“I know it when I see it” is the phrase made famous in a Supreme Court decision about what constituted obscenity. The same may be said of good poetry.
What’s Bad Poetry?
It’s not hard to realize a poem is bad when it:
- Speaks more to the poet than anyone else. This type of poem is basically incomprehensible, although it may have interesting imagery or phrases strewn throughout.
- Reflects a lack of facility with the language resulting in awkward phrases, and lack of music. Fortunately, this problem often improves with practice.
- Obscures the meaning by using too many metaphors, or using them inappropriately. The intent is to make the simple more interesting; the effect is to detract from the beauty of what’s simple and said best when said simply.
- Uses tired language to say what’s been said before. The possibilities of writing about love, death, loss, or other universal themes are infinite. But writing a poem that’s fresh requires the poet’s own take on it.
See book of bad poems, including ones by known poets
So What's The Secret to Writing Good Poetry? Some Guidelines:
Most importantly, don’t start out trying to write a good poem. Instead, go with whatever comes to mind, including the good, the bad, and the ugly. That may include all of the above characteristics of bad poetry plus some that haven’t been mentioned.
Find the poem's voice. This is one of the most important elements of a good poem. For a poet to find his or her voice requires getting everything out on the table first. Some poets start with a particular idea about how to proceed (e.g., feeling that a sonnet or free verse would work best with the subject at hand, or wanting to do a persona poem). For others, the poem’s structure may need to emerge. See how to write more powerful poems by allowing the poem to find its own way.
Be daring. Go as far as needed by the poem. There is a saying “write to the extreme,” which means pushing the envelope as much as possible. The best poetry sparks recognition in the reader, even about things he or she may not have brought to consciousness beforehand. It’s the poet's job to find that buried treasure.
Don’t make the mistake of editing out the best material. Sift carefully through the raw material and choose what seems alive, original, and in keeping with the structure, theme, and voice of the poem. The more conventional it is, the less compelling the writing will be.
“Read, write, rewrite.” The more experience and familiarity a poet has with other poets' work, the greater the reservoir from which the poet can draw. (One good source is The Best American Poetry). The more writing and rewriting that goes into the poem, the better the final draft will be.
Read poetry out loud—At home, alone, or at poetry readings. Hearing your poetry and/or seeing others’ reaction to it can offer valuable feedback on the sound and sense of the work. (See these tips on how to use poetry reading to your advantage.)
Listen to others' work. Attend poetry readings, including some with open mikes. Sometimes hearing “bad” poetry by someone who dashed off a poem at the bar during the reading, or on the subway on the way there can be instructive, reinforcing what not to do. Sometimes hearing bad poetry is liberating (“at least my poetry isn’t that bad”).
Writing bad poetry, then, is good, if it’s the starting point of the poem rather than the end result. Any creative endeavor involves taking risks, and poetry is no exception. That means giving oneself permission to be stunningly silly, stupid, offensive, outrageous or anything else it takes to reach the heart of the poem. Editing the poem should be done in such a way that what’s most alive stays in, and is the basis for the final work of giving the poem its unique voice.
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