Rules for Writing Better Poetry

Few would argue that Neil Young’s hit ballad, “Heart of Gold” contains lyrical gold. I can hear the melody and his signature voice sing these verses:

Keep me searching, for a heart of gold,
You keep me searching and I’m growing old,
Keep me searching for a heart of gold,
I’ve been a miner for a heart of gold.

Young’s lyrics express a desperate search for true love and companionship. Similarly, every poet writes in search of their “poem of gold” that shines brighter than the last, the special one that could bring them recognition and appreciation, or even love.

To accomplish such a goal requires a never ending process of improving the poet’s technical skills, the ability to articulate life experiences in melodic verse, and to sift through the cosmos of events that may make a poem timely, or timeless. But it goes beyond even those complex talents. Layers of new cultural developments, the changing tastes of an audience, and new delivery platforms have an impact on all the arts including poetry. Not even common conventions within the scholarly halls that define standards of the poetry community remain static.

These considerations can be overwhelming for artists of all sorts, who in general are sensitive characters. A poet is always hopeful as they look for the head nod, the sly smile of appreciation, or an emotional release of breath, any sign that signals emotional approval from a reader of the poem.

So, the question looms – how does a poet go about making the next poem better than the last? And when, oh when, can the poet write that special poem that becomes their “heart of gold?”

I am encouraged as I reflect on how early works of great poets might have read. I suspect that famous poets of the Renaissance such as Shakespeare and Marlow, as well as Victorian era poets Tennyson and Browning launched their share of waded projectiles into the trash heap! Of course, we will never be able to evaluate their earliest work that may have survived the “projectile” stage only to remain fettered to the unpublished darkness.

To study this question further, we must acknowledge the struggle to identify good poetry in a genre where its evaluation is largely subjective. For example, if I were to ask five people experienced in reading and writing poetry what constitutes good poetry, there would most assuredly be inconsistencies in their responses. With that knowledge, I am going to approach five key areas of focus that would generally be elements that all five respondents would agree are important to the writing of good poetry.

A. Structural Basics of Poetry

According to Mary Oliver, in her book A Poetry Handbook, A Prose Guide to Understanding and Writing Poetry, “Poets are born and not made in school. This is true also of painters, sculptors, and musicians. Something that is essential can’t be taught” (Introduction). Oliver was talking about the complete poet as an entity that is not only learned in the fundamental craft, but also the personal characteristics that “can only be given, or earned, or formulated in a manner too mysterious to be picked apart and redesigned for the next person.” (Introduction).

The attributes of which she speaks are of sensual awareness, a mindfulness of what cannot be seen but is felt and then expressed in the words of the poem. So, with those thoughts, I can conclude that the written document must be written with good fundamental poetic form but is best served by including certain mystical elements, thoughts of the heart, if you will. I would argue that much of the beauty of a poem comes from those unteachable qualities of which Oliver speaks.

I think we can agree that a well-tuned mindfulness which Oliver refers to would logically come at some level of emotional maturity. Though there is clearly a relationship between how many years a person has lived and their variety and depth of life experiences, it is the latter that would have the greater capability to promote the maturity necessary to recognize life’s deeper meanings, i.e., to become more sensually aware.

Related to these thoughts, J. Warner Wallace in his book God’s Crime Scene describes a concept of mental dualism, the physical brains vs our thoughts, in a way that aligns with Oliver. He writes, “Dualism describes mind and matter as two distinct categories of being. There are mental states, such as conscious thoughts, and there are physical objects, such as brains. They are different and they coexist in the universe,” (135). His evidential argument says that God, as the creator who is “external” to the physical universe, provides evidence of a sensual awareness that is “external” to our physical brain. Such evidence suggests this is a trait he shared with humankind. Therefore, within these conscious thoughts is a limitless supply of sensual awareness for all of us, whether we are artist or artisan, preacher, or teacher.

