Trust Your Instincts

Welcome! I’m participating in the #BlogchatterA2Z challenge where I’ll share 26 posts on the theme “The Poet’s Alphabet: 26 Secrets for Crafting Beautiful Poetry”. In each post, I’ll offer bite-sized tips and tricks for crafting and perfectly editing poetry. Today’s tip is:

Trust Your Instincts

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As a poet, it’s important to trust your instincts when it comes to your creative process. Your intuition is the inner voice that guides you towards the right path, and it can help you create poetry that is authentic and true to yourself. Here are a few reasons why trusting your instincts is important in poetry:

  1. Your instincts help you tap into your emotions: When you write poetry, you’re tapping into your emotions and trying to express them through words. Trusting your instincts can help you identify the emotions that are driving your work, and allow you to express them in a way that is true to your feelings.
  2. Your instincts can help you find your voice: Each poet has a unique voice, and trusting your instincts can help you discover yours. By following your intuition, you can explore themes and styles that resonate with you, and create poetry that is uniquely yours.
  3. Your instincts can lead you towards creative breakthroughs: Sometimes, the best poetry comes from taking risks and trying something new. By trusting your instincts, you may discover new ways of approaching your writing, and find unexpected creative breakthroughs.
  4. Your instincts help you create authentic work: When you write poetry that is true to your instincts, you’re creating work that is authentic and honest. This kind of work is often the most powerful, as it speaks to the reader in a genuine and meaningful way.

In short, trusting your instincts when it comes to poetry can help you tap into your emotions, find your voice, make creative breakthroughs, and create authentic work. So if something feels right or important to you, don’t be afraid to explore it further and see where it takes you.

Hope you found this tip useful.

See you with another tip, tomorrow.

This post is a part of the #BlogchatterA2Z 2023 challenge.

24890cookie-checkTrust Your Instincts

Show, Don’t Tell

Welcome! I’m participating in the #BlogchatterA2Z challenge where I’ll share 26 posts on the theme “The Poet’s Alphabet: 26 Secrets for Crafting Beautiful Poetry”. In each post, I’ll offer bite-sized tips and tricks for crafting and perfectly editing poetry. Today’s tip is:

Show, Don’t Tell

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“Show, don’t tell” is a common piece of advice in creative writing, and it applies to poetry as well. By using sensory details and vivid descriptions, poets can create a more immersive experience for their readers, allowing them to feel and see what the poem is conveying.

In the poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot, the speaker describes the evening sky as “Like a patient etherized upon a table.” This vivid metaphor shows the reader the dullness and lifelessness of the scene, rather than simply telling them that it’s boring.

In the poem “Palanquin Bearers” by Sarojini Naidu Lightly, by the verses,

O lightly we bear her along, 
She sways like a flower in the wind of our song; 
She skims like a bird on the foam of a stream, 
She floats like a laugh from the lips of a dream.

Naidu shows the reader the lightness and grace of the palanquin bearers by using vivid similes like the flower swaying in the wind and the bird skimming on the foam of a stream.

In each of these examples, the poets show their readers the emotions, scenes and experiences rather than simply telling them. This approach helps to create a more immersive and engaging experience for the reader, bringing them into the poem’s world and emotions.

Hope you found this tip useful.

See you with another tip, tomorrow.

This post is a part of the #BlogchatterA2Z 2023 challenge.

Suggested Read:

24860cookie-checkShow, Don’t Tell

Read Your Poem Aloud

Welcome! I’m participating in the #BlogchatterA2Z challenge where I’ll share 26 posts on the theme “The Poet’s Alphabet: 26 Secrets for Crafting Beautiful Poetry”. In each post, I’ll offer bite-sized tips and tricks for crafting and perfectly editing poetry. Today’s tip is:

Read Your Poem Aloud

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Reading your poem aloud is an essential step in editing and crafting better poetry. When you read your poem out loud, you’re able to hear the rhythm and flow of your words, which can help you identify areas that need improvement.

