That’s easy to say, but how do you get your poetry published as a collection? Getting a chapbook or full length poetry book published isn’t easy, but it isn’t that hard either. Because small collections like chapbooks are cheap to produce and often have a small price tag, it isn’t all that difficult to sell them either. There are a few tricks though.

Group your work into a common theme: In his great guide to publishing poetry, Poet Power Thomas A. Williams (Sentient Publications, 2002) says that poems “should treat a subject for which there is a market”. On a worldwide basis, there is likely to be a market for almost anything as long as it is thematic. One of the key ways to get a collection published is to work within an overall unifying theme. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to write to a theme at first. But you might find yourself attracted to a specific area which will ultimately form your framework. For me, I found myself increasingly making use of Quantum Physics and Astronomy, and a number of my poems seem to pivot around that. For example, one of my poems, “Betelgeuse” used the impending (in star terms) and dramatic explosion into a Supernova of our closest star after the Sun for an impending nervous breakdown in a loved one. Once I had decided to produce a full collection, I began to read journals like New Scientist and whenever something caught my eye (and many things did), I would use that as the basis for a poem. I set myself a goal of two poems a week and before long I had enough poems for a collection.

Find a publisher who is looking for work on a theme and write to it. If you don’t seem to be naturally gravitating towards a theme, look for one. What hobbies do you have? Since getting a pool, I’ve become so “smitten” with swimming that I bought a wetsuit to keep going through the winter. When I saw a publisher calling for sports poetry, I wrote a couple of swim poems, and then sent them a query with those poems, asking if they would be interested a book which involved me interviewing professional sportspeople and then writing an original poem for each sport to go with the interview. I haven’t heard back from them as yet, but it’s a concept that could work for any publisher, on any topic. Just find a call for submissions on a specific concept and build a query or series of poems around that. Another publisher friendly theme is to write about where you live, and submit the work to a local publisher. There are probably a lot of poems about Paris or New York, but what about Morebath, or Poughkeepsie? You’re sure to find something historically interesting, and the local council and libraries will probably buy up your first print. Periods in history are also good. I read a wonderful book of poetry based on Walt Whitman’s Civil War Years — Karen Knight’s Under the One Granite Roof. Pick a period in your own history and write a series of poems around that topic. The possibilities are limitless, and its so much easier to let your creative flow rip when you’ve got a theme to work to. Finding a publisher is also much easier, as the market for your work will be ready made.

Get Out There. Or get your work out there. Go to poetry slams; read your work, talk about your work, network. One of the nice things about publishing poetry is that pre-published poems are much more likely to be accepted in a collection than poems that haven’t been published, so you can submit each poem immediately when you finish writing it, even as you are pulling poems together into a collection. Publishers of collections prefer poetry that has already been published. You get double benefits for your work, and increase your odds of getting a collection published every time you publish a poem. Publishers are much more likely to take on your book if they recognise your name, so make sure your name is being bandied about.

Create a Market Database Research the different poetry publishers and create a little database of those that are likely to be right for your work. Build your manuscript to their requirements and once it’s ready, following their guidelines to the letter and submit your queries. Does this sound basic? It is! Local Writer’s Market yearbooks are excellent sources of publishers and guidelines as is the Internet – just do a Google search on poetry publishers (and watch out for the many sharks—never pay to have your work read, or published and be especially careful about anthologies!). Just remember that most legitimate poetry publishers are small and won’t be offering advances, or big margins on your work. Nor are they likely to have a big publicity budget – you’ll have to do all that yourself, which is where your experience at reading will come in handy. One of the many upsides of being with a small house is that you get a lot more attention editorially (and the whole process of having your poetry edited is well worth the trouble of being published – it will make you a better writer). There also isn’t the dramatic time pressure that you get with a large house. You can expect to continue selling your book for years, rather than months, and since most small publishers use POD (print on demand) technology, you don’t have to fear the dreaded pulping machine.

If all else fails (and even if it doesn’t), you can always self-publish. Get a good book, like Peter Bowerman’s The Well Fed Self-Publisher and do your own thing. Again, chapbooks are inexpensive to produce (most are around 32 pages) and can be done primarily with a good computer and colour printer and if you keep your costs down and use an easy payment system like PayPal, you might even make some decent money along with your good name. Two key points with self-publishing – don’t sacrifice the editing step – good editing can make or break a collection and a badly edited collection won’t do your name any good at all. Hire someone to knock your good poems into great poems and help with the ordering, structuring and linguistic power. The learning curve is a bonus, since a good editor will most certainly improve your writing for future collections. Don’t sacrifice quality either – get good paper, good staplers, a beautiful cover, or use a good printer to get a nice looking collection. You will certainly be judged by the look, and feel of the collection, so the output is something you shouldn’t skimp on.

That’s it. Don’t let a fear of failure stop you. The only way to publish a collection of poetry is to set a goal and work towards it, at whatever pace your schedule allows. Poetry is particularly suited to this method, as it doesn’t take that long to write a single poem and the satisfaction of completion comes regularly as you’re building the collection. Good luck!

Ancient Egyptians’ lives were intertwined with their fixation of death and the afterlife. As most people know, Egyptians mummified the body after death and buried it with worldly items it would need in the afterlife. Many of these same Egyptians worshiped Osiris, the king of the dead, who had a large cult following. Greeks believed that mortals lived out the afterlife in Hades. Hades was home to both the Elysian Fields (a paradise) and Tartarus (an abyss of suffering). Modern Christians believe in Heaven (a paradise) and Hell (a place of damnation) and that you are judged upon death then sent to live out your existence in one of the two places. Many other religions believe in reincarnation (the soul being reborn into another body).

No matter what your belief on death, it either already has, or will, touch you at some point in your life - be it sooner or later, you cannot escape it. And when it does touch you, how will you react to it? If you are a poet, perhaps you will write about it. When you do write about it, how will you approach it? Let’s look at a couple of examples of what two others have done.

Emily Dickinson in Because I Could Not Stop for Death takes a very mellow approach to death and is quite accepting of it. She writes:

Because I could not stop for Death–
He kindly stopped for me–
The Carriage held but just Ourselves–
And Immortality.

In complete contrast, Dylan Thomas in Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night states:

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

What approach will you take? What angle will you give it? Where are you coming from? Maybe you’ll emulate one of these poets or carve your own path somewhere in between. Whatever the case may be, remember to be descriptive, choose your words carefully, and try to say what you’re going to say in a fresh, new way (I know that’s easier said than done).

Most of the greatest poets were not recognized for their work until they had long been laid to rest. Many suffered great difficulties in their personal lives, which may have led the poet to the wellspring from which they drew their words.

It has been suggested that poetry was used in our long distant past as a creative means of passing along traditions and history simply because the poetic language was easy to memorize and enjoyable to recite. The bards in medieval times were renowned for their use of poetry.

From free verse to rhyme and meter, poetry remains a benchmark in the world of literature. The pursuit of poetic markets remains a positive way to further an ancient form of storytelling that requires a special gift while the poet’s emotions are largely exposed.

