N00b Alert!

JimmyB27 · Nov 17, 2009

What's the matter with me? Not content at procrastinating novel-writing, something has given me the urge to try a bit of poetry.
I don't even read poetry very often!
Anyway, I have a book called 'The Ode Less Travelled' by Stephen Fry (Yes, *that* Stephen Fry). I think it's pretty good, but boy is this poetry thing a lot harder than it looks.
So, any advice for a complete newbie? Especially suggestions for what to read.

Haiku I can do,
The precise structure makes it,
So much easier.

But the rest of it...*boggles*.

KTC · Nov 17, 2009

My favourite living poet is Barry Dempster. He's Canadian, so I don't know how far-distributed his stuff is. But he has a few books out. The Burning Alphabet is my favourite Dempster book of poetry. You can sample him here:

Barry Dempster

alleycat · Nov 17, 2009

You might try The Poetry Home Repair Manual by Ted Kooser.

caseyquinn · Nov 17, 2009

hey there! for me, the best way to learn how to write poetry, is to read it and then trial and error.

my first suggestion would be to try out a few poets, read some poems by them and see what is out there for style, voice, etc. One you pick one, read some more of their work and work of poets similiar in style. Here is a range of reading to get you started - poems are on the right side:

Walt Whitman

Carl Sandburg

ee cummings

Robert Frost

Emily Dickinson

Sylvia Plath

Dylan Thomas

This should give you a range of styles and voices out there. Give em a read, see what you like. Go from there!

KTC · Nov 17, 2009

Oh...are you looking for how-to books? I would just drench myself in poetry instead. But I'm not a how-to kind of guy.

JimmyB27 · Nov 17, 2009

Thanks you guys.
KTC, nah, I have the one 'how-to' book that's scaring the crap out of me already...

Looking for a deluge of actual poetry now.
ETA: And any other advice you might have yourself: Like "I would just drench myself in poetry instead.", for example.

caseyquinn · Nov 17, 2009

I think in fiction there is a saying that a writer needs to put down 1 million words before they produce anything of worth. Just always keep in mind the same is true with poetry. Everyone starts at the same point trying to tackle the world with one poem. And then they dig in and cover familiar topics and then after a while they find their voice and their topics they like to write about. But, it takes just writing those first 100 - 200 poems to get there. So dig on in, read, write.

finnisempty · Nov 17, 2009

I actually find Haiku difficult to write. I find them way too constricting for my tastes. I agree it's best to get familiar with different types of poetry and poets. It takes lots of reading, writing and practice. I've been writing poetry for more than 1/2 my life yet I still have ways to go and improve.

N00b Alert!

JimmyB27

Hoopy frood

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live

alleycat

Still around

caseyquinn

Just happy to be here

KTC