Turning our attention to a poem’s text, let me acknowledge that much of modern poetry receiving plaudits eschews poetic convention in search of originality. This begs the question, “can good poetic form be taught?” I will pause to state that I am referring to poetry on a page, not on a stage, which gets increased attention with streaming videos, blogs, and other web based tools. Caron Freeborn in her article “Reflections on Teaching Poetry,” makes a distinction between the two related genres when she says, “poetry for the stage has to be immediate, surface; it has to grab and hold attention in a one night stand with the audience,” (38). She adds that poetry on the stage has more to do with music than does poetry on a page. It is part performance, and part poetry. Its oral delivery allows for a more complex meaning than poetry only on a page.

In terms of teaching written poetry, Freeborn adds, “my instincts may be maverick but to press on without considering what it is we are offering is not education or even mentoring but solipsism” (37). I feel like I need to expand Freeborn’s point on “solipsism” as an interesting word that has particular application in poetry. Essentially, Freeborn is wrestling with the importance of teaching formal poetic structure while simultaneously recognizing that as an artform, a poem belongs to the mind of the poet. As a student of poetry, which ear do I listen with, the one learning pedagogical poetic structure, or the writing voice in my own mind? Which should be dominant? The latter is the more solipsistic view. The answer is clear in its turbidity. Afterall, this is art!

This dualistic frame of reference is liberating, and it is that freedom to embrace the poet’s solipsism that helps to distinguish poets from writers of prose. It is also in line with Wallace’s description of mindfulness. To tap the breaks a bit, if poets abandon too much poetic convention, they may well produce little more than an aphoristic euphemism. Poetry, whether classic or modern, must embrace some of poetry’s line, image, and sound, to be effective.

Oliver agrees with Freeborn’s reference to the importance of formal poetic language when she teaches the criticality of a poem’s tone. She says, “the overall effect of the diction of a piece of writing in addition to other elements, such as choice of subject, imagery, design of the poem, etc., is called tone,” (76). She seems to be saying tone and the sense of formality are what makes a poem different from ordinary rhetoric, both metrically and intended formality.

Another discovery deserving of more attention is the poem’s title. Too often in the past I have been anxious to move forward with my thoughts and have failed to patiently uncover a compelling title. I have discovered that this helter-skelter approach can easily detract from an otherwise good poem.

To ponder the titling process, one must consider the tone of the poem as earlier defined by Oliver. Is the intended tone gruesome, grotesque, fearful, hopeful, spiritual? Tone should be a strong determinant in the naming process. Then again, can an engaging title be as simple as playing of a key word, say, “Dream,” if the poem comes from a dream or, “Winter,” if the poem reflects a cold, snowy scene? These methods may be simply expedient, or they can be appropriate. Either way, we need to give more weight to the titling of a poem.

Wilber H. Sowder Jr. in his article titled “When the Words Get in the Way: Teaching the Craft of Poetry,” suggests a different approach when he says, “withholding a title requires students [of poetry] to reread and reflect, to evaluate all elements of the poem, and to synthesize them in a title,” (64). This pedagogical approach emphasizes the importance of naming a poem, of introducing the idea of the poem, with some intrigue, mystery, misdirection, and forethought. It should lead the reader to the poem and into the poem, as an opening invitation to “be with me, be with me, here, now” (41).

B. Benefits of Reading Poetry

I was initially awakened to poetry in the reading of scripture. Dana Gioia’s article, “Christianity and Poetry,” reinforces this connection by explaining that a full third of the Bible is written in verse. The prophetic books are mostly verse, the wisdom books are all poems of different genres and the five books of Moses contain poetic passages. He adds references to poetry throughout the gospels and epistles and other places. The essence of his thoughts come in in the poem, “The Magnificat”, expressed by Mary. Why not just say it in plain language rather than a poem, so we can better understand the most important event in Christianity? Gioia responds, “Prose cannot express the extent of Mary’s wonder, joy, and gratitude. Plain statement will not evoke the unique miracle of God’s becoming man. The incarnation requires an ode, not an email,” (3).