Here are a few ways that reading your poem aloud can help you craft better poetry:

  1. Check for rhythm and meter: Poetry relies on rhythm and meter to create a sense of musicality and flow. By reading your poem aloud, you can identify areas where the rhythm is off or the meter is inconsistent. You can then make adjustments to improve the overall musicality of your poem.
  2. Evaluate the sound of your words: Certain words have a musical quality to them, while others can sound jarring or disruptive. When you read your poem aloud, pay attention to the sound of your words and consider whether they add to or detract from the overall effect of your poem.
  3. Assess the pacing and tone of your poem: The pacing and tone of your poem can have a big impact on how it’s received by readers. When you read your poem aloud, you can get a sense of how the pacing and tone affect the overall mood and message of your poem. This can help you make adjustments to create a more impactful poem.
  4. Check for clarity and coherence: Sometimes, it’s hard to identify areas where your poem may be unclear or disjointed when you’re reading it silently. Reading your poem aloud can help you identify areas where the meaning or message of your poem isn’t coming across clearly, allowing you to make revisions and clarify your ideas.

In short, reading your poem aloud is a crucial step in crafting better poetry. By doing so, you can identify areas for improvement in terms of rhythm, sound, pacing, and clarity, and make revisions that enhance the overall impact of your poem.

Hope you found this tip useful.

See you with another tip, tomorrow.

This post is a part of the #BlogchatterA2Z 2023 challenge.

24830cookie-checkRead Your Poem Aloud

Question Everything – Don’t Be Afraid To Challenge Conventions

Welcome! I’m participating in the #BlogchatterA2Z challenge where I’ll share 26 posts on the theme “The Poet’s Alphabet: 26 Secrets for Crafting Beautiful Poetry”. In each post, I’ll offer bite-sized tips and tricks for crafting and perfectly editing poetry. Today’s tip is:

Question Everything – Don’t Be Afraid To Challenge Conventions

The beauty of poetry lies in its ability to transcend boundaries and push against conventions. While there are certainly rules and traditions within the world of poetry, it’s important to remember that they are not set in stone. By questioning these conventions and exploring new forms, styles, and techniques, you can create work that is uniquely your own.

One of the most powerful tools for questioning conventions is experimentation. Try writing in a different form, style, or genre than you’re used to. Take risks with your language and structure; don’t be afraid to challenge traditional ideas or philosophies. For example, you could experiment with writing a sonnet that doesn’t follow the traditional rhyme scheme, or use free verse to explore a topic typically associated with more structured forms.

Another way to challenge conventions is to explore new and unexpected themes. Don’t be afraid to tackle difficult or taboo subjects, or to approach familiar topics from a fresh perspective. By exploring new ideas and experiences, you can create work that is both innovative and meaningful.

Rumi’s poem “The Guest House” is a beautiful example of how questioning conventions and experimenting with new forms and styles can lead to fresh and exciting poetry. The poem, which is a metaphor for the human experience, compares the mind to a guest house and suggests that we should welcome all emotions and experiences, even those that we may initially perceive as negative.

The Guest House

Jalaluddin Rumi (Translated by Coleman Barks)

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

In addition to experimenting with form and language, Rumi’s use of plain and accessible language is also notable. Rather than relying on complex or ornate language, Rumi uses simple language that is easy for readers to understand. This approach was unconventional in his time, as many poets of his era favoured more complex language to convey their ideas.

Ultimately, questioning conventions is about staying true to your own unique voice and vision as a writer. By pushing against boundaries and exploring new possibilities, you can create work that is fresh, exciting, and truly your own.

Hope you found this tip useful.

See you with another tip, tomorrow.

This post is a part of the #BlogchatterA2Z 2023 challenge.

