Even if you’re not in the US, or you’re not reading this in April, you can still devote an entire month to reading and writing poetry. You can teach others to write poetry, offering workshops in schools or libraries, or you can simply spend the month enjoying poetry on your own.
Maybe you already teach English or offer writing workshops. Maybe you consider yourself to be a nonfiction writer with a secret love of poetry. Or maybe you’ve never really taken a good look at the wide, wide world of poems.
Poems have many origins. If you already write poetry, you know you can find inspiration everywhere. Yet, too often, inspiration doesn’t come when called. These exercises and ideas can help you generate good first drafts that you can revise and play with for days or months.
Simple Poetry Exercises
Magnetic Poetry kits are available in bookstores, and an online version is also available. These can provide you with new words and allow you to move tiles around for interesting combinations. Choose a handful of words, then play with the arrangement. Add connectors as needed, but try to stick with only the words you’ve chosen.
Cut-out Poetry is similar to magnetic poetry, but uses words cut from newspapers or magazines. Again, you can add connectors, but you should limit your choices as much as possible to the cut-outs you’ve chosen.
Collection Poems begin with a collection of objects. You can collect these yourself or have someone else collect them for you. Now write about each object, giving it a history or finding connections between the various objects.
First Line Poems start with a line from another poem, or a book, or a newspaper article. You may choose any interesting line to use as your jumping-off point, then start freewriting.
Found Poems
Found Poems can become a way of life. There are many ways to “find” poems. One way is to pick up a book, whatever comes to hand. Now, pick a number, preferably between one and twenty as this makes counting easier. Then open the book at random and point to a word. That’s “one.” If you’re number is nine, you’ll write down every ninth word. Write them in order as if you’re writing a paragraph, then add line breaks later. If you’re getting a lot of connectors or repeats, you can change your number, or you can add a word on either side.
Another way to find a poem is to make note of billboards and road signs. Keep a notebook handy to jot down odd or interesting phrases.
Conversations can also be a great source for found poetry. In fact, “found” poems may be found anywhere at any time, so be prepared with paper and pen or a recording device.
Other Ways to Incorporate Poetry into Your Life
- Buy a collection of poems by a new or favorite author
- Check poetry books out at the library
- Teach someone else how to write your favorite poetry form
- Pick a new poetry form and play with it for a day ... or a week
- Make a goal to write a poem a day
If you’re a veteran writer, consider offering your services at a local school or library. Teaching others to love poetry may become an avocation in itself.
Roxianne Moore - I used to think of myself primarily as a writer. Since early childhood, I've written stories and plays. My first poems were published ...