Poetry is the one element of writing that impacts the emotions of writers more than any other. The vulnerable feel of poetry allows a writer to explore circumstances and emotions in a way that is difficult to do in most writing genres.

Most poets craft their words as a stress release and rarely share them with the world at large, however, there may be markets available for poetry.

It is true that publishers of poetry are about as plentiful as wheat fields in the Arctic, but there are other avenues for your poetry that can allow you to publish your material in unique and memorable ways.

Greeting card publishers are always interested in new succinct poems to share with card buyers. Poems can also be artfully placed on a line of gift merchandise including mugs and artwork suitable for framing.

In our modern era you would be hard-pressed to find someone who is able to make a living writing poetry. However poetry can provide a source of writing income and is often a creative outlet for those who also write in other genres.

It is true there are those who have little appreciation for poetry, yet the poet’s work has brought about significant societal debate and ultimate change in our world. Perhaps this is because the reader is invited to share the writer’s perspective in an emotional way that allows a perspective to be heard with something other than ears.

Most lovers complain that they cannot properly express the way they feel. For lovers who are also poets, however, the situation is different, because poetry has the power to hint at, explain, or lay bare what is unexplainable and what is intense.

This intensity of emotion comes to life in a love poem through wit, passion, eloquent phrases, imagery, symbolism, and other tools of poetry such as alliteration, assonance, rhythm, anaphora, metaphors, similes and the like.

Many types of love poetry exist in literature. The love poem of the instant addresses the falling in or out of love in one single moment. Dante Alighieri put together a love-at-first-sight poem expressing a lover’s feeling of being reborn.

La Vita Nuova

In that book which is
My memory . . .
On the first page
That is the chapter when
I first met you
Appear the words . . .
Here begins a new life

Another type of a love poetry carrying immediacy and impulsivity seizes the moment without caring what happens afterwards. William Shakespeare says in “O Mistress Mine”:
What is love? ‘Tis not hereafter;
Present mirth hath present laughter;
What’s to come is still unsure:
In delay there lies not plenty;
Then, come kiss me, sweet and twenty,
Youth’s a stuff will not endure.

Most commonly written love poetry, by professionals and amateurs alike, is the love tribute. Here is a good example by Oscar Wilde:

To My Wife - With A Copy Of My Poems

I can write no stately proem
As a prelude to my lay;
>From a poet to a poem
I would dare to say.

For if of these fallen petals
One to you seem fair,
Love will waft it till it settles
On your hair.

And when wind and winter harden
All the loveless land,
It will whisper of the garden,
You will understand.

Another kind of a love poem puts forth a proposal to the beloved as Pablo Neruda does in Love Sonnet VII:
I said it again: Come with me, as if I were dying,
and no one saw the moon that bled in my mouth
or the blood that rose into silence.
O Love, now we can forget the star that has such thorns!

Then, there are those poets who treat love philosophically. One such poet is William Blake.

The Clod and the Pebble

Love seeketh not Itself to please,
Nor for itself hath any care;
But for another gives its ease,
And builds a Heaven in Hells despair.

So sang a little Clod of Clay,
Trodden with the cattle’s feet;
But a Pebble of the brook,
Warbled out these metres meet.

Love seeketh only Self to please,
To bind another to Its delight:
Joys in anothers loss of ease,
And builds a Hell in Heavens despite.

At times, love is one-sided. Worse yet, the beloved may not have any inkling of the lover’s feelings. Walt Whitman voices that in “To a Stranger” by writing:
Passing stranger! you do not know
How longingly I look upon you,
You must be he I was seeking,
Or she I was seeking
(It comes to me as a dream)

Sometimes, lovers have to overcome a few obstacles. Matthew Arnold says in Dover Beach:
Ah, love, let us be true
To one another! for the world which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful, so new,
Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,
Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night.

Every so often, the beloved leaves the lover, and then, the poetry sings sadly of remembrance or regret. Thus, from centuries ago, Sappho echoes:
I have not had one word from her
Frankly I wish I were dead
When she left she wept
a great deal; she said to me This parting must be
endured, Sappho. I go unwillingly.
I said Go, and be happy
but remember (you know
well) whom you leave shackled by love

If the lover is lucky, the beloved will leave a token when he departs. Here is one such poem from Emily Dickinson.

I Held a Jewel

I held a jewel in my fingers
And went to sleep
The day was warm, and winds were prosy
I said, “Twill keep”

I woke - and chide my honest fingers,
The Gem was gone
And now, an Amethyst remembrance
Is all I own

The many faces of love has been playing peek-a-boo with the poetry lover from millenniums ago in ancient history when Solomon sang “The Rose of Sharon” to Emerson who urged us to “Give all to love” to our present day when modern day poets describe moments of epiphany and feelings of love in fragments, in concrete images, and in sound combinations obliquely, and at the same time, clearly.

Whenever we take a fleeting look, like any great art, love poetry turns out to be the most admired type of poetry that takes a human emotion and transforms it into something sacred, correct, and spiritual. I remember reading love poetry when I was in my teens. Some of those poems stick in the memory after many years and their magic still remains.

Poetry Speaks to Children is a collection of poems and is accompanied by an audio CD containing many poems from the book, with most being read by the author. Even the famed Robert Frost’s voice makes an appearance to read his well known “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Each poem of the book with a matching track on the CD is marked with the track number, making listening to your favorites quite easy.

The first thing I noticed about the book was the amazing illustrations by Judy Love, Wendy Rasmussen, and Paula Zinngrabe Wendland. These names may not mean much to most readers, but after viewing the images of imagination coming to life in full color on the pages of this book, it may give you pause enough to file these illustrators’ names to memory. Each illustration captures the feel and wonderment of the poems bound in Poetry Speaks to Children.

The collection of poems, 95 in all, captures the diversity of humanity, cultures, and inner thoughts and feelings. The poetry isn’t just poetry; it is literature in its purest form. Poems from greats like Langston Hughes, Lewis Carroll, and Rudyard Kipling share space with historic playwrights such as William Shakespeare and epic novelists like J. R. R. Tolkien. The best part of this collection is that children can enjoy a rich education of literature, learning about the beauty of poetry and the written word while having fun!

The recordings on the audio CD add to the timelessness of poetry. Some of the poems were recorded for the first time while creating the CD, thus resulting in crisp and beautiful poetic rhythms spoken by the author. Other tracks from the CD are from much older recordings, such as the Robert Frost reading. The varied sounds of the CD add to the feel of old and new merging together to make a classic for the younger generation.

Although my son, a mere 2 years old, can’t read the words, he can enjoy the imaginative illustrations and the music of poetry when listening to the CD. It also allows parent and child to bond in a way a DVD or audio CD alone cannot.

Poetry Speaks to Children is the best choice for a new addition to any avid reader’s collection of poetry. Better still, it is the perfect choice for introducing the beauty of poetry and the spoken word to anyone, of any culture, young and old. Within the pages of the shiny, wonderful book, poetry speaks to everyone in the family.

1. Use nouns and verbs more than adjectives. Which is stronger: “She was as beautiful as a flower…” or “Roses wilted in shame as she passed by…”? “He looked at the depressing clouds…” or “He watched as dark clouds moved in, covering his sky…”?