Suggested Read:

24800cookie-checkQuestion Everything – Don’t Be Afraid To Challenge Conventions

Play With Sound and Alliteration To Create Music in Your Poetry

Welcome! I’m participating in the #BlogchatterA2Z challenge where I’ll share 26 posts on the theme “The Poet’s Alphabet: 26 Secrets for Crafting Beautiful Poetry”. In each post, I’ll offer bite-sized tips and tricks for crafting and perfectly editing poetry. Today’s tip is:

Play With Sound and Alliteration To Create Music in Your Poetry

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Poetry is a musical art form, and sound and alliteration can help create a sense of rhythm and melody in your work. Alliteration is a literary device used in poetry and prose where a series of words in a phrase or sentence begin with the same consonant sound. It is a technique of repetition of consonant sounds to create emphasis, rhythm, and musicality in writing.

Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem “The Brook” is a beautiful example of how alliteration can create musicality and rhythm in poetry. The poem’s opening lines contain a series of alliterative phrases that establish the flowing and meandering movement of the brook:

"I come from haunts of coot and hern, 
I make a sudden sally 
And sparkle out among the fern,
To bicker down a valley."

Here, the repeated “h” sounds in “haunts,” “hern,” and “fern” create a sense of movement and flow, mimicking the motion of the brook itself. Similarly, the repeated “s” sound in “sudden sally” and “sparkle out” further emphasize the sense of motion and energy.

Later in the poem, Tennyson uses alliteration to create a sense of depth and complexity in his description of the brook:

I murmur under moon and stars 
In brambly wildernesses; 
I linger by my shingly bars; 
I loiter round my cresses;

And out again I curve and flow 
To join the brimming river, 
For men may come and men may go, 
But I go on forever.

Here, the repeated “m” sounds in “murmur,” “moon,” and “stars,” and the repeated “l” sounds in “linger,” “loiter,” and “cresses” create a sense of richness and depth in the brook’s experience. The repetition of the phrase “men may come and men may go, but I go on forever” further reinforces the sense of continuity and endlessness that the brook represents.

So now you know how alliteration can be used to create a sense of musicality and rhythm in poetry, enhancing the overall impact of the poem on the reader.

Hope you found this tip useful.

See you with another tip, tomorrow.

This post is a part of the #BlogchatterA2Z 2023 challenge.

Suggested Read: A poem penned by me, that is high on alliteration: “The Song Of A Promising Poetry”

24720cookie-checkPlay With Sound and Alliteration To Create Music in Your Poetry

Observe the World Around You

Welcome! I’m participating in the #BlogchatterA2Z challenge where I’ll share 26 posts on the theme “The Poet’s Alphabet: 26 Secrets for Crafting Beautiful Poetry”. In each post, I’ll offer bite-sized tips and tricks for crafting and perfectly editing poetry. Today’s tip is:

Observe the World Around You and Use Sensory Details To Bring It to Life in Your Poems

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Great poetry often draws on sensory details to create a sense of place and atmosphere. By using vivid and specific details that appeal to the senses (such as sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell), you can help your readers imagine the world of your poem. So, it’s important to keenly observe the world around you and use sensory details to bring it to life in your poems.

Sarojini Naidu’s poem “In the Bazaars of Hyderabad” is an excellent example of how keen her observation was and how sensory details can be used to bring a poem to life and create a sense of place and atmosphere. The poem is set in a bustling marketplace in Hyderabad, India, and Naidu uses a range of sensory details to capture the sights, sounds and smells of this vibrant space.

"Scents of sandal and myrrh,
Delicate jasmine and spice,
Odors that burden the air,
These are the smells of the bazaar."

-An excerpt from the poem "In the Bazaars of Hyderabad"

Through the above stanza, Naidu uses scent to evoke the richness and diversity of the bazaar. The use of words like “delicate” and “burden” suggests the power and intensity of the smells, while the variety of scents listed suggests a range of goods and experiences on offer in the bazaar.

Hope you found this tip useful.

See you with another tip, tomorrow.

This post is a part of the #BlogchatterA2Z 2023 challenge.

