetry
MLive.com, MI - 15 hours ago
That's what binds them in this subtle, humble little film, with its compelling bits of visual poetry, even if the almost supernatural waif, ...


Poetry please
Hereford Times, UK - 12 hours ago
... considered for publication in a special series of regional anthologies to be published by Forward Press, the largest publisher of new poetry worldwide. ...


Helping Abigail to heal
Pasadena Star-News, CA - 1 hour ago
Yet in this story, poetry is helping a mistreated dog. It started in May. Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies were called to the yard of a vacant house in ...


David Baddiel on the dearth of great films about great writers
Times Online, UK - 7 hours ago
Sylvia, the 2003 film about Plath, is the most heinous example since the Sylvia Plath estate refused permission to use her poetry in the movie. ...


Southern Voice

New events added to Pride roster
Southern Voice, GA - 19 hours ago
If that's what you think poetry is, then perhaps the shoutOut! With Pride is not for you. Event organizer and host Stacie Boschma envisions the Saturday ...


Poetry in Hellboy
New Straits Times, Malaysia - Jul 3, 2008
But when you see them actually on a train they are the only two who can embrace each other and there’s poetry. It’s right there in front of us and I like ...


Poster poems: Remember your lines
guardian.co.uk, UK - 13 hours ago
Memory is both wellspring and subject of much poetry. Time to think back for inspiration Looking back ... a scene from Theatre de Complicité's play Mnemonic ...


JAZZ, POETRY BLEND FOR FUNDRAISER AT THE GEM
Kansas City Star, MO - Jul 2, 2008
Five Men on a Stool will perform Sunday at the Gem Theater as part of a fundraiser for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the Kansas Black Chamber of ...


The Naked Loon (satire)

A Collection of Poetry
The Naked Loon (satire), WA - Jul 3, 2008
I can do poetry OK if I try real hard, as I have done in this column. This column will show my creativity. Some of the poems will not be that great, ...


بي بي سي العربية

أجاباتنا على اسئلتكم
بي بي سي العربية, UK - 8 hours ago
Cath picks out an email from Summer in Egypt, who's a poetry fan. She says she loves English poetry but often doesn't understand it. ...

Poetry - Google News

home | site map
© 2006