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If a beginner poet asks you for advice,what would you tell them?

in Poetry Discussion

Let your imagination flow with scenarios that a beginner poet might ask.

First and foremost,just start.

Don't worry too much about structure,just write what you want to write and words will come out.

For performance poetry,go off the deep end.Go CRAZY.Go fast.Go slow. Just channel your crazy side and show the world that your crazy is your new genius.

What about you,COVERS?

25 comments

Comments (25)

Matthew Hutchins

Jan 27, 2022

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I’ve been writing poetry for about 7 years now, and have been asked for tips from a few friends and acquaintances on how to start, how to improve, etc.

I think when someone is just starting out, it’s best to focus on encouraging them to keep at it. As a writer, you do have to build a thick skin and that takes time, so I like to encourage them as much as possible and imbue any feedback with encouragement.

Here are my best pieces of advice for beginners. I think it’s important advice because it applies to poets of all experience levels, not just beginners.

1. Write as much and often as possible. Even if you don’t feel like it, come to the table on a regular basis and try to write. Daily if you can, but choosing certain days works too. Just try to be consistent. Thats 80% of the work right there. You don’t have to love what you’re writing right in the moment. It can suck. You just need to write.

2. Be playful. When you’re just starting out, and honestly even if you’re experienced, you need to give yourself permission to play. Get the inner critic out of the room. Tell them to go take a walk and only let them come hang with you when you’ve invited them. When you’re in writing mode, the inner critic is your biggest enemy. That guy is for editing, and editing comes after. Youve got to get the words on the page before you have anything to revise and refine.

3. Be open to feedback. Now that you’ve written a poem (or a few), be open to considering other peoples suggestions. If you’re a beginner, take those suggestions. If someone suggests a rewrite, rewrite the poem. Then hold it up to the old one and compare them. Do you like one or the other better? Do they both need to merge into one?

it can be really tough to accept feedback as an artist, but it’s crucial if you want to grow. When someone gives you well-meaning feedback, assume it’s because they think your poem is worth working on.

Repeat steps 1-3 for a couple years, then compare your first poems to your current ones and be astonished at your progress. :)

Ken LeMarchand

Jan 28, 2022

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Replying to

Love all of this Matt. You always have a way of giving great insight. That is probably why your friends and contemporaries ask you for advice. 😊

When you mention that you imbue any feedback with encouragement, I agree. I can't count how many courses in a BA program (and now in my MFA program) where an instructor will be a harsh critic and often not give any further insight into why they made their professional opinion. I've mentored some aspiring poets on a couple of occasions myself, and I have to say, people usually enjoy being encouraged more than being judged. All stems back to that idea that there is an upper echelon of poets that supposedly "control" what is and isn't good poetry. Silly really.

Reading and writing poetry is the #1 source of understanding how poetry works. I think there is a level of humility that a writer needs to possess to allow themselves the creative space. Sometimes we can get deeply personal with our writing, and it can be difficult to share that with others, but that is the best part about all of this, we don't have to share everything we write. We can keep it locked up in a safe and throw it into the bottom of the ocean. Till we feel comfortably sound to dive in. This is why I like what you've said about being playful with writing.

In addition to that thought, I would like to mention form doesn't need to be at the forefront when writing the poem. I find myself writing in prose more often than sticking to structure. I call this free writing, and it is the best technique I could suggest to anyone who has an idea (or no idea really) of what they want to write.

Having a tough exterior is well and good, but I think humility comes first, in my opinion. If someone can apply humility whenever they receive critical feedback, then they will never consider the worries of someone tearing apart their poem. It isn't just about having a "no bullshit" policy, but I find the creative process more fluent when one acknowledges what someone has to say and thinks about why that person suggested it. It all goes back to the idea that poetry is inherently subjective, which means other people are going to interpret what a poet has written in a different way than what is to be expected. What I'm trying to say is we can have thick skin, but it doesn't mean that we have to take everything for granted.