Introduction
Writing is a skill that should always be improved. That can be done via reading, studying, and, of course, writing. The Internet is filled with resources that are targeted towards writers – professionals, amateurs, or people who simply need to write an essay.
But all the people who are writing in one way or another need tips, advice, and various tricks on the process of writing and how to develop that skill. In today’s article, we will see how this can be done through studying poetry.
Students feel demotivated to even attempt poetry writing, as the skillset seems more abstract. Yet, simply understanding this specific process and its thought patterns will make you a better writer overall, even if you aren’t interested in becoming a poet.
Poetry And Prose Writing
Of course, you may consider poetry to be quite alien in comparison to writing prose. Poetry usually doesn’t require one to place a narrative.
Also, it is written abstractly and boldly. It utilizes mostly the aesthetic properties of the English language, such as sensory imagery, rhythmic structure, aesthetics of specific words. Here the point is to make every word present as many images, feelings, and experiences as possible.
When one is studying poetry, they will certainly spend quite a lot of time seeking, finding, and discussing such aesthetic properties. During such workshops or classes, the student will not focus solely on character, narrative, and dialogue for such are lacking in poetry.
But you’ll soon realize how important are the aesthetic structures important in prose writing. After all, in all types of prose, you will need to express your story effectively and precisely. The first and foremost tool to do that is exactly the language.
Try to observe which words bring more emotions and what kinds of feelings do they portray. For instance, via the setting you can show feelings like happiness, sadness, love, jealousy, etc. Observe which words let your imagination run wild. Certain scenarios can offer a lot to ponder on and to imagine.
Try introducing such settings and feelings into your writing to captivate the reader. Also, search for unexpected phrases (or sometimes even simple words) through which you can present various information. For example, the colloquial speech will sound casual, just like shorter words will.
When you read poetry, you notice how the dynamic changes. For example, when you put short sentences in a row, you will slow down the flow of thought of the reader. If you want to speed the dynamic, introduce longer sentences.
For boosting the power of your writing, write a long sentence and put the most important information in a following short sentence. To introduce musical feeling, put together words that contain similar vowel sounds. If you want to express humor, use sharp and alliterative consonants.
Another thing that poetry leads us to understand is how important is the actual ending of a paragraph – and even more, the last paragraph. Make it memorable. Ponder on the thoughts that rummage your head and select the most poetical ones.
Try to present the most important and revealing information in the last paragraph of the chapter to make it a page-turner. If you leave a cliffhanger on the end, your reader will wish to see what is happening next. Thus, they will continue on to the next chapter. When you are writing the end of the book, story, etc., try to make it powerful.
Make sure you’ve done all the revelations beforehand. Now is the time for a strong line that gives your reader a feeling of satisfaction for having read the piece.
Make sure you grasp the concept of poetry when it comes to setting atmosphere, tone, and mood. Subtle use of specific words can portray various aspects that you wish to ingrain. Whilst reading poetry, make sure you search for those exact words and tools that allow poets to convey their message.
Then try to figure out how to integrate them into your writing. Sure, you cannot use them in the same way. But tools are tools and can be used in various settings. Of course, rhymes won’t be of uttermost importance, while rhythm is quite important. Observe how poets set the rhythm and try to imitate it until you find your way of doing so.
If you make your steps in the world of poetry, you can gain some valuable tools. Sure, poets don’t rely on dialogue, while it is one of the main tools you will have in your toolbelt as a prose writer. But, still, you can see how specific words and expressions can set the tone, introduce a feeling, change the flow of thoughts of your reader.
Note how do you feel and what do you imagine while you are reading poetry. Then analyze which exact tool, word, or phrase led you in that direction. Once you have identified the roots of the causes, you can introduce them into your own writing.
If you want to get some real-time feedback, you can talk to a writer you know. They will give you specific advice that can boost your writing. Or you can participate in a workshop or an online course.
Sure, poetry may not be your favorite thing. But it has what to teach us on writing and the general use of language.
Yes, it may seem strange for you, as a prose writer, to consider participating in poetry classes and learn more about such a skill that differs from your type of genre. But in writing it all boils down to the use of language.
Exactly that is what poetry can teach us. It can show us how playing with words can cultivate the feelings you wish your readers to experience.
Conclusion
There are thousands of writers in our country. There are thousands of poets, as well. We can all learn from each other. Those two different but related areas have commonalities and can be used together.
As a writer, I have always tried to improve my skill. I hope I make every next writing better. To do so, I constantly look for areas that can give me advice on world-building, storytelling, on crafting dialogue.
As we already stated above, all those things rely on the simple usage of our language. If we understand how to use words as efficiently as possible, we can make our stories as brilliant as possible.
I managed to find a path towards an understanding of the language through poetry. And i am sure such classes or simply studying some poetry masterpieces can help every writer out there who wishes to immerse their readers in a fantastic universe in the pages of their book.
I hope that more of us will try to improve ourselves and that my experience will be shared by others.
