How to Write a Poem: a Resource Guide

poetry noun

: writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in language chosen and arranged to create a specific emotional response through meaning, sound, and rhythm

The word poet, which has been in use in English for more than 600 years, comes from the Greek word poiētēs, itself from poiein, meaning "to make." The word also shares an ancestor with the Sanskrit word cinoti, meaning "he gathers, heaps up."

https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/the-history-of-the-word-poet

Poetry is form of structured literary writing that can express ideas, feelings, and imagery in compact form in a way that fiction and other artistic writing cannot. The best way to prepare to write poetry is of course to study the way one’s favorite poets have done it. It’s also good to know something about the mechanics of rhyme, verse, and technique. Here are some sources that can provide guidance for those who would like to write poetry.

Rules of Writing Poetry:

Poetry doesn’t have to rhyme.
Poetry doesn’t have to make sense.
It needs plenty of details.
Keep an open mind as you write.
As a suggestion create a list of topics that you know are already on you mind at the moment.
Add your true feelings and ideas to whatever you decide to write about.
Always remember to put tons of feeling into it and make sure you keep the memories in mind because it can always help you create a really good poem.
Have help from a friend or family member (as a peer editor).
Think before you begin writing poetry.
Take a moment to write a list and check off the topics along the way.

SOURCE: https://twowritingteachers.org/2007/06/24/the-rules-of-writing-poetry/

Suggested Resources:

“What is Poetry?” (Paris Review)

https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2015/04/21/write-tight/

"Poetry" (Encyclopedia Britannica)

https://www.britannica.com/art/poetry

How to Write a Poem by Ryan, Margaret. (Grolier, 1996)

https://fulcolibrary.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S171C343326

How to Write A Poem by Dessner, Lawrence Jay. (NYU Pr, 1979)

https://fulcolibrary.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S171C1027551

All the Fun's in How You Say A Thing: An Explanation of Meter and Versification

by Steele, Timothy (Ohio Univ Pr, 1999)

https://fulcolibrary.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S171C400743

The Ode Less Travelled, Unlocking the Poet Within. By Fry, Stephen (Gotham Books, 2006)

https://fulcolibrary.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S171C678093