Poetry: The Scenery of Writing

Here is my first lesson, where I will be talking to you about my experiences on poetry and how you can learn from it.

Well, here we are, my first lesson. Before I start, I would like to thank you, the reader, for taking a look at my course on furthering yourself in writing. I don't mean to bash anyone else's way on how they write, I am just giving my perspective on how I write, and hope that you can learn from me. 

Anyways, on to the lesson!

You use some form of poetry whenever you write. When you are detailing something in a research paper, or describing your fantasy world, poetry is put into that. The essence of poetry is giving detail to something or someone that they themselves may or may not realize. 

How I write poetry is actually very simple. I think of a subject, whether it be trees, a person I like, or a certain location. I try and get every detail I can think of about the subject and write it down. 

For example, I will write a piece on a snow covered tree. Some of the details to write down would be:

1.) How the tree hardly moves when snow covers it.

2.) The total lack of leaves in the dead of winter.

3.) How the branches being bare seem to take on a menacing tone. 

The list could go on, but for the sake of continuity, those are just a few. 

Alright, now we can move on to the actual composition. I always try and see if I can make the poem rhyme, but that is not required by any means. There are infinite amount of ways a poem can work, and rhyming is just one of them. What I always try and steer clear of are descriptive words used in every day life, such as "pretty", "tall", or "a lot". Words like that make your writing sound as if they were written by a little child. Use words that mean the same thing, like "beautiful", "lofty", or "plentiful". They sound better, and they also project a sense of maturity onto the writer. 

I don't usually think about what lines I will use beforehand, I just sit down and whatever lines come to mind, I use. This may be difficult for some people to do, but it is very simple. I will give you some tips on how to concentrate on your subject and details, writing down the lines of your poem:

First, I would sit somewhere comfortable, where there are little to no noise or anything else to distract you. Only think about what you are trying to describe in your poem. Think of when and where you have seen the subject before; where you saw it, what time of day it was, and what were you feeling at the time. As you do that, try and find ways to put those emotions and sights into words and sentences.

So, now that we have the basic gist of it, start to write what comes to mind, using the subject and details you have written down. I will also write a piece of my own, as an example on how all of the details tie into the subject of the piece. Scroll down when you are done, and I will show you what I wrote.

Your arms are still in cold death,

No longer taking even one shallow breath.

The colors you once displayed so vibrant,

All look for, your fans anticipant. 

Winter turns you old and decrepit,

Menacing, evil, and so very shilpit.

So, as you can see, I have used all the details I listed to create a poem that is both descriptive and flowing all the way through. 

Hopefully, you have gotten a pretty good idea of how I write poems, and you can learn from me. 

Till the next lesson,

Gavin Keary