Writing poetry isn’t easy, but I’d say coming up with ideas for poems is even more challenging. Did you know that it can take decades for some poets to write a poem? C.K. Williams once said that writing one of his poems took him 25 years.
I’m not surprised. I have a few poems germinating in a digital file. Sometimes I imagine my poem drafts morphing into gorgeous pieces that blossom like magnolias all on their own, but this is never gonna happen.
Since I have difficulty coming up with ideas, I thought I’d share with you, my fellow poet, the three ways I come up with ideas. Continue reading to learn them and find out how I can help you write poetry.
What Kind of Ideas for Poems Makes “Good” Poetry?
Everyone has their own definition of what makes a poem “good.” I’ve spent a lot of time thinking and reading about the subject, only to find that there are varying interpretations of what “good” is.
Without getting into a cyclical debate on “good” poetry, I’ll say that I think poetry successfully does its job when it strikes an inner cord with the reader. And you’ll also feel this cord struck when ideas for poems suddenly come to you.
An emotional response, a human truth, a relatable scene or moment that digs deeper into what is happening on the surface. The point of poetry is to convey human experience with the bare bones of the language.
When you write poetry, you’re using essential communication tools to convey a profound experience (it doesn’t matter if you’re writing with an audience in mind or not). So, getting into what kind of ideas make good poetry?
We can always say the usual: life, love, and death. Breaking these three essential elements down is easy, and what could be said has been said before. But the point is to write poetry in your unique style and voice because there’s always another way to say the same thing.
The life experience that is unique to you influences your poetry. So, when you think about what kind of ideas are present in “good” poetry, what do you think of first?
3 Ways You Can Come Up With Ideas for Poems
I don’t just use these ways to develop ideas for poems. I also use them to start brainstorming about short story or novel ideas, but those processes have multiple levels. Different parts of my brain shift gears and work in various ways depending on what I’m writing.
On a side note: For me, it’s also crucial to collect words, so when I find words that I’d love to use in poems, I quickly jot them down in a tiny notebook I keep with me.
I hope you find my ways as helpful as I do!
1. Pick an Object Near You
Doesn’t matter where you are. I want you to pick something. It can be mundane, like a window, door, chair, or even a half-eaten meal or cold cup of coffee. Anything will do; the point is to pick an object and write about it.
From here, we can go in any direction we want. What I do is write a long description of the object, going into as much detail as possible. I love describing shapes and colors and will often research particular shades of colors until I find the closest match.
Freewrite, and don’t stop until you feel like you’ve wrung the object dry. Ask yourself, “if someone read my description, could they picture the [object] without seeing it in person?” Once you have that begin stripping it.
Cut out unnecessary words, and chisel the writing down to your absolute favorite parts of it. Take this piece, a very rough draft of a poem, and use this as a baseboard. Start playing with what you have as you think about an idea for your poem.
You’re waiting for pieces to click together in your mind, for connections to be made that jump instantaneously out at you. By giving yourself a starting point, you’ll be able to build the framework of a poem.
2. Using the Five Senses to Come Up With Ideas for Poems
I love using the five senses in my poetry. Mainly, I emphasize sight and sound since these senses are so strongly connected with my memories. I prefer relying heavily on the senses when coming up with ideas because I love imagery poetry.
Take a moment, close your eyes, and slowly think about what your body senses. Go over the five senses: taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound, and really think about what’s happening around you.
Now, write down your observations in detail. Put your writing away for a few minutes. I usually give it five to ten minutes, then reread it and pick out parts that stand out to you.
Take these parts and begin playing with them, put them together, rearrange them, expand or trim them, or build a scene. Once you begin playing with your words, your mind will open up, and the ideas will start coming.
Looking for a book about how to write poetry? I highly recommend Poemcrazy ?
3. Choose a Moment You Experienced This Week
Were you taking out the trash, and the bag broke right before you could put it in the bin? Did you receive a letter from a loved one out of the blue? Or how about you were out walking and saw an interaction between two people that made you pause?
There must be a moment that you have from this week that you can draw from. I love noticing the mundane things like if a product changes the color of its packaging labels or if the same three cigarette butts are in the same spot in a gutter I pass every day as I leave my apartment.
Not very exciting, I know, but there are many moments to think about. And you can write about any moment you want, from what you had for breakfast on Tuesday to how the people restlessly moved while in line at the post office.
Your goal here is to nail down a moment, write about it (you guessed it, in great detail), and then go from there. You’re looking for tiny slices of the human experience outside of yourself that you can dive into.
Write about the world around you, and don’t be afraid to write gibberish. Get all the details down so you can parse through them. I often find that ideas for poems will surface after I analyze my notes.
Ideas Are Everywhere You Just Have to Find Them
I meet a lot of flustered people that are trying to write. Whether they want to write more or get started, most of them don’t have any ideas for poems. Frustrated, they sometimes ask me for help.
Still, I can only say so much because I feel that writing poetry is a personal experience and it’s very easy to find a list of poetry prompts.
So what are the benefits of my three ways to come up with ideas? They work.
I gave up on poetry prompts a while ago because I was tired of trying to write about the same old stuff. I don’t want to write poetry about anything. I want to pinpoint my unique experiences and observations and root my poetry in them.
Your Favorite Creative Writing Mentor
I hope my ways help you come up with ideas for poems. There’s nothing I love more than helping my fellow poets and writers succeed. And I’m always looking for the best books on writing and new resources I can share.
But if you feel like you need some extra help writing poetry or any type of creative writing project you’re working on, I can help. You can book a 90-minute zoom session with me, and I’ll work with you one-on-one as your favorite creative writing mentor.
I’m always open to finding a budget and schedule that works for both of us! ?
Interested? You can learn more about how I’ll be your favorite creative writing mentor and the additional services I offer. Feel free to email me anytime at alinahappyhansenwriter@gmail.com, I can’t wait to connect with you!
Want to read some of my poetry? Check out my Poetry Archives!
