Example isn’t another way to teach, it is the only way to teach.
– Albert Einstein
Poetry writing has no formula to follow. However, to be able to form a thought-provoking one, the writer should be guided with some practically designed steps to be able to organize its details. Here are some writing points that contain the following components such as creating a theme, deciding the number of stanzas and lines to be developed in the poem, brainstorming of words that represent details of ideas by stanzas which embody imageries, symbolisms, allusions and other types of figures of speech such as personifications, similes, metaphors among others; establishing a tone and assembling the brainstormed terms by classifying or assigning thoughts in every stanza, decorating initially made lines with other vocabularies and modifiers, connecting ideas with the aid of additional words that may contribute to dominant revelation of the theme, placing the proper punctuation, editing for coherence and formulating a suited title after reading the content of the whole composition. All of these measures comprise the construction of a whole literary output which shall be elucidated systematically with given examples from a poem authored by the writer, himself.
1. Create a theme.
Theme is the core of poetry writing. Without it, it would be impossible to organize one since this serves as the main subject which direct the learner to accomplish without deviating from the subject.
War was chosen as a theme. In this theme, it’s either you are against or you are pro towards its occurrences. To be able to develop the theme of war, weigh and consider its disadvantages to human lives
2. Decide the number of stanzas and lines to be developed in the poem.
Three stanza poem will be developed with corresponding 10 lines each without rhyme scheme which means that the poem has no rhyme at the end of every line. Thus, this example has no rhyme scheme.
3. Brainstorming of words that represent details of ideas by stanzas which embody imageries, symbolisms, allusions and other forms of figures of speech such as personifications, similes, metaphors among others. It is not necessary to use all the brainstormed words that may possibly connect to the theme’s development. The writer has to select the closest appropriate words to express the poem’s theme and eliminate others which are deemed not relevant to observe length’s limits and to avoid ambiguities.
First stanza brainstormed words:
“dreamers, people, occupied, limits, trapped, land, brothers, war, compassion, pity, care, torments, minds, lost, generation, children, childhood, wandered wasted, loneliness, land, holding, dreams, territories, guns, bombs, explosions, madness”
Second stanza brainstormed words:
“war, souls, blinded, abused, powers, reach, anger, wrath, restore, world, moment, time bloodshed, heal, wounds, endure, exit, solution, yield, moments, youth, offer, land, adore, freedom, leave legacy dignity, confusion”
Third stanza brainstormed words:
“instill, give, core, accord, generation, ages, masses, follow, show, effect, society, threads, problems, break, wall, barrier, vest, blow, live, against, odds, look, horizon, grip, hold, dream, follow, lead, others, live, exist”
4. Distribute the ideas you wanted to embed in every stanza. You will be directed by the words that were brainstormed. Words when taken collectively can project a general meaning, or perhaps you can arrange initially your ideas before using the appropriate words in every stanza through a question guide.
Stanza 1: What are its effects to humanity? What happens to its victims? The following words may support the stated questions: trapped, land, compassion, pity, torments, lost, generation, children, wandered, wasted, loneliness, dreams, guns, bombs, explosions and madness.
Stanza 2: What is war? What is its main root? Why does it happen? What do people do to evade war? The following words can support the cited questions: souls, blinded, abused, powers, reach, anger, wrath, restore, world, moment, time, bloodshed, heal, wounds, endure, exit, solution, yield, moments, youth, offer, land, adore, freedom, leave, legacy, dignity and confusion.
Stanza 3: What would you wish to happen after the conflict? Why do you want peace instead of war? What happens to humanity in the absence of war? The following words can possibly backup the stated questions: instill, give, core, accord, generations, ages, masses, follow, show, effect society, threads, problems, break, wall, barrier, vest, blow, live, against, odds, look, horizon, grip, hold, dream, follow, lead, others, live and exist.
5. Establish a tone, assemble the brainstormed terms by expressing thoughts through your ordinary lines in every stanza. Create a point of view which may be first, second, third persons singular or plural. Having a specific point of view will tell the reader who is/are speaking in the piece. In gathering the words, you need to decide on what tone to use. It is a way to describe your feeling towards your subject. In here, the writer expresses melancholy and extreme sadness to the effects of war to humanity especially to the young generation.
Use ordinary lines in writing your thoughts. Always focus on the ideas which you would like to imply about the subject. In this example, consider that you are against war. Being against war will be reflected to the contents of your initial composition. The poem’s point of view is the third person pronoun-plural, we. Ignore punctuation for the first time and just go on telling a story out of the words.
Stanza 1
We are dreamers occupied by limits.
Trapped in a land where brothers raged war,
Without a bit of compassion but torments,
Minds are lost generation,
Children without childhood,
Wandered in loneliness.
The land holding our dreams,
Turned territories of guns and bombs.
We are drifters of our land.
Without homes, we are heading nowhere.
Stanza 2
War is for the souls.
Blinded by things of powers.
Reach us out over this wrath.
Restore the world we ought to have.
Allow time to seize the bloodshed,
To heal our fresh wounds while we can endure.
Exit is not the solution.
Yield the moments of our youth.
Offer land we used to adore with freedom.
Leave a legacy with dignity.
Stanza 3
Instill in us the core of accord.
For generations to emulate.
Show us the effect of a society,
Without threads of problems.
Break the barrier.
Vest us the blow against odds,
To look our horizons.
To grip what we should have
To dream and follow what we ought to be.
To lead for others to live.
6. Elaborate the initially composed lines with other vocabularies and modifiers. Modifiers can be adjectives or adverbs or even functional words.
Stanza 1
We are innocent dreamers conquered by boundaries.
Trapped in a land where brothers raged war,
Without a bit of compassion but torment.
Young minds are lost as one generation.
