Where to start?

[Merrikay]

Hope this is the right place for this!

Well, I recently became interested in writing poetry, and reading some of the forums here, realize I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing! So much to learn, where do you start? I don't want to be trying an exercise, or trying to write something, and suddenly realize I need a grasp on something else to succeed, if that makes sense. Help please, maybe just an idea of what I need to be doing in order to progress?

[Magpie]

I'm sure everyone will say pretty much the same, which is - Read, read, read lots of poetry of all different types and write, write, write lots of poetry of all different types and then repeat the process forever. Perhaps others will come in with more specifics but as a general rule the read lots and write lots is the best way to go. Only once you have read a lot of poetry you can start to distinguish between what is good poetry and what is bad poetry.

The other thing that will help immensely is critiquing poetry, although if you are new to this then you will probably be thinking "But critiquing is so hard", which it is in the beginning, but trust me it does get easier. I know that when I first started on this site I was terrified of critiquing and never knew what to say, whereas now I can honestly say that I quite enjoy it because it helps me to understand the poem better and ultimately helps me to understand poetry better.

Hope this is the right place for this!

What you mean this site? For critiquing and getter better with poetry? 

Most definitely. 

[ellajam]

Hi, qc, what he said. Try reading the threads here in Mild or Serious that have edits. I've learned a lot from reading other peoples critiques, they point out strong and weak spots, then seeing how the poem changes. Personally, I go through some pretty bad edits trying to use the good advise I get, but the trick, for me, is not being afraid to make mistakes. Try things out, in writing and critiquing. Your comment might be off, but then you'll learn something from the response.

The practice threads are great too, the explanations are clear and it's fun to try to say whay you want to say in a formula, eventually it becomes easier.

There are some really fine poets that post here, plenty of reading material and an inside view of the process.

[Todd]

We've all been where you're at. There is an incredible amount of information to learn to write good or even passable poetry. It's like the old how do you eat an elephant question? One bite at a time. I think writing is how you get good at writing. Also critical reading can help. Find a poem you like, and analyze why you like it, what makes it tick, and then try to use those techniques in your own writing.

The easiest method though might be to write something, realizing all of the time that you are not your poem, and it will largely be bad (this is everyone's experience at nearly anything they start--barring a few prodigies). Listen to the critique and try to make changes where you agree with the critique. Always look for the why of a change.

You can almost start anywhere. A thick skin, willingness to fail, and persistence will take you a long way.

[Leanne]

It's not a bad idea to start out by reading some of the poems posted in Serious -- most (but not all!) are quite accomplished and that's generally where you can see the workshop process working best. You might not feel comfortable critiquing there for a while though. Don't ever be afraid to ask questions -- your best bet, to get a good range of replies, is probably starting a discussion thread just like you have here. Chances are that if you've wondered about it, so has someone else. Also, there are some marvellous poems posted in Miscellaneous by people who are playing with forms and concepts and just generally loving to write without the heavy critique requirement. You'll soon see that there is no one way to write poetry (no matter what your high school teachers tried to tell you!) and there is no substitute for just giving it a shot yourself. Don't ever take criticism of your poem to be criticism of you -- everyone here is just trying to help you write the best poems you can.

[Merrikay]

Thank you all for taking the time to respond, and help out a noob. I'll definitely be utilizing this site in everyway I can!

[ellajam]

In case you missed it, on our home page there's a link to Colin Ward's Poetry Tips. It's a fun and informative read.

[Merrikay]

Thanks, I haven't read that yer!