2. Don’t tell the reader how to feel. Let the words elicit the emotions directly, without explaining. “The tragedy touched them all,” is more touching to the reader as “Men and women, doctor and workman… thirteen people looked upon the scene… with tears in their eyes.”

3. Use dramatic and emotional words. Not all words are equal in their ability to “grab” a reader or elicit emotion. “Fell,” “take,” and “love,” will probably be weaker than “plunged,” “siezed,” and “worship.”

Look at the following lines, written two ways. The second way applies the three rules above. (From the poem “Gratitude.”)

1.

The mountains and lakes were beautiful

I looked at them, heard them and smelled them

And I felt in awe

2.

Mountains stand against the sky

My little lake at their feet

And in the middle of this creation

Which I see with my eyes

Hear with my ears

Smell and taste…

Words fail, as they should

I hope you agree that the second version is better. Again, if you want to know how to write poetry, you have to start writing. Use these and other rules to help you, but remember that all rules in poetry need to be broken at times. Read your poems aloud to yourself and others as a final “test.”

But, one might reasonably ask, what different methods are there which can be tried in order to get started? Well…

Don’t Wait For Inspiration But don’t take that as an absolute which suggests that one should not be inspired at all. Of course, we all want inspiration. Yet if we wait to be inspired for the whole poem, most of us will have taken the very short answer given above and we shall write very little and very infrequently.

You probably know the old adage about any form of art being ten percent inspiration and ninety percent perspiration. It’s mostly like that with poetry. The very short answer above is saying: write only when you feel moved to write and have something urgent to communicate. But don’t expect the inspiration to carry you through the whole poem. On some occasions it will but, at least in my experience, that will not happen all that often.

Inspiration can come in various ways. At one end it can come as a complete poem; at the other, it comes simply as an idea, a concept or a way of looking at something. Then the poem has to be built around that in some way.

How To Build A Poem

This is getting to the nitty gritty of the question. The answer to How do I build or write a poem depends to some extent on what you are starting with. Suppose you have just had an idea, a concept, a way of looking at something. One might, for example, have a sudden flash of inspiration that a person’s life could be summarised by the array of cups they have in the kitchen. Okay, how might one approach the development of that?

First is to have some idea of the probable length of the poem. The cups/life idea might be interesting but it’s not going to stretch to the length of “The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner” It’s going to be quite a short poem. In fact, with an idea of this kind short becomes very important. Trying to stretch it out will probably result in loosing any potential for impact.

So one is thinking of a few lines, and probably quite short ones. Next is the syllabic or the rhythmic structure of the lines. A great deal can be said about these aspects and so we can say very little in this short article. The way the lines are constructed should be contributing to the overall impact or impression made by the poem. Lines may have the same number of syllables, or some lines may be long and other short. Verses, like lines may be all of the same or of differing lengths. These aspects may be part of a deliberate overall scheme, or they may be due to the way you feel the poem should evolve. Experience will usually contribute to the development of these kinds of instincts.

The poem may also be one without thyme, or with rhyme at the end of each line, or with rhyming lines alternating or rhyming every third line and so forth. Alternatively, the lines may have internal rhyming in that two words rhyme within the same line.

Consider the following poem as an example.

CUPS
Used to buy the cups in tied sets
batched identical or matching.
But that’s a now flawed memory
and for a long time we rhymed them
into pairs, merging his and hers,
protocol of shape and colour.
Now I buy only one-by-one,
each detached and unmatchable,
self-chosen oddments on a shelf

Note that: there are eight syllables in each of nine lines. There are no end rhymes but each line has an internal rhyme, though some are less obvious than others. In the first line “buy” and “tie” in tied” rhyme. Due to the “d” in tied” the echo of the rhyme is subdued or more subtle than otherwise. (Note also that there are different kinds of syllables, which we do not have space to discuss here)

Compare this poem with an alternative approach, albeit little different in length:

THE MUG-STAND
On the mug-stand (a)
handles once hung (b)
cups of pristine sameness (c)
beautiful and aimless (c)
in the song they sung (b)
at secondhand. (a)

Mugs are still hung (d)
but different (e)
shapes and colours, chipped, cracked - (f)
and spaces from the fact (f)
of life. Refluent (e)
the song now sung. (d)

Now “The Mug Stand” has a much more complicated structure. There is no internal rhyming but the end-rhymes are arranged to give sometimes stronger, sometimes more subtle echoes. The letters at the end of the lines (a, b, etc.) indicate those which rhyme with each other. The pattern is the same in each verse so that, for example, the first and last lines in both are seen to rhyme.

Notice also that the syllabic length of lines vary within each verse but have the same pattern for each verse (i.e. 4,4,6,6,5,4,). The end of any line should not be chosen in an arbitrary way, but should add something to the overall effect.

Discipline In Writing

Every poem you write should have its own form of discipline. Some people think that so-called free verse is easy to write and that one can do anything in such a poem. All this is untrue.These are ideas that contribute to a lot of bad verse.Good free verse is in many ways the most difficult to write, precisely because there is no obvious discipline enjoined on the writer by which the poem might be made to work. Yet somehow it does have to create a desired effect. Writing to a defininte pattern or rule imposes a discipline which, with some practice, will initially help one to produce rather better verse.

If you are just starting out to write poetry, do begin with rhymed verse. But try not to make the rhymes too heavy and obvious. Look for different words to create an effect rather than use the first that come to mind. Try an abab or abcabc type of structure rather than aabb.

Make every effort to avoid cliches. Using them is so easy a trap to fall into simply because they are phrases we have heard so often that they just creep or spring into our mind. A good poem has to have some degree of originality. Cliches are as irratating as fleas on a dog. Combe through the poem to discover any cliches - looking for phrases like Combe through! Are there any more in this paragraph?

When the poem is finished, it is good practice to put it away for some weeks. Then take it out and re-read it. Be severe with yourself! Remove anything which is not right (cliches, repeats of the same word, clumsy phrasing etc.) and re-work the poem until you feel you can do no better.

Then submit it to some publication which uses poetry. There is little point in writing poetry purely for oneself. Don’t be put off by rejections. Some editors may offer suggestions for improvement. Accept them if they seem valid. But keep submitting. Not every one will like what you have written. But you must like it.

Onomatopoeia is one of the easiest to learn and use (but not spell). The definition of onomatopoeia is a word imitating a sound. For example; ‘buzz’, ‘moo’ and ‘beep’. This can be used in a variety of ways giving the reader a ‘hands on’ feel.

One technique that you might be familiar with is alliteration. This procedure is used by starting three or more words with the same sound. An example of this would be ‘The crazy crackling crops.’ The three words don’t have to have the exact same beginning to have this effect.

The next style is assonance. It is defined as a repetition of vowel sounds within syllables with changing consonants. This is also used in many different circumstances. One would be “tilting at windmills.” Notice the vowels within each syllable sound the same.

Rhyming is probably the most well-known technique used. However unlike popular belief, it does not need to be within a poem to make it a poem. It is what it is.. a technique.