I want to add another observation about the value of reading poetry and the impact that reading poetry has had on my authorship. I own a book titled Emily Dickinson Poetry, a Collection. I instantly fell in love with the poetry of this 19th century, recluse poet. She did not write with the intention of publishing her poetry. Ralph Waldo Emerson called it the “poetry of the portfolio, which was produced without thought to publication” (Dickinson’s Collection, Preface). Very few of her roughly 1,800 poems were published during her lifetime.

Without losing myself to her story, let me say that I have cried over many of these poems, laughed over others, wrote “awesome”, and wrote unmentionables in the margins. Reading her taught me how to weave nature into verse, how to use enjambment effectively, how to enjoy the ease and trickery of slant rhyme, and the power of the proper use of metaphor and simile.

However, the most enduring lessons came from writing imitations of some of her poems. On several occasions, I began drafting an imitation poem in the margins of her poetry. I completed many, some of them turned out well while others were simply a bridge too far. The lesson here is that to get better at writing poetry, we must read good poetry. If you don’t have an inspiring, Dickinsonian plinth to support your life as a poet, find one! When you do, write your best imitations. The process will prove inspirational and invaluable to making you a better poet.

C. Poetry Canon

What is poetic canon and why is it important to the consideration of good poetry? First, think of the word canon as coming from the root Hebrew-Greek word meaning “cane” or “measuring rod” passed into Christian usage. So, it is a reference to the measurement of a poem, or typically a poem anthology, as a body of work considered to be the most important and influential of a particular time and place. It serves as an important standard for determining the quality and long-term value of any given work of poetry.

In Alan Golding’s book titled From Outlaw to Classic Canons of American Poetry, he tells us that two schools of thought govern recent thinking of the formation of canons in American poetry. One is governed by academic institutions through criticism, reviewing and teaching, commonly referred to as the institutional model; its governance is also influenced by the publishing industry. The other, Golding calls, “the aesthetic or poet based model holding that canons are mainly the creation of the poets themselves,” (41). He goes on to say that “the most useful model of canon formation in American poetry is one that draws on and synthesizes these two models,” (Golding, page 41).

We have found then that the canonization of poetry, both individually and as an anthology, is a body of work whose importance is recognized institutionally, or within a community of recognized poets themselves.
The question now is what to do with these poetry canons? Oliver would propose that “to write well it is entirely necessary to read widely and deeply,” (10). Of course, this would apply to all poetry including canonized poetry. To which I respond that much canonicity is based on old, if not ancient poets’ work. Do I want to learn old, ancient poetic forms and disciplines? That’s not me! As I persevere however, and read more canonized poets like Shakespeare, Dickens, and Milton, it is easy to see why their work is canonized.

Their work is excellent stylistically and even though it is reflective of their time, it has demonstrated long-term value. Oliver agrees, arguing that new creative forces are typically built on the past even though they continue on in different ways. She adds that “to be contemporary is to rise through the stack of the past, like the fire through the mountain,” (12). I am hearing her say that to tap into those creative forces, you must learn from past poetry as a foundation from which you can develop your writing skills.

Clearly, convincingly, a good poet of the page must be a good poet “in” the page, as an avid reader of poetry. Canonical poetry for the reasons stated, should be a part of that reading and we must add layers of poetry from throughout history up to and including contemporary writers to create our own poetry culture.

D. Recognizing Bad Poetry

The title of this section within a paper that seeks to improve poem writing skills, may sound counterintuitive. However, it was only after researching bad poetry that I realized there is much to be learned from it. I decided that I must learn what constitutes bad poetry without condemning it. A reader’s personal taste should not be part of the equation. Here, I am talking about poems with identifiable flaws, not poems that do not suit my personal preferences.

