Non Fiction

Evolution of a Poem

Samantha Viles

Much like the evolution of man started with a single cell, a poem often begins as a notion or idea in our mind. We apply thought and emotion to determine how well we deliver our message hoping to create a masterpiece of poetry to last through the ages. Poetry has been with us since the time of Homer and before. What started out as verbal history was put into verse, creating a legacy of poetic greatness.

Write for yourself first. Reality – Is every poem a masterpiece? No it will not be in the eyes of your audience. For the poet? Perhaps. Every poet writes for his or her own reason. Some for emotional release, some for enjoyment, some for fame. There is certainly no generic answer that would fit all poets. Those who truly want to achieve will study the art by reading the great poets, by reading books on poetry, or taking classes. Poetry is not so different than anything else in life. You have to work at it to achieve your goals

The notion or idea is where your poem begins. What inspired the poem? Inspiration will be different from person to person, but the same. Birth, death, joy, sadness. We as writers find our Muse in the same things but it is how we put it to paper that is different and unique. Think about how you want to say what you are going to say. Learn the basic tools of poetry such as metaphor, rhythm and rhyme to name a few. There are many tools to explore depending on your style and purpose of the poetry you write.

Once you’ve planted the seed, apply thought to your idea. Be original. How many poems have been written about true love? Make sure your “roses are red and violets are blue” in their own way. The topic is the same but the reaction and emotion is different for us all. Presentation will make the poem. The poems we remember are the ones written differently than the others. Use your words to invoke emotion when someone reads your work. As a poet you want the reader to be touched by what they read.

The message here is really that you cannot simply look at a piece of paper and have a poem magically appear. There is a process for poetry just as there is for fiction and non fiction. You have to start somewhere. Find a great poet. Find a great school of poetry to study. Remember the mightiest oak starts with an acorn.