As for similes, they are often used within poetry. They are an expression that compares one thing to another. A paradigm of this would be ‘The milk tasted like pickles.’ This method is used in all forms of poetry and generally has the words ‘like’ or ‘as.’

The last but not least style is metaphor. A metaphor is a word or phrase used one way to mean another. Metaphors are sometimes hard to spot and take some thinking to figure out, but they give writers more power to express their thoughts about a certain situation. One famous case where a metaphor is used is within ‘The Raven’ by Edgar Allen Poe. In fact, not only is it found within the story, the story itself is a metaphor of memory and the constant reminder of the narrator’s loss.

These techniques are seen throughout history within both famous and amateur poems alike. To have a full grasp of poetry onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance, rhyming, simile and metaphor should be household words.

The emotion which is put within the poem brings it life. A poem without emotion is not a poem at all but simply prose. Poetry is what makes us feel happy or sad, mad or gleeful, loving or broken hearted. Poetry is life on paper. It does not need to be of a certain subject or even rhyme.

Poetry is poetry. It has its own mind. If it flows good if not… it needs work. The rules can be bent but not broken. Our life is our life and no one can tell us what we have been through but ourselves. We know best not some stranger reading our poems. Our poetry is our life, not what someone says.

Rhyming in poetry is not always the best way to express yourself. Rhyming actually takes away many words that could have been used. If you try to rhyme it cuts your dictionary into little pieces. It doesn’t need to be this way, choose flow over rhyme.

As a result of this, poetry is defined as a way of putting flowing words together in meter and verse to show emotion or tell a story.

What is this sacred title? Poet.

Why does titling yourself a “poet” make you a Fool? Well, it doesn’t, not in and of itself. But if you’ve only been published online, never in print—that could be a sign of your well-earned Fool status. To be blunt—that is a sign that you write bad poetry.

Why would these sites accept your work if it sucked, you ask? Maybe to raise their quota, maybe to get more submissions of the site’s particular interest, but mainly to actually HAVE something to post—most (but not all) sites are desperate for submissions. Or maybe they’re out for a profit. Come on, who among us HASN’T had something accepted by the National Library of Poetry, and then gotten all the brochures for expensive products featuring our work?

The Webmaster vs. Editor Problem: Go to any website, check it out. Can you find someone with the title of Webmaster? How about editor? Or, still yet, Webmaster AND Editor? A Webmaster does not, by any means, mean Editor. Simply because someone is a webmaster (someone who controls the site, updates the postings, etc. . . ) does not mean that the person is an EDITOR (someone who corrects the work, proofreads, re-writes, re-words, etc…) of the work posted on the site. In many cases, webmasters who are disguising themselves as editors are giving real editors a bad name. A webmaster, will too often post submissions “as is” and not give a damn about the content or presentation. However, if a site has someone who can both edit and be a webmaster then the site is moving in the right direction.

This is the main problem source. Building a website, and getting work “published” on a website is so easily done by anyone whether they have talent or not that it de-values the word “published” and lessens the role of an Editor.

Granted, the internet IS a great marketing tool for promoting your work, getting your name in the public’s eye, and getting writing experience, but have you ever asked yourself why your work is ONLY published online? Perhaps it is because no discerning EDITOR has ever seen your dribbly poems, except in browsing the web for bad poems to laugh at.

Here are a few tips that will help you to get your work published online. Hey, I figured if you’re going to be a fool about getting your unpolished work published on the internet for the world to see, I’d give a few tips to help your bad poetry stay that way, since you seem to like that way best:

1. Place the word “Love” in your title. That’s a major plus!

2. Be straight-forward, don’t use symbols, metaphors or anything that will make the reader think. Readers don’t have time to think.

3. Focus on form—(sonnets, villanelles, haiku). Since you think in form, write in form.

4. Keep your poem in a rhyme-scheme. Why? Well, EVERYONE knows that all GOOD poems rhyme, the rest can be disregarded as a post-modern mess!

5. Only write in YOUR point of view. Write exactly what you believe, never try to portray the image of someone else. Better yet, start the poem with “I”.

6. Keep your poems untitled. Readers love to be creative and imagine what the title should and could be.

7. Write in the same place. If you write in your bedroom—always write there; if you write outside under a tree—always write there—why try variety and ruin a good thing?

8. Don’t ever base a character in a poem on someone you actually KNOW. Heaven forbid you get the piece published, and have to explain to the person—“this is you”.

9. Read, but if you don’t like a poem or a poet—just toss it. Don’t even question why you don’t appreciate the work.

10. Have no structure. Poetry is about limitless expressions, right? So in that sense, make your lines and stanzas as long as you wish. Just write exactly how you feel!

11. Don’t keep a journal. Journal causes too much self-reflection and you want to write for the moment, not yesterday.

12. Use clichés as much as possible. People like to read familiar phrases.

13. Not every line of a poem is important. Just make sure you have a good first and last line.

14.Poems don’t progress, that’s the difference between a story and a poem. Poems aren’t suppose to take you on a journey to learn.

14. Submit your poems to only websites. That way, you will never have to face the fact that your poetry SUCKS, because it will only be read by the friends and relatives to whom you give the site’s URL, and your friends will never tell you that reading your poetry is greater torture than letting a small, sharp-clawed guinea pig walk on their sunburned skin.

If you follow these guidelines, and start writing, you will be a “poet” in no time. Remember that poetry HAS to rhyme, and remember that the less you practice the better you are.

Joking aside—you might want to try doing exactly opposite of the “tips” in the list. And, since many webmasters (who are titling themselves Editor) aren’t doing their job, it’s up to you to learn to edit your work before you embarrass yourself.

(This article is not commenting that ALL online poetry is not well-crafted. But the poorly crafted poetry far outweighs the well-written by a landslide.)

As far as they are concerned, writing is virtually impossible to break into no matter how hard they seem to try.

There may be a number of reasons why they don’t succeed:

Their writing is not up to standard - as far as the particular publishers or editors are concerned;

They don’t bother polishing their writing before submission;

They knock on the wrong doors - sending materials on a random basis;

They have failed to do basic research;

The list goes on.

1000s of publishers

There are of course thousands of publishers, especially online, who are willing to publish your work without payment. Such publishers can’t or won’t pay writers or poets.

Professional writers on the other hand command handsome fees. They make a good living out of writing.

Anyone can become a professional writer. You just need the determination to succeed. If you don’t have a natural gift, you can learn to write well. This can be by self-study, online, or at a college or school near you.

High quality professional writers demand anything from $1000 to $5000 per project - and the best earn substantially more. A project may involve just one page or a few poems.

Why do most aspiring writers and aspiring poets fail?

In a recent survey conducted on behalf of http://www.WritingHolidays.com, it became apparent that most writers and poets were not willing to invest time or effort in training or acquiring the necessary skills.

The survey revealed that most writers and poets were happy to plod along by trial and error rather than investing in a decent course. They accordingly fail to reap the rewards that are there for the taking.

They remain amateur writers and poets whilst their professional colleagues cream off the best paid writing markets.