Suggested Read:

24640cookie-checkObserve the World Around You

Never Settle For Your First Draft

Welcome! I’m participating in the #BlogchatterA2Z challenge where I’ll share 26 posts on the theme “The Poet’s Alphabet: 26 Secrets for Crafting Beautiful Poetry”. In each post, I’ll offer bite-sized tips and tricks for crafting and perfectly editing poetry. Today’s tip is:

Never Settle For Your First Draft – Always Revise and Improve

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Even the best writers know that their first drafts are rarely perfect. That’s why it’s important to revise and improve your poems over time, taking the time to refine and polish each line until it feels just right.

Here are some specific tips to keep in mind while revising your poetry:

  1. Take a break: After finishing your first draft, take a break from the poem for a few days or even a week. This will help you come back to it with fresh eyes and a clear mind.
  2. Read your poem out loud: This can help you hear any awkward phrasing, repetition, or other issues with the flow and rhythm of the poem.
  3. Cut unnecessary words: Be ruthless in cutting any unnecessary words or phrases that don’t add to the poem. Remember, sometimes less is more.
  4. Experiment with line breaks and punctuation: Try moving lines or adding punctuation to create different effects and improve the flow of the poem.
  5. Get feedback: Share your poem with other writers or a writing group for feedback. This can provide valuable insights and help you identify areas that need improvement.
  6. Consider the overall structure: Look at the structure of your poem as a whole. Does it have a clear beginning, middle, and end? Does the structure enhance the content of the poem?
  7. Pay attention to word choice: Look for opportunities to use more precise and descriptive words that will create stronger images and convey the intended emotions.

Remember, the revision process is an important part of the writing process. By taking the time to revise and improve your poems, you can create work that is polished and powerful.

Hope you found this tip useful.

See you with another tip, soon.

This post is a part of the #BlogchatterA2Z 2023 challenge.

You may like to read:

24400cookie-checkNever Settle For Your First Draft

Master the Art of Enjambment To Create Rhythm and Flow

Welcome! I’m participating in the #BlogchatterA2Z challenge where I’ll share 26 posts on the theme “The Poet’s Alphabet: 26 Secrets for Crafting Beautiful Poetry”. In each post, I’ll offer bite-sized tips and tricks for crafting and perfectly editing poetry. Today’s tip is:

Master the Art of Enjambment To Create Rhythm and Flow

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Enjambment is a technique used in poetry where a sentence or phrase runs over to the next line without any pause or punctuation at the end of the line. This means that the thought or meaning of the sentence continues onto the next line, rather than being contained within a single line. Enjambment is often used to create a sense of flow and momentum in a poem, allowing the lines to run together and giving the poem a more natural, conversational feel.

Mastering enjambment can help you create a sense of fluidity and movement in your poetry, and is a powerful tool for shaping the pace and rhythm of your work. For example, the poem “Between Walls” by William Carlos Williams consists of a single sentence divided into ten lines using enjambment.

Between Walls

       the back wings
       of the

       hospital where
       nothing

       will grow lie
       cinders

       in which shine
       the broken

       pieces of a green
       bottle

If you notice, the use of enjambment in the poem above by William Carlos Williams is actually effective in creating a sense of fragmentation and disjointedness that reflects the bleak and desolate mood of the poem. It also helps to create a visual and sonic impact.

Thus, by breaking the lines at unexpected moments, enjambment can create tension, surprise, and movement in your poetry, allowing you to guide your reader through your work in a powerful and engaging way.

Hope you found this tip useful.

See you with another tip, tomorrow.

This post is a part of the #BlogchatterA2Z 2023 challenge.

