How to Write a Really Great Poem

Writing poetry is more than just finding a sequence of words that rhyme. Most pre-schoolers know a thing or two about rhyming words; coming up with a clever and well-worded poem takes a bit more of a challenge. Think of Dr.Seuss--his books are full of simple little rhymes, but he arranges the words in a creative and fun way! For example: "I do not like green eggs and ham! I do not like them, Sam I am". However, finding simple words that rhyme is a good place to start if you are a beginner at poetry; just avoid getting too rhymie.

Maybe you have an assignment to write a poem about a specific subject, or maybe you have no idea what you want to write about. Either way, I have come up with four key words you will need to help get the ball rolling. Back when I was an elementary student, anyone who wore glasses automatically earned the nickname 'four eyes'. As a tribute to the word-nerd in me, I have come up with the four 'I's of poetry. So the next time you go about writing a poem, just remember me and my four eyes, er... 'I's: Inspiration, Information, Imagination, and Indication.

• Inspiration:
Know what inspires you. Raindrops? Sunshine? Mountains? Love? What is near and dear to your heart?


• Information:
Know your subject! The more you know about the main subject of your poem, the more writing material you have readily available.


• Imagination:
Be creative! Use a few uncommon words to make your poem sound more interesting, for example. Keep a thesaurus nearby to help get your creative juices flowing.


• Indication:
What is the goal of your poem? What are you trying to say? Be clear about what your point of the poem is, and stay focused on the goal.

Once you know your four 'I's, try to keep a nice rhythmn to your poem. Every line doesn't have to rhyme, just make sure that your poem is easy and pleasurable to read. Usually, this comes down to simply avoiding overly long or overly short sentences. Try to keep your sentences relatively the same length. Your intro should tell the reader what your poem is about, the body, or middle of the poem should further emphasize your point. The ending of the poem should make your final thought very clear, so that the reader knows exactly what you were trying to get across with your poem.

Do you know your

A B C'S ?

You may be surprised to learn why I'm asking such a question. I am about to let you in on a secret that I have never revealed to anyone before: I recite the alphabet almost every time I write a poem! If you are now picturing me singing the Sesame Street version of the alphabet, ending with "now I know my ABC's, next time won't you sing with me", let me assure you that this is not what I meant.

What I do mean, is that I refer to the alphabet to help me come up with the next most fitting word for my poem, usually the word that I want to rhyme with the last word of the previous sentence.

So if my first sentence is:

You're the one with a bright tomorrow, regardless of the setting of the sun,

I need a word that rhymes with sun. Starting at the beginning of the alphabet, I will just try different words until I come up with the one that most satisfies me. Sun is an easy word to rhyme, so this shouldn't be difficult. Let's try it: Hmmm...done, fun, pun, run, ton, won (I only included words here that would actually make sense for the next line of my poem)

Anything jump out at you? Well, once I made it to the word run, I found my sentence, and it goes like this:

You're the one with a bright tomorrow, regardless of the setting of the sun
While others talk the talk, you walk the walk; and if need be you run

I only do this when an appropriate rhyming word for my next line doesn't automatically jump out at me. As silly as it may sound, I have found this method to work well. In fact, the above example came from an actual poem that I've written, called A Driven Soul, which you will find in its entirety on this lens.

So you have your Inspiration, Information, Imagination,and Indication? Great! We won't waste any time getting started. There are many forms and styles of poetry, such as haiku, but for now we will focus on the basic rhyming poem. Below, I have provided an example for you to use. Feel free to use my example as a guideline, but don't be afraid to exercise your own creativity as well!

For my example poem, we will write about a subject everyone should be able to relate to: mom. (I will keep this poem simple for the example.) Try to write your own "mom" poem following my example. Replace my lines with your own.

Let's begin. We are writing about mom, so now we are going to create our first line. (Keep your four 'I's in mind here...)

I've come up with: Mom, you've done so much for me...I could not tell it all

Now we need the second line. Go ahead and try the ABC method to see if you can think of a good word here.

I found the word I wanted when I got to the letter "f", for the word "fall". So here would be my second line:

You pick me up when I am down, you catch me when I fall.

Now that we have gotten this far, lets do some brainstorming. What else could we say about mom?

I think that my mom would like to hear more about how she has encouraged me over the years, so I will continue to use my poem to tell her about it.

Time for the next line:

I've decided on: You've been more than a mother, you've been a friend so true.

(Use the ABC method again here) This time I found my word when I got to the letter "t", for the word "through", so the line goes:

You've picked me up and carried me, when I could not make it through.

Here is the poem so far:

Mom, you've done so much for me...I could not tell it all
You pick me up when I am down, you catch me when I fall
You've been more than a mother, you've been a friend so true
You've picked me up and carried me, when I could not make it through

*Now challenge yourself to complete the remainder of the poem, using the ABC method when you need it, and keeping the four 'I's in mind. Think outside the box--don't just choose the first line that comes to your mind. Exercise your creativity and try a few different options before making a final decision about what to write next. Like I mentioned in another section on this lens, try using a thesaurus!

A Driven Soul

You're the one with a bright tomorrow, regardless of the setting of the sun
While others talk the talk, you walk the walk; and if need be you run
Fear is a foreign word to you; it's just something that others feel
Yet strength is a word defined by you; if ever you can, you will

Adversity is only a hindrance to the path you are destined to own
You push back the walls set before you, and proceed to just keep moving on
It is a race; and you run it...wiping the sweat from your brow

You are tired. You are weary. You are broken...
Yet nothing can stop you now
You have made up your mind, you will conquer!
You will never give in to defeat!
Your heart beats from within, a rhythmn to win; and it never skips a beat

I've decided to include just this sample of my recent poetry here, because I intend to write a lens featuring many of the other poems that I have written. Another sample of a poem I have written, called America's Cry, can be found on my lens titled:

America: Still the Land of the Free?

** A Driven Soul is dedicated to my Aunt Cindy, the woman in the photo. She lost her nine year old son (pictured below) in a sledding accident, and is now battling cancer. Even still, she never ceases to spread joy everywhere she goes.

R.I.P. Kyle Dean Robertson 1/11/1991-12/14/2000