Elizabeth Barrette in her Wordsmith Forge LifeJournal blog lists twelve characteristics of bad poetry in the post, “How to Recognize Bad Poetry.” I will focus on a few of them, beginning with erratic meter. I have learned in my own writing that it is easy to stray from a solid rhythmic sound in search of a rhyme or in developing a story line. Erratic meter is most easily identified when reading a poem aloud though it can be felt in silent reading as well. Barrette says, “A good poem if intended to have meter, has a fluent meter that flows gracefully when read aloud. It need not be perfectly regular as variations add interest; but it must be pronounceable,” (Wordsmith Forge LifeJournal webpage).

So, it seems that to stray from the constancy of a repeated rhythm can be an intended tool, but it is risky. The risk may pay off if the interruption of the rhythm has meaning such as a single word on a line, where the word is significant and clearly enhances your intentions. However, it is puzzling, irritating even, for the reader if the poet changes rhythms arbitrarily. Oliver contends that this discipline “is true to both metrical verse and free verse poems, even though the pattern in free form poems is less mathematically measurable than it is in metric verse,” (43).

I was particularly drawn to misused techniques in Barrette’s blog article where she says, “Poorly chosen allusions, mixed metaphors, overused similes, awkward alliteration, these are examples of technique gone wrong,” (Wordsmith Forge LifeJournal webpage). Imagery, meter, rhyme, and line structure used properly are what makes a poem a poem instead of a narrative or other type of writing. As I read and write more poetry, reading poet masters and using these techniques myself, I am becoming more sensitive to their misuse and confident in my ability to identify them.

Barrette adds a few others to be avoided, including cliched imagery, cacophonous sound, and prose flavor. Cliched imagery is the clearest, as one thinks of “red as a rose” for example. The tricky thing for the poet is that they always jump in line of mind, exactly because they are cliché. However, this provides a basis for adaptation once clichés become front of mind.

A cacophonous sound suggests that the poem be read aloud, a recommended theme throughout all my research. Barrette says that “a good poem sounds delicious in the ear. A bad one makes listeners wince when they hear it. Some sounds [just] don’t go well together,” (Wordsmith Forge LifeJournal webpage). These can be felt when reading silently but can more easily be heard when reading aloud.

Finally, the prose flavor issue, or as I like to call it, the “poem imposter”! Barrette refers to this flaw as one that “reveals the content to be prose disguised as poetry, most often found in free verse,” (Wordsmith Forge LifeJournal webpage). She continues, “Even free verse requires the use of some poetic techniques, and a sense of prosody,” (Wordsmith Forge LifeJournal webpage).

I must say that free verse is enjoyable to read and to write once you get the hang of it. However, Barrette also tells us that it is the easiest form to get away from us, to become the “poem imposter”. Remember, free verse has neither rhyme nor meter, so the writer has to incorporate other poetic elements. Be sure to read it aloud to confirm that it sounds “delicious” to the ear as Barrette requires.

Further, to hear free verse on stage vs. the page can be a compelling experience. The same can be said of blank verse, which is metrical verse without rhyme. The performance of these styles on stage is captivating if it is performed with soulful talent. You might think Brandon Leake, Sarah Kay, Shane Koyczan, and those found on A Poetry Channel – YouTube, to name a few. Though performance poetry needs to embrace poetic technique as referenced above, it is enriched by physical expressions. It is also usually staged with music, intentional lighting, and formal stage sets.

Hermann Hesse in his article, “Poetry, a Magazine of Verse; Bad Poetry,” offers a less academic, if slightly humorous, evaluation of bad poetry. Though this resource dates from the 1940’s, his arguments still resonate with me. He begins by saying, “In its beginnings, a poem is something very simple and spontaneous. It is a release, a call, a cry, a sigh, a motion by which a soul seeks to ward off or realize a wave of impulse,” (204). I hear him saying that no one has the right to criticize the inspiration of the authentic poet, except the poet himself.

As I critique my own poetry, I design some poems to inspire, others to be things of beauty, still others to be disturbing. Many of them are personal stories conveyed in a poem genre. I very much hope that all of them are relatable to the reader as if they were a facet of their own life. This is a feature I try to communicate by routinely asking myself if my poem is relatable. I don’t discard the personal, less relatable poems because they are authentically me, and oftentimes cathartic.