24380cookie-checkMaster the Art of Enjambment To Create Rhythm and Flow

Let Your Emotions and Experiences Inspire Your Writing


Welcome! I’m participating in the #BlogchatterA2Z challenge where I’ll share 26 posts on the theme “The Poet’s Alphabet: 26 Secrets for Crafting Beautiful Poetry”. In each post, I’ll offer bite-sized tips and tricks for crafting and perfectly editing poetry. Today’s tip is:

Let Your Emotions and Experiences Inspire Your Writing

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Poetry is often deeply personal, and drawing from your own experiences and emotions can help you create work that is authentic and powerful.

When you draw from your own emotions and experiences, you bring a unique perspective to your poetry. It allows you to explore complex themes and ideas in a way that is honest and genuine. Many poets have used their personal experiences as a source of inspiration, such as Maya Angelou, who drew from her experiences growing up in the segregated South in her poem “Still I Rise”:

“Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I’ll rise.”

In this excerpt, Angelou draws on the natural imagery of moons and suns, juxtaposed with the struggles of discrimination, to create a powerful message of resilience and hope. Similarly, the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore drew from his own experiences of love, loss, and spirituality to create his poetry. In his poem “Unending Love”, he writes:

“I seem to have loved you in numberless forms, numberless times… In life after life, in age after age, forever. My spellbound heart has made and remade the necklace of songs, That you take as a gift, wear round your neck in your many forms.”

Through his use of vivid and metaphorical language, Tagore captures the universal experience of love and longing, drawing from his own personal experiences to create a work that speaks to readers across cultures and time.

So, why wait? Weave magic into the threads of your experiences and emotions.

Hope you found this tip useful.

See you with another tip, tomorrow.

This post is a part of the #BlogchatterA2Z 2023 challenge.

24360cookie-checkLet Your Emotions and Experiences Inspire Your Writing

Keep Your Writing Process Flexible

Welcome! I’m participating in the #BlogchatterA2Z challenge where I’ll share 26 posts on the theme “The Poet’s Alphabet: 26 Secrets for Crafting Beautiful Poetry”. In each post, I’ll offer bite-sized tips and tricks for crafting and perfectly editing poetry. Today’s tip is:

Keep Your Writing Process Flexible

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“Routine is not an end in itself; it is a means to an end. And the end is productivity, creativity, and joy.” – Gretchen Rubin

The above quote emphasizes the importance of productivity and creativity, but also recognizes that routine can be a helpful tool in achieving those goals. It suggests that while routine can be beneficial, it’s important to remain flexible and adaptable in your writing process to maximize your productivity and creativity.

Sometimes inspiration strikes at unexpected times or in unexpected ways, and being open to change can help you stay productive and creative. Don’t be afraid to try new writing methods or switch up your routine if you feel stuck or uninspired.

Below are some quotes that could help you keep an open mind and be willing to experiment with their writing process. They emphasize the importance of being adaptable and flexible and suggest that sometimes the most productive and creative moments come when we break out of our routines and try something new.

“The muse works in mysterious ways. She might appear to you when you least expect it, in the form of an overheard conversation, a sudden flash of inspiration, or a dream. Be ready to seize those moments.”

– Elizabeth Gilbert

“The only way to write is to write. You have to show up at the page, day after day, even when it feels like pulling teeth. But that doesn’t mean you have to write in the same way every time. Mix it up. Try new things. Take risks.”

– Neil Gaiman

“Routine can be helpful, but it can also be a trap. If you’re always doing the same thing, you’re not growing. Sometimes you need to break out of your comfort zone and try something new to get the creative juices flowing.”

– Margaret Atwood

“Flexibility is key to creativity. Don’t be afraid to change things up, to write in a new location, or to use a different writing tool. Sometimes the smallest change can make all the difference.”

– Roxane Gay

“If you’re feeling stuck, try something different. Take a walk, listen to music, read a book, or do something else entirely. Inspiration can come from the most unexpected places.”

– Jhumpa Lahiri

Hope you found this tip useful.

See you with another tip, tomorrow.

This post is a part of the #BlogchatterA2Z 2023 challenge.

24350cookie-checkKeep Your Writing Process Flexible