I love poetry, and writing it always makes me feel so emotionally vulnerable and raw. Truly, that’s the beauty of poetry, and more people should experiment with it without questioning its validity as “real poetry.” Writing straight from the heart is the key for beautiful poems, but there is so much more that can help get you into the mood to create a poem that captures everything you want it to. 

Firstly, don’t force it. If you force yourself to write a poem, it will show. Your words won’t feel authentic, and there will be no real emotion attached to it. While poetry doesn’t have to be sad or any other negative emotion, it should at least be expressive in some way.

The best poetry comes when you are fully inspired and channeling the emotions you want to depict. When you write about love, think of the love you want to showcase. How does it feel? How do you react to it? It’s important to feel as deeply as you can when writing poetry. It is an expressive art, and your words should show that. Also, when you are in the right headspace, your words will come to you easier. Some poets say listening to music that makes them feel whatever emotion they want to channel helps, too. My English professor once told me she turned her brain off and just let her mind’s eye show her what to write—sort of like meditating. You just have to figure out what gets you in the mood to lay your soul bare.

Poetry comes in all forms. George Herbert’s “Easter Wings” is a beautiful poem in the shape of wings while Dylan Thomas’s “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” is equally as expressive but without making the poem into an image. “The Pool” by Hilda Doolittle, known under the pen name H.D., is only five lines while “Paradise Lost” by John Milton is ten books long. Poetry has no limits—just write until you feel you’re done.

While writing, it’s important that you don’t force yourself into a box. You don’t have to write poetry like Maya Angelou or Emily Dickinson wrote theirs. You have your own unique voice, and your audience wants to hear what you have to say. You don’t have to emulate anyone else’s style, nor do you have to force yourself to follow the same rhyme scheme as others. Poetry comes from the heart; don’t inhibit your creative flow by trying to obey the structural rules of poetry. Every poet has their own voice with their poetry showcasing their different perspectives, and they’re all equally as astounding.

On that same topic, though, it is so important to discover more poets outside of the most popular ones. Poetry comes in all forms, and each poet writes it differently. The way Phillis Wheatley writes is different from Sylvia Plath, which is different from Gwendolyn Brooks. Everyone lives different lives, and their poetry and how they approach each subject matter shows it. Your poetry should be a reflection of your experiences and how you want to depict it. Reading other poets, though, can help you realize just how creative poetry is. It’s not just about love or death or angst. It’s about the little things in life, too. You can write poetry about plums, just like William Carlos Williams’ “This is Just to Say” or you can write about the nature that surrounds you like John Keats did in “On the Grasshopper and Cricket.”

Write poems about anything and everything that makes you feel, and the words you put down are sure to be as beautiful as you want them to be. Feel deeply, write freely, and your poetry will reflect your passion.