Hesse’s commentary does not address the technical aspects, even the mysterious aspects, of good or bad poetry. So why is this article of interest and how might it improve my poetry? The critical message from Hesse is the reminder that my poetry is just that, “my poetry”. Yes, I am bound by poetic convention if I am to produce what will live long as good poetry, but I want to write what is authentic to me. This thought encourages me to go on with my writing, even when I am an occasional prisoner of erratic meter, misused technique, cliched imagery, cacophonous sound, or prose flavor.

E. Ethic of Expediency

As I began to read Steven Katz’s article titled, “The Ethic of Expediency: Classical Rhetoric, Technology and the Holocaust,” I found an important connection between ethics, technology, and creative writing of all types. The connection is complete in the exponential growth of social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook. My contention is that these platforms may well be subtly impacting the conventions of good poetry.

If you read the Katz article, you will find that it is based on a memo written by a Nazi German officer in June 1942 on technical improvements to the vans being used in the early Nazi programs to exterminate “Jews and other undesirables.” As distasteful as this topic is, and author Steven Katz goes out of his way to say so, he describes the memo as an almost perfect document in terms of requirements for technical communication. At the same time, the document for the sake of technical expedience, totally ignores the unethical purpose of the recommended improvements – to kill Jews more efficiently.

Herein lies his premise that “technology becomes both a means and an end,” (266) and that “it usurps the traditional institutional framework of social customs, values and beliefs,” (266). Obviously, this speaks to the expediency alone provided by technological advancements without regard to accepted morals and social customs.

Therein lies my hypothesis that technologically more capable, more accessible, delivery channel platforms have the potential to become both the means and end to the creation of good poetry. Let’s explore the question with something as simple as typing font. The website, “8 Best Fonts for Poetry and Why It Matters-Creative Writing,” prescribes eight fonts that are best for a poem, even providing a convincing argument as to how different font styles can influence a poem’s message. Does it even matter if that is true? The fact is that the site exists, and hundreds of comparable sites are on the web from which poets can buy themes, designs, graphics and more to display and communicate their poetry.

I think we can agree that these aids do not add scholarly value to good poetry, but the growth in social platforms, facilitated by technology advances, invite such sites into the poetry scene. These platforms are “delivery-centric” and for good reason. They are relatively new to the poetry genre and the value they bring is not to the poetry itself but to its presentation. The mores of good poetry as defined by academia are secondary. Analogous to this all-business approach, the German officer in June 1942 was not concerned about the murder of Jews. His memo was entirely devoted to the technical improvements of the vans.

I realize that Katz’s holocaust introduction to his article is repulsive. However, I think my essay would be incomplete if it were to ignore the impact that technological advances have, and will continue to have, on poetry. All poetry starts out on a piece of paper, generally on a computer keyboard I might add. However, the journey from that paper to a reader’s eyes and ears would seem to be getting shorter, with less rigorous oversight, thus reaching a wider audience that in its lack of discipline, is attracted to a more inventive poetic artform.

F. Conclusion

I have a riddle of learnings as I conclude this essay on how to improve my poetry. I think the key is in syncretizing two critical considerations. First, we must write in areas where we are most passionate. There we find transparent authenticity and inspiration. Secondly, we must show faithful obedience to the pedagogical conventions of meter, rhythm, line, and rhyme, while always watching to avoid common pitfalls pointed out by Barrette and Hesse.

I have determined further that the answer is not an epistemological destination but a lifelong journey; a journey that is glorious and ordinary, painful, and peaceful, spiritual, and physical, empowering, and exhausting. Like most challenges in my life, I will no doubt conclude that that satisfying place of heartfelt comfort is where I have written what God would have me write. While I do not confine my poetry to spiritually inspired matters, they are the root of my poetic tree.

