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.

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24860cookie-checkShow, Don’t Tell