Teaching poetry writing to non-poets

I am an English teacher but before I never really tried writing poetry because I had this wrong  notion that since I am logical or analytical thinker at that, I cannot write creatively.  However, I realized I was wrong.  It only takes a strong passion for writing that will propel you to really write whatever your heart desires.

I discovered that I could write poems only recently when I attended the poetry workshop by a very young poet whose zeal for writing is beyond compare.  Yes, I had started writing poetry before but I really disliked it because my poems were not really creatively written.  They are just merely prose which are divided into lines to make them look like poetry.

Then, one time I attended a poetry writing workshop in which the speaker had so much belief in the participants.  For him, every one can be a poet.  And his powerful, positive belief in each one of us made me really aspire to be one.

I remember, at the end of his talk, he said, "Your poem may not be good, never mind about it, as long as it comes from the heart, it's good as poem. Continue writing.  Write, write and write even once a day." 

And that's what I do now.  As I write poems even how simple they are, I feel satisfied that I have a very good avenue to express my deepest thoughts and feelings.

And it's the same passion I am now sharing with my students.  I teach them to write poetry in the simplest way possible.  First, I ask them to scribble down their thoughts on what they feel about a certain thing.  Then, use imagery - anything visual or tactile which may help them convey the right emotions and ideas. With a little push and a mini lecture on the elements of poetry, they were able to compose their own masterpieces which they put in their blogs.

Writing poetry isn't that difficult after all.
If you wish to write poetry, begin when you are down, when you feel sad because these disheartening experiences that you have encountered can be a source of inspiration for you to write. I have tried it before, when I was so sad and mad at some people who hurt my feelings, I spent a quiet time writing down every thing I felt that very moment. I let the pen do its scribbling while my thoughts ran through my head. With so much resentment over a person who took me for granted, I came up with what I can call a masterpiece.  I sent it to wordpowered.com and it got featured along with my other poems. See, it only takes the strong powerful emotion to drive you nuts and get you into writing.

 Just make your computer available all the time, scribble down your thoughts in the midst of angry feelings, resentments, grief and other negative emotions.  These feelings are strong powerful tools for you to be very creative in your expressions of the most profound and the most sublime thoughts you have.  That's a form of catalyst, your way of purifying yourself with a lot of negative emotions.  Do it and you'll see; you will not only be emotionally healthy  but also spiritually wealthy for your thoughts and feelings scribbled down in words will surely disappear like mists as the sun shines through.

Below are some useful tips in writing poery:

1.  Write from the heart. Use your emotion to determine what topic to write on.
2. Use imagery - sensory images that appeal to emotion.  Make your poem visual that your readers are stirred by emotional words in your poem.  Consider this example.

   I am powerless like a feather in the wind
   like a fallen leaf carried away by the gushing current

Notice that I used images of feather in the wind and fallen leaf amist the gushing flow of water to show how powerless the persona is.

3.  Use figures of speech like simile, metaphor, personification, etc. to make your poem come alive.
4.  Observe correct grammar.  Though there is such thing as poetic license, still you need to observe correct grammar for clarity to avoid confusion or misinterpretation of your poem.
5.  Write for meaning.  Poems are written to convey meaning.  Therefore, as a writer, you have to make sure that you give your readers clues or hints to decipher your intended meaning.  Organization of ideas should also be considered.  Be logical in sequencing ideas.
5. Leave something unsaid for readers to decipher. As a writer, you need not say everything in your work; be sure you leave a puzzling message to develop your readers' critical thinking.  Make them think, because they love it.
6.  Read other poets.  Learn from their styles. Apply what you consider relevant and within your grasp as a writer.
7.  write, write, write, for practice makes perfect.  Keep on writing, editing and polishing your work.  Soon, you'll discover, a genius within you.

   

Here are my poems featured in word.powered.com

Eureka


Before, I used to question a lot of things

Illness, suffering, and death

Life for me then, was quite complicated,

mysterious, incomprehensible

For I never knew what’s in store for me each day

Things sometimes happen the way I want to

At other times, I can’t just help seeing things happening

I wish I could have done something

But I am powerless

Like a feather in the wind

Like a dry grass in a thriving garden

Like a fallen leaf carried away by the gushing current

Like a smouldering house consumed by fire

In times like this, I wonder

Why the Heavens just let things pass

The way they do

Alone in the deafening silence of my room

I found hunches through self-introspection

That the things that happened beyond our control

Happened for a reason

Which our Heavenly Father allows

To give us strength and hope

That 90% of what happened

happened because of the Universal Law of Attraction

That whatever you think and aspire for

Every single cell of your body moves towards that direction

That discovery, I’ll keep for a lifetime.




Silent Scream


Grief

One letter word

Yet a very powerful feeling

That can enslave any one

Even me

I feel its pangs

piercing my very soul

and like a venom poisoning me to the core

how does it happen?

It’s unexplainable

I thought of me like a formidable fortress

That would never collapse despite the outside pressure

Yet, I am mistaken – a false pretence

For it only takes ingratitude,

Indifference, utter disregard and apathy

To weaken my highly spirited self.

I’m sobbing within

A scream so silent that no one hears

Feigned by smiles and laughters

to hide inner pain.

http://www.wordpowered.org/YouWrite/3poemsMariaCequena.pdf