Writing free verse

by George J. Dance 

How to ...
Analyze poetry • Critique poetry Explicate a poem Scan a poem Read poetry aloud Perform poetry Become inspired Master the basics Turn prose into poetry Overcome writer's block Be a poet
How to write ...
A poem • A song A metaphor • A couplet Dark poems • Emo poetry Emotional poetry Gothic poetry Love poetry • Nature poetry Metered verse • Rhyming verse A meaningful poem Good poetry
How to write ...
Acrostic poetry • Ballads Cinquains • Concrete poetry Epic poetry  • Free verse Ghazals • Haiku • Limericks Sestinas • Sonnets • Tanka Tetactrys poetry • Tyburn poetry Villanelles
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You suddenly have to write a poem. Say, for instance, that you're a student, and your poetry assignment is due tomorrow. You have no idea what to do. Let this easy-as-123 method get it done and over with -- and it could get you an A!

Steps

1. Think of a natural topic that normally inspires strong reaction from observers -- for example, a waterfall.
2. Imagine yourself there in person looking at the waterfall. What does it look like: what words best describe its size, its shape, its colours, its motion? How does it sound; loud or soft? How does the air feel on your body: hot or cold, dry or wet? These things that you imagine about the waterfall are its images.
3. Think of and list words that best describe each of these images of the waterfall. Those will be the "keywords" of your poem.
4. Start constructing your poem using your keywords. In general, it is best to use synonyms of a word (even a keyword) rather than repeating that word; repeating the same image is usually not as effective as showing a new one (or a new facet of another one). However, that is "in general" - you might find one word you particularly like, and wish to repeat.
5. A great thing about free verse poems is that you do not need to worry about rhyme, meter, or sentence structure. It is important that your poem has a natural flow to it, from first impressions of the waterfall to some concluding thought; but you can put the poem in order later by rearranging your lines.
6. Remember that a free verse poem is constructed in "verse" or lines -- not in sentences and paragraphs, as with prose -- so you have to start a new line every so often. But since you don't have rhyme or meter to tell you where to break your lines, how do you know where to break them? You can follow either of these two simple rules, or use the two in different spots:
   1. Put your line breaks where you would put punctuation in prose, which is normally where you would pause for a quick breath when speaking.
   2. Since the last word of each line gets the most attention (because it is where the reader pauses momentarily), you can take advantage of that by ending your lines at your best or strongest words (which will usually be keywords).
   3. You can combine both rules, for an even stronger poem, by rearranging lines to put thier strongest words at their ends.
7. In a poem, sounds are importantl probaby the most important thing after the images.. Every so often, stop and read everything you have: out loud. If you hit a boring line, or a tongue-twister, revise; on the other hand, if you find a line that works exceptionally well, keep it, even if you have to change the lines above and below it to make it fit..Alliteration (words that start with the same sound), assonance (groups of the same vowel sound), and consonance (clusters of the same consonant sound) all stand out, so use them. Another simple sound device is onomatopoeia: words that sound like what they're describing. In this case, L or SH words can sound like running water, while R or even harder B consonant groups can evoke the roar or boom of the falls.

Tips

1. Use plenty of imagery. In plain language, that means: use descriptive words that appeal to the senses. Describe how the waterfall looks and sounds, how the spray from it feels, and even how the air smells.
2. A way to impress your teacher (or any other reader) is to use metaphors, alliteration, and other sound devices and figures of speech. But don't overdo it, as too many metaphors can confuse the reader, and too much alliteration can distract from your imagery.

Things You'll Need

• Pen/pencil,
• Paper - especially lined paper
• Computer and printer (optional)

External links

• How to write free verse, eHow.