I have put together a list of my learnings, Exhibit 1. The list now occupies a space on the wall of my writing office. It is a simple list that will no doubt be continually edited for as long as I write. I am satisfied to have found these tools, ideas and quotable statements that undoubtedly will allow me, and perhaps those who came along for this ride, to write better poetry.

I will end where I began with a stanza from another Neil Young song, “Out on the Weekend.” A poet will appreciate that I would rename the song, “A Poet’s Lament”:

See a lonely boy out on the weekend,
Trying to make it pay,
Can’t relate to joy, he tries to speak and,
Can’t begin to say.

Exhibit 1
“Eight Rules to Improve Poetry Writing Skills”

1. Never give up! Modify it, pray over it, sleep on it . . . If you want to be a poet, never give up.

2. Be patient in the revealing of your sensual awareness. As a mindful trait God gave each of us, this is a key ingredient to writing the feeling you seek to share.

3. Read all forms of poetry, often. Include older, classic as well as contemporary poetry.

4. Write imitation poetry. Imitate styles and traits of well-known authors. Find your favorites who will ground you and inspire you.

5. Consider a poem’s title thoughtfully. A good title is worth many lines of good verse.

6. Read your poetry aloud as well as silently. Listen to determine if it is “delicious” to the ear.

7. Maintain an awareness of proper technique. Avoid poor allusion, mixt metaphors, overused simile, awkward alliteration, imagery cliches, cacophonous sounds and prose imposters.

8. Be authentic; be true to yourself. The sole source of your poem is your own mind.

GROW AND MODIFY THIS LIST AS YOUR WRITING SKILLS IMPROVE IN ORDER TO CONTINUALLY ELEVATE THE QUALITY OF YOUR POETRY.

Works Cited:

Barrette, E. (2009). Poetry in Community. Communities, (142), 60-61, 79.
How to Recognize BAD Poetry – The Wordsmith’s Forge — LiveJournal

Dickinson, Emily, Poetry Collection, (2020) ICGtesting, Printed in the USA, LaVerge, Tn.

8 Best Fonts For Poetry and Why it Matters – Creative Market Blog; January 21, 2022, Creative Market, http://creativemarket.com/blog/best-fonts-for-poetry

Freeborn, Caron. “Reflections on Teaching Poetry.” Book 2.0. 6.1 (2016): 35–45. Web.

Gioia, D. (2022). CHRISTIANITY AND POETRY: A MONTHLY JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND PUBLIC LIFE. First Things, , 1-22. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/liberty.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/christianity-poetry/docview/2701148079/se-2

Golding, Alan C. From Outlaw to Classic Canons in American Poetry. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1995. Print.

Hesse, H., & House, R. T. (1947). “Bad” Poetry. Poetry, 70(4), 202–205. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20590131

Katz, S. B. (1992). The Ethic of Expediency: Classical Rhetoric, Technology, and the Holocaust. College English, 54(3), 255. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/liberty.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/ethic-expediency-classical-rhetoric-technology/docview/236919327/se-2

Oliver Mary, “A Poetry Handbook, A Prose Guide to Understanding and Writing Poetry”, (1994). New York, New York, Mariner Books.

Wallace, J. Warner, “God’s Crime Scene” (2015) Published by David C. Cook, 4050 Lee Vance Drive, Colorado Springs, Co.

Sowder, Wilber H. Jr., (2006) When the Words Get in the Way: Teaching the Craft of Poetry, English Journal, 96(1), 62-65.

Young, Neil “Heart of Gold” Lyrics/AZ Lyrics.com
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj5zJLEhv76AhXYk2oFHU3rB80QFnoECCEQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.azlyrics.com%2Flyrics%2Fneilyoung%2Fheartofgold.html&usg=AOvVaw1xVKJz0Q9SpJfKMXUdbBvZ

Neil Young – Out on the Weekend Lyrics | Genius Lyrics

Note: This essay was written as a part of my graduate school of study, “Master of Fine Arts-Creative Writing”, Liberty University, 2022