The survey compared writers and poets to other professions. Lawyers, Accountants, Doctors, etc., are all highly paid. They all undergo training before the rewards are forthcoming. Yet, most writers and poets believe that the riches will come to them without spending $1 on training or developing skills.

One per cent. of writers or poets may get lucky. They may have been “born writers or poets” - they succeed without any training. The rest slog away - hoping that one day they may make some money from writing.

The good news

The good news is that there are 1000s of paid writing markets that are waiting to be exploited. There are more assignments than writers or poets.

1.the ordinary form of spoken or written language, without metrical structure, as distinguished from poetry or verse.

2.matter-of-fact, commonplace, or dull expression, quality, discourse, etc.

Prose encompasses most of the writing and speaking we engage in today, including what I am writing here. It is everything from novels to blog entries to television/films and everything in between. Prose is simply a fancy literary term used to separate general writing from poetry or verse. (Though, just to confuse you, we do have prose poetry, the halibun and free verse which can muddy any clear distinction.) Prose is typically written in plain language, follows the standard rules of grammar and punctuation and is arranged in paragraphs. It often reflects ordinary speech patterns. In fiction, writers do develop different styles of writing and employ various techniques to add interest for readers, but the writing is still considered prose.

Now that you understand a little about prose, let’s discuss poetry. Most people recognize poetry if they see a traditional poem. For instance, writing that has lines similar in length (each starting with a capital letter, of course), is arranged in stanzas, and has rhyme at the end of the lines. Most of us were taught about this type of poetry around the third or fourth grade. But poetry is so much more complex and varied than that simple example. In fact, those few things don’t necessarily define poetry at all.

Poetry is much more than just a few basics such as the form in which it is written, some general meter and rhyme. Modern poetry often deviates from traditional poetic form and rules. Poetry presentation has, once again, become somewhat artistic for some poets who write in everything from couplets to verse paragraphs. These lines can also be arranged on a page to enhance the visual appeal of the poem (as in shape poems), to aid in the rhythm of the poem (adding space between words to create longer pauses while reading aloud, for instance) or to add to the meaning or irony of a poem by causing words to appear in specific places. Standard punctuation and capitalization practices are falling by the wayside, as well, for many contemporary poets.

This still has little to do with poetry itself. So, how do we define poetry? I think Iowan, Paul Engle, had the right idea with is explanation: “Poetry is ordinary language raised to the Nth power. Poetry is boned with ideas, nerved and blooded with emotions, all held together by the delicate, tough skin of words.” That, to me, is what poetry is, but I would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t break it down somewhat. I am not providing definitions, they are easy enough to come by.

Basic Poetic Devices

Diction
Meter
Caesura
Enjambment
Rhyme
Repetition
Alliteration
Assonance
Consonance
Onomatopoeia
Personification
Irony
Imagery
Symbol
Metonymy
Simile
Hyperbole
Metaphor
Oxymoron

A quick internet search will provide you with reading material on each of these devices. Some are easier to hone than others, but all are useful if you wish to write interesting poetry verses writing simple poems.

Hopefully the lines between prose and poetry are now a bit clearer than before. Sometime in the future, I will have to address those other pesky fellows I mentioned that muddy the waters between the two. For now, whether you chose to write prose or poetry or both, I wish you the utmost success.

FOR IT WAS A DREAM AND THEN SHE WOKE.

30 Days

30 days since I heard your voice…

it might as well be an eternity

I don’t know where you are…

are you safe? Do you need me anymore?

Does your heart call my name?

Does your body yearn for my touch?

What’s happened to you?

You’ve disappeared with out a trace

30 days since I heard your voice…

I need you more and more each day

I worry you might be hurt…

for I can’t believe you no longer love me

Do you see me in your dreams…

hear me call out to you…

willing you back to me?

I sit and wait for you day and night…

but you don’t come to me and I’m left only

With a memory of your face.

Lost Time

Time ever Lost
Confusing reality
I remember your eyes soft
I still love you
Though loosing you certainly

Recently, a dear relative passed away. I tried to find a suitable eulogy poem on the Internet. However, a lot of the poetry was too long, outdated, or oozing with expressive language that didn’t feel natural. Fortunately, with the memorial service taking place a few weeks after the passing of my loved one, I had some time to write my own poetry.

Usually, however, a funeral is arranged within a few days of death. Filled with grief, we are not at our most creative. If you are searching for a short poem or two, please feel free to use some of the poetry in this article.

In any of the poems, you may exchange ’she’, ‘her’, ‘Grandma’ etc. for ‘he’, ‘him’, or ‘Grandpa’ where appropriate. You may even want to add a specific reference to the person’s name in the title and/or text of the poem.

If you publish these poems (or the entire article) on your website, please be sure to include the byline, copyright notice, and links. If you use one of the poems for a memorial service or funeral, please include my byline.

Eulogy - Funeral Poem Number 1:

Farewell, My Love

Her laugh still echoes in the depths of my brain;
And when I hear it, it causes me pain.
I miss her so much - mere words cannot say,
How this heartache devours me night and day…
But my memories are strong and time heals grief,
So I dream of the future - and quiet relief.
As I browse through my photos with love and pride,
I know that this sorrow will someday subside,
Leaving happy memories in its place -
Memories of her and her smiling face.
A loving farewell, my dear, adieu.
My heart belongs ever and always to you.

By Kathy Steinemann

Eulogy - Funeral Poem Number 2:

Death Will Lose

Her body lies breathless, in quiet sleep.
We remember her life; we cry and weep.
Life doesn’t seem fair, and Death even less,
I don’t understand it, I must confess.
We barely exist, in sorrow and pain;
We mourn our loss, we seethe and complain…
But what would she want, if she were alive?
Would she want us to wallow, to merely survive?
Or would she want more? Perhaps our courage -
To reject our grief with its cruel bondage!
Let’s honor her now and look forward - with hope,
Remembering her life and learning to cope,
With loss as a tool to sculpt our goals -
Not as an anchor that burdens our souls.
Celebrate her life - reminisce with a grin!
Then Death will lose - and she will win!

By Kathy Steinemann

Eulogy - Funeral Poem Number 3:

How Can I Manage, Now That She’s Gone?

Grandma was there when I needed an ally -
If I wanted to talk - or felt like a cry.
When no one else seemed to understand -
She was there - with a helping hand.
How can I manage now that she’s gone?
Without her advice I can’t carry on!
She was wise and witty and one-of-a-kind;
I feel so lost since she left me behind.
I know she told me she wanted to go -
Her body was tired and hurt her so…
Maybe now is the time for me to resume -
Carry on her tradition and break this gloom -
To impart her wisdom to family and friends,
And face life with a smile while my heart slowly mends.
Grandma, I miss you. You’ll always be near -
In my thoughts, in my heart - I have you right here.

By Kathy Steinemann

(c)Copyright Kathy Steinemann

More eulogy information and articles can be found at 1st Rate Articles by searching for the word ‘eulogy’.

Kathy creates German-English poetry and short stories for A-Language-Guide. She also writes travel articles for 111 Travel Directory.

