Why Every Writer Should Try Poetry

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Most writers think they know what they already need to know about writing. This includes ideologies about writing function, form, and process. As a writing coach who works with a full range of writers to start and complete books, when I mention how liberating self-publishing poetry might be for their process, there’s pushback.

Poetry? Really? YES! Really! I’ve seen how exploring poetry has changed entire trajectories for writers, including the outcomes of what they’ve written, acceleration of ideas, and of most importance, how they’ve become newly inspired to create. Here I share the five reasons why every writer should at least try poetry.

Challenging ruts

Typically, when writers sit down to write, they have in mind a tone, style, or intention for exactly what they want to write. And, chances are, they’ve been thinking, creating, and imagining from the same part of their brains thousands of times before. We tend to get stuck in mental ruts. In fact, our neurological pathways form familiar thought-pattern highways from where ideas come and go.

Although forethought and intention can be helpful for most writing forms, they can also be detrimental. When we’re already “programmed” for what we’re going to say, and how and why we’re going to say it, it leaves little room for imagination to spark something new — something surprising about a plot point or character that may better extend our writing trajectory.

Since reading and writing poetry is less familiar to many, this automatically challenges us to pay closer focus and attention to words. Once we’ve spent even a little bit of time reading and writing poetry, we start to notice words as new again: how they’re flowing, and how crucial elements of craft — such as form, structure, line breaks, and punctuation — are landing onto a page.

Even if you don’t become a regular poetry writer, reengaging with how craft operates, no matter what you believe you already know, immediately boosts your attention and intention for words. Reading and writing poetry will heighten awareness of potential creative landscapes when you sit down to write.

Saying what’s not the page

One of the greatest gifts of reading and writing poetry is its ability to help you express bigger ideas or circumstances that don’t exist on the page but are part of what you want to say. For instance, let’s say you have a character that just lost their spouse of 37 years and is experiencing a tremendous amount of grief. When first introducing the character, you may not be able to explain the history which lead to such grief. That’s what the story’s about.

However, to clearly convey that the grief is immeasurable, you might be able to express the gravity and significance of the circumstances in a poetic way. For example, in story form: “My grief was immeasurable after 37 years of marriage and all the life we lived together.” Or, poetry form, “My grief was an unsung bird. A wheelchair in a desert. A recipe short of sugar cubes.”

Using poetic imagery or ideas reveals a lot more than just details or facts. These words, by default, imply the weight of the loss. Reading and writing poetry helps us get more comfortable with finding new ways to name the un-nameable in a few words, without all the details or backstory.

Saying old ideas in new ways

This brings us to the next point: Reading and writing poetry wakes up our brains to how we want to say what there is to be said, with fresh new uses of language and imagery. Since our minds get into creative ruts, we tend to repeat and reuse certain words or phrases. This typically results in cliches.

Using the same example above, when speaking about death and grief, it would be easy to use cliches to describe the loss: “My love for him was as deep as the ocean. Without him, I felt like I was wandering in a desert.”

By instead stretching to find a more poetic way to describe the love and loss, something new and interesting is birthed: “My grief was an unsung bird. A wheelchair in a desert. A recipe short of sugar cubes.” These words are not what we hear or read every day to describe grief and death.

Because we’re inherently less familiar with poetry, reading and writing it commands our minds to stretch differently. By getting more familiar with this form, it invites us to stretch beyond the lowest hanging fruit of language. Eventually, through subconscious integration, poetry’s new words and different use of language permeate our process and replace cliches and repeated imagery with fresh ideas and more meaningful words.

Playing with form

For many writers I’ve worked with, grammar rules, expectations, and strict academic forms are what keep them stuck. Subconscious expectations, judgments, and self-criticisms related to structure become deeply embedded. Writers have a hard time moving forward because they feel less qualified, educated, or competent in this regard.

Poetry’s not about rhyming, stanzas, or sequential line structure. One of poetry’s greatest gifts is the exact opposite: writing freedom. Punctuation, structure, and line breaks find new life without form. Without expectation or rules. By braving initial discomfort, writing a few poems and experimenting with how to break the rules without expectation builds confidence in a writer’s willingness to experiment. It allows the writer to try new things, without the Oxford comma in question, which ultimately liberates creativity.

For reading poetry: expose yourself to a lot of different forms. Pay attention to punctuation, line breaks, and structure. What does having or not having these do for you? Some may feel discomfort as if the words or work are not proper or “right.” I challenge you to rethink what “proper” or “right” are when it comes to creativity or expression. Does only one set of measures exist for these?

When you are ready to take your poems from page to print, professional book formatting services ensure every line break and stanza is preserved exactly as you intended

For writing poetry, try all kinds of forms, line breaks, structures, and punctuation placements. When I work with students, this is the one area where they initially feel the most uncomfortable, yet ultimately discover their greatest freedom, beyond overwhelming judgement, fears, and expectations. The more you try, the more you loosen up, the more you discover about your voice and expression. These lessons of poetry freedom are directly applicable no matter what genre you write.

Creativity reignited

All of the above ideas lead to this final thought: at the heart of writing and expression are our desires for creative freedom and imagination. No one loves being stuck. Or afraid. Or mired in self-judgment. I can say with utmost certainty that reading and writing a little more poetry, and becoming less intimidated by this form, offers expansiveness in how we relate to words. It allows us to pay closer attention to what words do on a page and awakens our expression in surprising new ways.

I don’t love every poem I read, nor do I understand every poem I read. When you’re ready to publish, professional book cover design services ensure your poetry collection makes the right first impression. But poetry engagement is not about having a single “right” answer or understanding. Poetry is about inviting ourselves to become more open, to more closely observe, and spend a few extra minutes internalizing and reflecting on what we’re experiencing from the page.

When we extend our thoughts beyond what was initially imagined and pay a little more attention by applying some of poetry’s principals, we invite our brains and words to wake up to new possibilities. And with these possibilities arrives a whole new genre-rich world waiting for your creation! Once you’re inspired to try writing poetry, you’ll want to know how to self-publish poetry without losing creative control when it’s time to bring your collection to readers. With this newfound inspiration, you’ll be ready to publish a book in no time. Once inspired, many writers want to know how to self publish poetry from formatting choices to global distribution. Contact BookBaby to learn more!