Frequently Asked Questions

I feel so overwhelmed by all these poetic terms and dead authors. I feel like I don’t get it. Should I keep writing?

YES. You should keep writing. Steps necessary to be a poet: 1.) Write poetry. That’s it. To improve, read poetry and talk about poetry. That’s what you need. If you want to learn technical language and form and meter and all that, just do it at your own pace. But don’t let it stress you out!

I have tried SO HARD but I do not understand meter or stressed syllables. Is this a big deal?

Nope, not a big deal! You can still be an awesome poet who doesn’t write in iambic pentameter. But if this is a skill you want to learn, I suggest reading a lot of metered poetry. Try Tennyson, he’s pretty strong in that area.

How can I make my poems better?

—In an ideal world, you’d have at least three readers. But hey, even one trusted reader is good! And every now and then, show your poems to a person who is not also a poet. Sometimes they have good insight.

—It is essential that you learn to take criticism. If one person misreads your poem, they might be wrong… if more than one person isn’t getting it, the poem is unclear.

—Read a TON. Read as much as you can. Not a big reader? Read one new poem every day.

—Write a TON. Write regularly. Write when you can.

Is it okay that I just want to write rhymed poetry?

Yes, that is awesome, go nuts! Here’s contemporary poet Andrew Frisardi with Rain at Night. Just be aware that in contemporary poetry, the style is for rhyme to sound fairly natural— do with that as you will.

Someone was mean about my poem. Is it definitely a bad poem?

Not necessarily bad, no! Remember, there’s literally no reason to be actually mean when giving edits. Even if you think it is the WORST POEM IN THE WORLD, telling the writer this will not make that writer want to change it. It’s just not how people learn. So if someone decided to be mean, they are not very good at giving feedback.

HOWEVER. Sometimes people are just blunt, and they may have a point. If your feelings are hurt by feedback, put the poem away for a while until you feel more calm. Then consider whether that person was reasonable. Ask a trusted friend. There’s no shame in making mistakes. What matters is that you can learn from them.

How do I give good critical feedback?

Whether the poem is good or bad, the process I suggest is the same. When a person shows you a poem….

—Ask them if they want feedback or if they just wanted to share.

—The three questions you need to ask are 1.) What does the poem want to do? 2.) Is the poem doing that, and how much? and 3.) What needs to be done to get the poem to where it wants to be?

—Identify the main feeling of the poem: “It’s really sad that your grandpa died” or “I’m getting that you’re crazy about this girl!” Or whatever it is.

—Identify what is working well in the poem. I promise that something will be working. Back this up with specific examples from the poem.

—Identify one or two things that are not working, and give specific examples, but do it kindly. There may be more than two things that are not working… judge for yourself whether the person can handle it.

—Ask if your writer would like suggestions, then, if they do, suggest!

—End on a positive note. “I find the image of the frozen tears to be memorable, and I really like it.”

—Know your audience. Can this writer take some tough love? Lay it on them (kindly). Do they need a gentle touch? The same applies. A good critic adapts to their audience.

Are the lyrics from songs poetry? Some lyrics are really good!

Yes! Lyrics are poetry. In fact, the stereotypical poem about personal feelings that uses sound effects and is pretty short in length is technically called a “lyric poem!” It’s called that because they were traditionally sung to music. If you’re interested in the history, poets.org sums it up better than I can.

So why are lyrics treated differently than poetry? The way we currently use the term “lyrics,” we mean “words accompanied by music” and the way we currently use the term “poetry” we mean “ words that stand alone.” That does not mean one is better than the other! It just means a difference in how they are created and consumed. So yes, lyrics are poetry— they are poetry that is meant to be consumed with music. In some settings, that might not be the kind of poetry required. But it is still poetry!

Do you do editing work? Will you edit my poems?

I will edit one poem per reader who reaches out to me at howtopoem@gmail.com.

I really disagree with a lot of what you say here!

I love strong poetic opinions! Let me have it: howtopoem@gmail.com