Poetry Writing | Writing Forward

Writing Resources: Perrine’s Sound and Sense

This post contains affiliate links. This is one of my favorite writing resources of all time. It is subtitled “An Introduction to Poetry,” but it’s full of concepts that can benefit any form of writing. Whether you write fiction, articles, essays, or blog posts, Perrine’s Sound and Sense will enhance the way you perceive and use language…Read More

Poetry writing exercises in time and space

Poetry Writing Exercises in Space and Time

Poetry is the most artistic form of writing. A poem can be concrete or abstract. It can be expressive or pensive. It can cover just about any subject imaginable. But despite what poetry can be, it is most often used as a form of emotional self-expression, especially by young and new poets. When we’re feeling…Read More

Writing Resources: A Poetry Handbook

This post contains affiliate links. Poetry is the music of language, the fine art of the written word. It demands a broad vocabulary and creative thinking. It promotes rhythm and meter, and it invites imagery. Poetry engages the imagination, stimulates the intellect, and touches the heart. Reading and writing poetry are excellent practices for any writer….Read More

Poetry Writing Exercises to Engage the Senses

Ah, the senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. How do they relate to poetry writing? We delight in the pleasures of the senses, but infusing poetry with sensory stimulation is not an easy task. It takes a deft and creative writer to forge images — using text — that engage a reader’s senses. So…Read More

Poetry Prompts for Language Lovers

Poets have a unique relationship with language. For a poet, language is more than a tool for communication; it’s a set of paints and paintbrushes that can be used to create scenes and images that resonate with readers. A poet must then foster a loving relationship with language, learning its secrets, understanding its idiosyncrasies, and…Read More

From 101 Creative Writing Exercises: Invention of Form

Today’s post is an excerpt from 101 Creative Writing Exercises, a book that takes you on an adventure through the world of creative writing with exercises that offer techniques, practice, and inspiration. This exercise is from “Chapter 7: Form Poetry.” It’s called “Invention of Form.” Enjoy! Invention of Form Who came up with the sonnet…Read More

A Handy Book for Poets – Poetry: Tools & Techniques: A Practical Guide to Writing Engaging Poetry

This post contains affiliate links that earn commissions. I have found it quite challenging to find good books on the craft of poetry writing. My favorite resource, which is also the most comprehensive, is Perrine’s Sound and Sense. But that’s a costly book because it’s used in college-level poetry courses. For years, I’ve kept up…Read More

From 101 Creative Writing Exercises: Cut-and-Paste Poetry

Today’s poetry writing exercise comes from my book 101 Creative Writing Exercises. The exercises in this book encourage you to experiment with different forms and genres while providing inspiration for publishable projects and imparting useful writing techniques that make your writing more robust. This exercise is from “Chapter 8: Free Verse.” It’s titled “Cut-and-Paste Poetry.”…Read More

Nature-Inspired Poetry Prompts

Throughout the centuries, poets have composed meditations on seasons, landscapes, and constellations. Vegetation and animals have been the subjects of countless poems, and even when poetry is not centered around nature, it often makes references to it. In poetry, nature can function as a backdrop, or it can hold center stage. Why are so many poets…Read More

What Makes a Good Poem?

In the world of art and entertainment, everything is subjective. Millions of fans loved that blockbuster film that dominated theaters a couple of years ago, but maybe you found it lacking in substance. Maybe some of the great works of literature you were forced to read in school left you wondering why they were considered…Read More