Welcome to the blog–Poetry Line by Line. If you’re looking for easy to follow lessons on understanding and writing poetry, then you’re in the right place.
What is poetry?
Poetry is a form of creative writing which includes repetitive sounds that appeal to the listener and relies on minimal word choice. Even more simply–it sounds nice when read aloud and what it says, it does in as few words as possible. As poets, it can be a challenge to contain our ideas into a few stanzas or a few lines. But doing so can be a profound form of communication.
Poets use verse to express emotions, highlight human experiences, document the existence of something alive or inanimate, to tell a story in a unique way, and for countless other purposes. When we’re analyzing poetry, we can look for these elements to help us understand the poet’s message. As writers, we can tap into these purposes for ourselves.
Categories
This blog contains 3 categories:
- 1. Poetry Lessons–where we learn about poetry terms in general and also find inspiration for writing our own poems.
- 2. Original Poetry–poems I’ve written either recently or over the years that offer examples of the concepts we study.
- 3. Poetry Analysis–a chance to understand the writing of published poets of various time periods. My favorite poets are Gary Soto and Joy Harjo, so we’ll explore those two poets more than once!
Line by Line
To understand and to write poetry, we must tackle it one line at a time. Every word is chosen for a purpose and we must either decide or figure out what that purpose is. Whether we are poetry writers, or students of poetry, we can enjoy what it offers and honor its complexities.
I hope you enjoy the resources and teachings in Poetry Line by Line. If you’re looking for an easy way to begin writing your own poems, sign up for my course in Teachable: Poetry Made Simple: From Idea to Poem in 10 Easy Steps.