Escape reality for just one second, and count the changes. When our modern day Romeo meets his Juliet through online access or a dating service of some sort, expressing one’s love onto paper in the form of poems continues to remain number one by most women,you might not have the time to writ the love poem your self, but can always have it professionally written in your words. While lovers and couples from many years ago had time to write, in today’s world most prefer using modern day online e-mail or chat rooms.

If you’re a romantic at heart or just a plain old weakling when it comes to love, the easiest and least time-consuming way to ‘impress you’re lover’ is e-mail them love poems, where you can pour your heart out instantly. This works especially well if you’re the shy sort who finds it difficult to express love without feeling shy or embarrassed. Here all your blushes and perspiration are in disguise and you gain the courage of a lion when it comes to expressing you’re feelings. If you’re not the poetic types? Don’t worry – there’s tons of love poems of all kinds online that seem to be written just for you and your occasion. These inspirational spiritual love poems will have the old flame roaring high in no time, making your lover glow with happiness.

If you Run out of ideas? Their are love poems online and in book store’s located everywhere, the reason being is they are loved and enjoyed by almost everyone. Today a lot of lovers are in long-distance relationships, and there’s no better way to gap that distance than mailing poems that show how much you love and miss your sweet heart. Just remember, while you can always send beautiful roses but it’s always better to send beautiful roses and a love poem, the poem that you so lovingly compose and send will stay saved in her in secret box and in her heart forever.

So if you would like to excite you’re lover or add some passion and ignite the flames, if you want to let your lover know that they are being thought about, and especially if you are dating online and would like to show your feelings in a romantic way use love poems for that very special moment.

The logic of my suggestion is this: Suppose you have a newsletter group of 7000 readers who love your writing. Each month you write a new short story set (including four stories), group of poems, or collection of essays that you sell as a PDF ebook. You publicize this to your newsletter group, including a free sample with your newsletter, and sell the set for $4 as an instant download.

Now, suppose only 10% of your readership buys your new ebook each month. 700 readers x $4 = $2800 each month! And don’t forget—you are constantly adding new readers to your group.

The secret to success here is to build a readership group through a free e-newsletter, and sell your writing to that group (your fan base) month after month. This is how you grow a strong, solid readership that will buy your books when you publish them in physical form, because they have bought your books when you sold them in digital form. And you made a decent living in the meantime.

1. World is the place where we come and learn things slowly but consistently. Pay heed to the things happening around you. No matter how small or big it is but keeping an eye on it will give you an insight experience.

2. Always listen to words and sentences. You need to know why the music of songs is different from music of poems.

3. You should read all kinds of poems. Notice and try to find reasons about which poems you like and which you don’t. It will help you write much better in long term.

4. Read out aloud whatever you have written. Feel the poem, see how it sounds. Do some changes and repeat the process again.

5. Write answers to these questions. Is there any rhyme in your poem? Do you feel the need for it? Don’t you think your poem will sound much better without rhyme? What kind of rhyme have you added to your poem? Are you satisfied with the rhyme?

6. Does this poem sound phony? No need to stick in big and extra words.

7. Well prepare the title of your poem. It can also be used in the poem.

8. Know before you write is the key policy toward success in writing poems.

9. Read your poems in front of someone, see their reactions.

10. Do whatever you like. Be what you want. Use your mind’s eye. Do it your own way.

Common Poetry Vocabulary

Following are the commonly used vocabulary for improving your poetry.

Alliteration, antonym, assonance, blank verse, connotation, denotation, figurative language, form, free verse, homophone, image, imagery, metaphor, meter, rhyme, rhythm, setting, simile, structure, symbol, synonym and tone.

Kinds of Poems

Following are the most widely used and most popular kinds of Poems. Acrostic poem, ballad, blank verse, chorus, cinquain, couplet, epic, free verse, haiku, idyl, limerick, nursery rhyme, ode and sonnet

One of the best ways to express one’s thoughts is to pen a beautiful poem. As we know, a poem is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings, wherein thoughts flow freely like a river. This is perfectly suited for love.

Love poems have been an integral part of any literature, whether it is Western or Oriental. In fact, some of the best literature is related to love. Love is all pervasive and cannot be confined to any particular race or community. Hence, love poems have existed since ancient times.

To testify this, we all are aware that even in the history of English Literature, there was a particular period when “romantic poems” were in vogue and “romantic poetry” was the talk of the town. To name a few exemplary romantic poets from England: Keats, Shelley, Wordsworth, Byron and Blake. Their poems are masterpieces and treasured by posterity.

A few lines from one such love poem, written by Taryn Grace, are a clear indication of a lover’s thoughts.

I’m at your feet

and I come with gifts

my body, heart, and soul

They’re yours to do with as you please

to command and to control

I give myself with all my heart

I’m yours for all of time

Your slave, your queen, your anything

only say that you are mine

In a love poem, the author can use his imagination and creative skills to give the exact meaning of his thoughts and provide a true picture of his views on love.

Similarly, a love poem can be easily identified by the language itself. The poet usually describes his lover as a Goddess or an angel. Not only that, a love poem is written by a person who is immersed in love and imagines that his world revolves around that “special person” only. To quote a lover’s words, “To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.”

Love has the power to change an ordinary person into a genuine poet, thereby encouraging him to write delightful love poems. Normally, the language of a love poem is simply flattering, and sometimes exaggerated, too.

Sometimes, a lot of negative thoughts tend to creep in a love poem if the poet is suffering due to lost love or unfulfilled love. Such poems reflect his shattered dreams, agony, and frustration.

Love is an eternal feeling- so expect love poems to reflect the changing times even though love remains the core theme always.

Your best friend is the most important person in your life. You want to effectively tell them how important they really are. It is very difficult to come up with words to accurately explain what kind of an impact a best friend really has in a person’s life. A creative way of explaining to your best friend what they actually mean to you is to write them a poem.

Poems are something different, and in most cases, unexpected by best friends. If your best friend is the same as mine, they have known you for a very long time. They know you so well that they know what you are going to do, even before you do it. With those kinds of friends, there are no mysteries and surprises in your relationship. If you are not normally the type of person who gives out poems, this is something that will truly be unexpected. Your best friend will appreciate the change, and the work it took to write the poem.

Opening up your feelings in poems may be a scary idea for some people. You might not be an artistic or creative person. You may feel that your writing skills are not adequate enough to accurately portray your feelings to your best friend. This is not a problem. There are many websites that specializes in creating a custom poem for any occasion. This may be a better option for those who are unable to put their feelings in writing themselves.

Regardless of how or who writes the poem, your best friend will truly appreciate the gesture of a poem given to them, telling them how important they are to your life.

What makes a wedding special is the kind words that are put into the wedding vows and poems that help to shape a discussion, or set of emotions after they are spoken. The goal of any wedding vow is to make people resonate with how you feel about your partner. After all the point of the wedding in the first place is to celebrate the couple’s love. What better way than with some powerful words that come straight from the heart, and make the audience fully aware of how much you truly love your significant other.

One online resource for wedding vows and poems is instantvows. The website instantvows is one that provides a full set of wedding vows for people that aren’t able to create their own. This is perfect for anyone looking to get some creative inspiration in a time of desperate need to make sure they have some quality wedding vows and poems ready for their special day. This website charges a flat fee for all the wedding vows and poems you will need for the event. The fee is nominal, and for those that can’t think of a thing to say, this website might be just what the doctor ordered.

