When I think of April, I picture cherry blossoms floating in the breeze, tulips stretching their sleepy necks towards the sun, and daffodils clustered like gold in the grass. It’s a season of beginnings, gentle changes, and things coming into bloom – both in nature and in ourselves.
If you open your email, Ms. Hincker delivers a daily poem – yes, April is poetry month! We’re all invited this month to look, listen, and feel a little bit more deeply through poetry. For those of you who’re not sure how to write, don’t worry, I got you! For all of you aspiring poets, I gathered some tips for writing poetry.
Choose YOUR topic:
Start with something that you usually don’t pay attention to. It’s often easier to begin with an everyday object – like your water bottle, a worn-out shoelace, or the peeling bark of the tree next to your dorm – there’s beauty in your everydayness, something that’s woven into your daily life. Don’t be afraid to go on to abstract ideas later, like the shared bittersweetness you felt at your middle school graduation.
Observe with all your senses and be descriptive:
Try to glean something that you have never observed before from it. What does it look like, sound, smell, feel like? Maybe the color of the leaf seems to change if you stare at it for long enough, or the wind rubbing against your cheek feels soft like your mother’s hands. Scrap as many details as you can find; you might find something that interests you.
Poetic devices will help you out:
Integrate simile, metaphor, personification, assonance, symbolism, and more in your poem, based on what you described. You can say that the “petals pressed against painted pavements” or “ the glowing signboard of the store flickered like a worn out firefly, the yellow light that smelled faintly of dust floating in the night sky…” These add more texture to the poem, and they taste great when you use the correct flavors.
Connect it to yourself.
Putting it in personal context may make the poem more meaningful as it taps into your world. Being honest is enough; ask yourself, “What does this remind me of in my own life?” For me, the awkward silence that I felt when I accidentally waved back at someone who wasn’t waving at me was like when my mom forced me to make up with my older sister after a fight – the air felt uncomfortable and a bit stifling.
A crack in the ceiling may remind you of the time when your heart split open like that wood during a goodbye hug. These connections, even if they’re small, are what turn words into something real!
Don’t think it needs to be good!
Poems don’t need to rhyme, be long, be short, or even “make sense” to anyone but you; the readers have fun interpreting them. I personally like free verses without structure, as I can try new things with it; one time, I made an indent when I was starting every new line,, so the poem became diagonally written. The rules are yours to break. It’s important to say something true to yourself rather than simply sounding impressive.
To me, poetry is like a way to notice the world around me and the small moments that spark new ideas. And poetry can actually change you, too; a 2015 study found that patients who read poetry improved their “cognitive function,” eventually improving their capacity to cope with stress and to help reflect on their feelings. Another 2021 study found that poetry helps teenagers with challenging emotions by reducing fear, sadness, or worry. In other words, poetry can make you be more honest with your feelings – and a little less alone.
So if a thought tugs at you or a small moment sticks in your mind, follow it. Pick up your pen, and start writing – one line at a time, even if you think it’s nothing. I’d love to hear your voice on paper!