Children of despair without childhood,
Wandered and squandered in solitude.
The land holding our trances,
Turned territories of furious guns and bombs.
We are alienated drifters of our own land.
Without homes, we are heading nowhere.
Stanza 2
War is for the selfish decaying- living souls,
Blinded by obsessions of inane powers.
Reach us out over this wrath.
Restore the world we ought to have.
Allow time to seize the bloodshed,
To heal our fresh wounds while we can still endure.
Exodus is not the ultimate solutions.
Yield the stolen tranquil moments of our youth.
Offer land we used to adore with chiming freedom
Leave a legacy coupled with dignity
Stanza 3
Instill in us the core of accord,
For generations to fervently emulate.
Grant us the impact of a rising society,
Without threads of tribulations.
Break the gory siege.
Vest us the clout against odds:
To reconnoiter our horizons,
To grip what we should have,
To dream and follow what we ought to be.
To lead for others to live.
7. Connect ideas with aid of additional words that may contribute to the revelation of the theme and place the proper punctuation. Correct punctuation generates logical connections of ideas.
Stanza 1
We are innocent dreamers conquered by drastic boundaries.
Trapped in a land where brothers raged egoistic war,
Without a bit of compassion but ruthless torment.
Young minds are lost as one triumphant generation.
Children of despair grow without undergoing childhood,
Wandered and squandered in extreme solitude.
The mourning land holding our promising trances,
Turned into territories of furious guns and bombs.
We are incessantly alienated drifters of our own land.
Without our soothing homes, we are heading nowhere.
Stanza 2
War is for the selfish decaying- living souls,
Blinded by obsession of inane self-made powers.
Reach us out over this contemptible constant wrath.
Restore the revealing world we ought to have.
Allow weary time to seize the bloodshed,
To heal our fresh wounds while we can still endure.
Exodus is not the ultimate solutions to these woes.
Yield the stolen tranquil moments of our youth.
Offer land we used to adore with chiming freedom.
Leave us a legacy coupled with dignity.
Stanza 3
Instill in us the core of accord,
For generations to fervently emulate.
Grant us the impact of a rising society,
Without threads of tribulations.
Break the unsought gory siege.
Vest us the clout against odds:
To reconnoiter our horizons,
To grip what we should have,
To dream and follow what we ought to be
To sturdily lead for others to live.
8. Finally edit for coherence. The underlined words/ phrases/punctuation reveal final editions.
Stanza 1
We’re innocent dreamers conquered by drastic boundaries.
Trapped in a land where brothers raged egoistic war.
Without a bit of compassion but ruthless torment,
Young thoughts are lost as one triumphant generation.
Children of despair grow without undergoing childhood,
Wandered and squandered in extreme solitude.
The mourning land holding our promising trances,
Turned into territories of furious guns and bombs.
We’re incessantly alienated drifters of our own land.
Without our soothing homes, we’re heading nowhere.
Stanza 2
War’s for the selfish decaying- living soul,
Blinded by obsession of an inane self-made power.
Reach us out over this contemptible constant wrath.
Restore the revealing world we ought to have.
Allow weary time to seize the bloodshed,
To heal our fresh wounds while we can still endure.
Exodus is not the ultimate solutions to these woes.
Yield the stolen tranquil moments of our youth.
Offer the land we used to adore with chiming freedom.
Leave us a legacy coupled with dignity.
Stanza 3
Instill in us the core of accord,
For generations to fervently emulate.
Show us the impact of a rising society,
Without threads of tribulations.
Break this unsought gory siege.
Vest us against the clout of these odds:
To reconnoiter our horizons,
To grip what we should have,
To dream and follow what we ought to be,
To sturdily lead for others to live.
9. Provide a suitable title for a final composition.
Uninvited Discord
I.
We’re innocent dreamers conquered by drastic boundaries.
Trapped in a land where brothers raged egoistic war.
Without a bit of compassion but ruthless torment,
Young thoughts are lost as one triumphant generation.
Children of despair grow without undergoing childhood,
Wandered and squandered in extreme solitude.
The mourning land holding our promising trances,
Turned into territories of furious guns and bombs.
We’re incessantly alienated drifters of our own land.
Without our soothing homes, we’re heading nowhere.
II.
War’s for the selfish decaying- living soul,
Blinded by obsession of an inane self-made power.
Reach us out over this contemptible constant wrath.
Restore the revealing world we ought to partake.
Allow weary time to seize the bloodshed,
To heal fresh wounds while we can still endure.
Exodus is not the ultimate solution to these woes.
Yield the stolen tranquil moments of our youth.
Return the land we once adored with chiming freedom.
Leave a legacy coupled with dignity.
III.
Instill the core of accord,
For generations to fervently emulate.
Show the impact of a rising society,
Without threads of tribulations.
Break this unsought gory siege.
Vest us against the clout of these odds:
To reconnoiter our horizons,
To grip what we should have,
To dream and follow what we ought to be,
To sturdily lead for others to live.
10. Evaluate the literary elements for reflection purposes. Since poetry falls under literary writing, it is relevant to identify some incorporated literary components and linguistic structures which define its being.
Evaluative questions:
1. What type of poem was framed?
2. Did it employ the right diction? Were modifiers placed in their proper orders?
3. Does the poem reveal a clear picture of my chosen theme? Does the poem show a vivid picture of the events? Do these events relate to the theme?
4. Were the lines distributed evenly per stanza to show balance?
5. Do the lines reveal a specific tone?
6. Does it have consistent point of view to identify the speaker?
7. Were figures of speech such as simile, metaphor, personification, among others, incorporated?
8. Does it embed tone, symbolism, imagery, and conflict?
9. Does the punctuation reveal connection to the ideas from the first stanza to the last?
10. Does the poem possess an acceptable title?