Another similar site is theultimatevowtoolkit. This site is full of wedding vows and poems that will truly make you look like a poet. This site also charges a similar one-time fee for the unlimited use of all the wedding vows and poems they provide. This is a truly unique package, developed by experts, for those wanting quality at an affordable price.

Whether you choose to write your own wedding vows and poems, or purchase some online, it is important to perform due diligence before setting the words in stone. This means going to a site like Review Place where users can review what others have thought about a product, or service. At Review Place you can research the cost, the quality, and even the amount of stars other customers rate the product.

A wedding should be a joyful experience, not something that creates a large deal of anxiety. If you feel stressed out about wedding vows and poems for your wedding, check out what the web has to offer on the subject, and take care of that significant detail so you can enjoy the happiest day of your life.

Are you about to celebrate a special anniversary with that special someone? If so, dont forget that a proper gift is required to make any anniversary celebration just right. Dont worry, though, because the perfect anniversary gift might be much easier than you think to come up with. Try writing some great anniversary poems for the one you love.

As an author and a professor of creative writing, it of course comes naturally to think about ways to incorporate writing into any gift situation. I love thinking of new ways to use words to express feelings or thoughts to people I love. One year I wrote each of my five children a unique childrens story for their birthdays, and my wife is never surprised by some special writing pieces on her birthday or other occasions. I believe that writing is powerful, and thats why I think all people would benefit by writing great anniversary poems for the ones they love this year.

The idea of writing anything let alone poetry seems like too much for many people, but perhaps that is simply because they were never trained to write well. Take my advice: I have been watching non-writers turn into great writers each semester for nearly thirty years. Students frequently enter my poetry classes with a deep belief that they are not poets. Three months later they leave with an impressive portfolio and are convinced that anything is possible. Learning to write anniversary poems can be much the same process.

If writing great anniversary poems for the one you love sounds like a great idea, then start today. Begin by getting in touch with someone who can help you write great poetry. Hire a writing consultant to help you for an hour or two or attend a writing seminar. If going to class isnt your style, then head to your local library and check out some books on writing anniversary poems. You might be surprised at how much there is to learn.

Giving anniversary poems is one of the most unique and romantic ways to celebrate with the one you love. So make a commitment today to begin learning to write special anniversary poems and youll be able to surprise and bless your special someone when your next anniversary rolls around. And dont worry too much about being perfect, just write your thoughts and feelings in poetry form and youll have anniversary poems in no time.

Funny Love Poems

When most people think of love poems, they think of serious and soulful expressions of passion. Long sonnets by Shakespeare or romantic poems by Browning and Lord Byron are the norm for love poetry. However, funny love poems can be good for a laugh. They may not be romantic, but they do give your friends something to enjoy.

Some of the best funny love poems are limericks. Limericks started in Ireland and follow a standard form of five lines and a rhyme scheme of aabba. Here are a few limericks written by anonymous authors:

There once was an old man of Lyme Who married three wives at a time When asked “Why a third?” He replied, “Ones absurd! And bigamy, Sir, is a crime.”

There was a young fellow named Hammer Whose had an unfortunate stammer “The b-bane of my life” Said he, “Is m-m-my wife D-d-d-d-d-d-damn er!”

She made friends with a young undertaker; Her last boyfriend had forsaken her. But she started to curse When he turned up in a hearse. She said next time Ill date a baker!

There was a young lady named Constance, From boys she wouldnt stand any nonsense. If her partners grew deft She would lead with her left; The results would not weigh on her conscience.

My sweetheart and I are just wed. Already I wish I were dead. Two weeks shes been spending. It was time never ending. We are thousands of pounds in the red!

Limericks are fairly easy to write if you can rhyme well, so you might try writing a limerick yourself that includes the name of your friend or loved one. This is a good way to make a funny love poem that is personalized.

WHAT IS A POEM?

Most self-proclaimed poets today dont have the vaguest clue about what a poem is.

If you were to ask 1,000 writers who call themselves poets to tell you just what they think a poem is, you might get 3,000 different answers.

And then youd have to decide which of those answers was right.

Ask yourself what you think a poems is.

Is it definable?

If so, what is it?

How does one describe it?

How does one write it?

And after you think you have written one, ask yourself if its worth reading and if its worth remembering.

People who dont write poetry might say a poem has to be rhymed, in lines and stanzas, and filled with musical language.

Does this statement tell you what a poem is?

Maybe its a statement about poetry and not about poems.

Does poetry have to be musical to be poetry?

What is poetry?

What is the difference between poetry and poems?

Can one write a poem that has no poetry?

Can anyone write poetry that is not a poem?

Can any piece of writing be a poem?

When does writing become poetry?

When does poetry become a poem?

These are very intriguing questions seldom addressed today by the so-called literary establishment.

Can this literary establishment answer these questions intelligently?

Will those answers clarify and explain what poetry is, what a poem is?

Does the literary establishment even know what they are talking about?

Do well-known poets always write poems when they are writing poetry?

And when they are writing poetry, is it really poetry?

And are all of the pieces of writing in their poetry books actually poetry or poems?

If you read someones so-called poetry, can you call it poetry?

What is poetry?

Maybe it should be named so-called poetry or so-called poems or just creative writing.

Can it be called poems?

What is a poem?

How does one write a poem?

Does a poem have lines and stanzas, or lines and no stanzas, or sentences and stanzas, or sentences and paragraphs, or just lines, or just sentences, or just words, or just syllables, or just letters, or maybe just punctuation without words like the piece Hemingway wrote?

Can one write a poem without words?

How many words does a piece of writing have to have to be called a poem?

Can a poem be just one word?

How many poems does a writer have to write to earn the title of poet?

Is a poem a piece of writing that moves the reader?

Does a poem move a reader intellectually and emotinally?

If a poem moves a reader intellectually and not emotionally, is it still a poem?

If a poem doesnt move the reader at all, can it still be a poem?

If a poem has no poetry in it, is it still a poem?

What is a poem?

A poem first of all is a story with a beginning, a middle and an end but not necessarily in that order.

And today usually but not always a poem is a lyrical poem that is a short short story with a beginning, a middle and an end.

And maybe that lyrical short short story is inhabited by people just like long story poems called epics.

But a lyrical poem can also be a story about the beauty, ugliness, indifference or cruelty of nature.

A poem can be a story about anything!

A poem can be written in any writing style and still be a poem.

But for a piece of writing to be a poem it must have a beginning, a middle and an end!

A poem telling a story about a thought, a feeling, or a moments insight has a beginning, a middle and an end.

Of course any of these three parts can be implied and need not be explicitly expressed.

Most pieces of writing passed off as poems today are just fragments of poems.

They are beginnings without middles or ends.

They are beginnings lost in middles looking for an end.

They are middles and ends without beginnings

They are lines of words that neither begin nor end any complete thought or feeling let alone a story.

They are thoughtless storyless solipsistic soliloquies seemingly straight out of diaries and journals.

