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Poetry Writing

I have forgotten most of the literature theories they taught me in high school, so what's here is purely from the appreciative point of view. And the purpose of writing this is not to lecture, but to let people know what I like about poetry, so the world will write more poetries that I like. =D

Purpose-wise, there are two types of content: emotion and message. Emotion is where you write to express your feelings. Message is where you write to convey an idea or to 'educate'. Now these have to be put across to the readers through these aspects:

1. Connotation

Or, word usage. The English language has specific words such as "gaze", "linger", "crash"; as opposed to generic words such as "look", "stay", "fall". Specific words carry specific emotions with them (e.g. "linger" implies underlying sorrow or regret), so choose one that expresses exactly what you mean, no more and no less (of course, best that one can). It is not always that specific words are better. Generic words can be good to convey simplicity, a light atmosphere, or a detached feeling.

Word efficiency is also important. If you aim for intensive emotion or urgent message, use few, strong words. Redundant words weaken the intensity of a poem and loosen the flow. In contrast, if you're using descriptions to build up emotions, more words are often necessary. But still, avoid redundancy.

2. Rhythm

In general, rhythm is defined through line and verse breaks. Even for a written poem, we usually recite it in our head when reading. A rhythm creates a sort of flow for the words, making a poem feel smooth. It can also set the desired atmosphere, for example, short lines and short verses give an efficient, no-nonsense feel. I can't really describe how it should be composed; it is all a matter of feel, and purpose. Even a chaotic rhythm (rhythm nevertheless) can be good if that is what the poem intend to express.

3. Rhyme

Classical poetry placed much emphasis in rhyme, but modern poetry is not much for it. For me rhyme is mostly to aid in rhythm and feel of the poem. It is usually not easy to find words that rhyme and at the same time fit perfectly in meaning, and it's a big no-no to put in a useless word just to make it rhyme.

When all is said and done, it's how you connect with the readers. As my favourite saying goes, what comes from the heart goes to the heart. Being fellow humans, we are bound to experience similar emotions. So if you write what you truly feel, they will be able to connect with it when they read it.

16 March 2006