Can diary and journal excerpts be poems?

Sure, if they have a beginning, a middle and an end.

But almost all diary and journal writing masquerading as poems are just fragments of poems.

Poetry editors today are daily bombarded by bits and pieces of poems.

And when poetry editors do occasionally find poems in their submissions, most of these just belabor the obvious.

They do not GRAB your MIND and HEART.

GRAB means no cliches, no platitudes, no worn-out stories, no maudlin sentiments, no mawkish mumbo-jumbo-gumbo, no dead-but-not-buried hodgepodge-garbage-barrages, no elliptically elliptical musings that say nothing, no elegant excreta, no grandiloquent gobbledegook and no googoogaga.

GRAB means original stories clothed in magical language telling you something you have not heard before or telling you in a creative way and from a fresh new perspective something you already know.

GRAB centers your consciousness and kickstarts your imagination!

GRAB smax you with WOW!

Are you in love? Do you want to share your feelings with your special person? Are you a man of few words? Check this out! Romantic love poems would enable you to realize your dream of winning over the heart of love of your life. Even if you have already treaded the path of love and gone too far, love poems can impart a special meaning to special relationship that you share with your special person. Make your courtship a joyous experience with love poems.

Love poetry is like the potion of romance that has been around since donkeys years and without it romance almost stumbles. Poem is more loved and liked than the prose because of its rhyming quality and the highly imaginative style that compels people to dream. Just a glance at these love poems would send a shiver down your body if you have a sense of understanding the essence of love and romance.

You can find love poems online that are sentimental. Sending love poems online to your love is a simple gesture thats filled with emotions and warmth. Enclosing a love poem in a card is like the icing on the cake. You can either create your own poem or look for any of the great poetry that you might have read earlier. Classic poems are for love stories that are legendary.

Some couples find romance in humor too. There are funny love poems for those romantic couples who are class apart.

Romantic poems can be written and presented on any occasion, birthday, anniversary and wedding, to name a few. Love poems can be read for fun too. You can get inspired from reading them. You can also share them with your friends and relatives. If you have never fallen in love then you must read and discuss romantic love poems, who knows cupid might strike its arrow in your heart too.

Poetry does have a place in our world, a necessary place. Less and less do we find poetry taught in schools, and many people say poetry doesn’t belong in our lives. That idea is wrong, sadly wrong. However, a resurgence of teaching literature and poetry has occurred, even to teaching literature to medical students and others in the health-care fields, according to Dr. Pereira.

The study and writing of poetry brings much to our lives. The Rev. H. C. Beeching agrees in “An Address on the Teaching of Poetry” Ambleside Online because the study of poetry sharpens powers of observation and helps one store memories. He states, “…the purpose of poetry is to communicate or extend the joy of life by quickening our emotions.”

Peter Pereira, MD, writes in “The healing power of poetry,” The Writer March 2007, that “the reading and writing of poems can help us (physicians) develop empathy and thus become better doctors.” Empathy is defined as an emotional connection and understanding. Therefore, Beeching and Pereira agree on that point: the purpose of poetry helps with emotional understanding.

Pereira goes on to say that since physicians have less time with their patients than ever, they need to develop listening and interpretive skills. The study of poetry, especially the lyric poem, may be an way for students to learn needed skills.

Empathy is using one’s imagination to be in another’s position. Poetry exercises one’s powers of imagination as well as helping to gain skill in the use of language. Doctors, nurses, aides, as well as family members, friends, and business people need those skills.

Two other things Pereira believes to be true about the purpose and need for poetry are that reading and writing poetry can help patients facing life-threatening or life-altering illness. I addressed this in my article “Writing through Troublesome Times.” Poetry helps a person to “vent” and to pour emotions onto paper or computer screen, and then to manage the emotions and pain involved.

Pereira’s third idea is that the reading and writing of poetry can help heal the world. The quote I used to start this article addresses that thought to some extent. The doctor states, “Poetry of witness has long been a way that cultures and civilizations all over the world remember things - their war stories, the cultural milestones - and give voice to the oppressed or the disappeared.”

A way to bring some healing not only to individuals, but to the world, gives poetry a purpose and a need that can’t be ignored.

Last year was the first time I questioned whether or not I could meet the challenge and bury it on the battlefield. Sure, I’m a perfectionist, but what could make a person who’s played with poetry for almost thirty-five years hesitate before charging? It was the narrative form.

I’m not talking about the ballad or epic - which are types of narrative poetry - or other rhyming narratives. I’m referring to the more modern, freer, narrative poetry. It was different than anything I’d ever done before. To me, it seemed more like a story than a poem. I even remember wondering how they could get away with calling it poetry.

EXAMPLES TO READ: (both easy to find on Google if you aren’t familiar with them)

Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden
The Wood-pile by Robert Frost

I write stories and poetry, but when I write a poem - I’m in poetry mode, and I felt stuck in neutral. How could the Poet-in-Me mix the two?

Stephen Minot said, in Three Genres - The Writing of Poetry, Fiction, and Drama, “Narrative is as natural a structure for poetry as it is for prose.”

Poet-in-Me then rationalizes that Story-Writer-in-Me borrows stuff from the “Poet’s Toolbox” to write more effective stories, so why not knock on her door and borrow a couple of things?

Narrative Poetry Basics in Brief

BRIEF HISTORY

Narrative Poetry is poetry that tells a tale and can be traced back to Homer’s Iliad and possibly beyond.

MUST HAVES

*Tell a story.

*Pay particular attention to rhythm and sound.

COULD HAVES or What’s The Poet’s Choice In All This?

*YOU choose the form or whether or not to even use a particular form (aka ballad, etc.)

*Imagery - depth of imagery up to the author - but keep in mind that a primary part of poetry is imagery, and you are writing a poem that tells a story, not a short story.

*Rhyme - use it or not - internal, external or none.

Since I’ve tried using narratives in my poetry, I feel as if I’ve written some of the best work I ever have in my life. It has opened a door I never knew was locked and I crossed a threshold into a land I never knew existed.

Simply, It has helped me grow as a writer.

WRITING EXERCISE: If you are a writer that really considers yourself more of a poet, try out narrative poetry as a way to build a bridge to story writing. If you consider yourself mainly a storywriter, use the narrative form to ease your way into poetry

It’s Only Words

Words are what define the internet. It’s not technology, it’s not servers, it’s not protocols, it’s not browser wars. The internet is made up of words. And words are poetry. So, is the internet poetry? In a sense yes. Sure it’s pictures to, but words were there long before there were pictures. An internet of pictures would be pretty, but it wouldn’t be poetry. It would be thousands of words yes, but what would it say? Words are a business now online. We bid on words, we sell words and information. We sell poetry. Entire industries have sprung up based solely on words. Google is in the word business, as is Yahoo, and MSN. But, these guys are no poets, and long before them their were others in the business of words.

Words Are All I Have

For generations, authors and poets have been in the business of words. For that matter musicians were to. Music is really just poetry with a beat. And these guys and girls have never really prospered from a financial perspective. Oh sure, a few like Shakespeare and Stephen King di