Poetry Writing: Word Choice

While most people consider poetry writing to be a difficult task, others are very enthusiastic about poetry, only they can’t organise their thoughts properly. Most of them would rely on their instincts in creating poems, and thus spend much time trying to think of the perfect word. Although poems serve as the expression of one’s thought, they would be more appealing to its readers if each word used therein would really suit the topic and theme of the poem. Every poet, be he active or aspiring, should observe the basic techniques of poetry writing.

One important consideration in poetry writing is the proper use of words. The contextual meaning of a phrase or word may be correct, but it might not constitute the right meaning for the poem. For example, “shooting” movies and “filming” movies have similar meaning and could be used interchangeably. However, the more suitable word that fits the idea of the poem should be used.

Another important thing to establish in every poem is rhythm. Rhythm is created by knowing the right pattern of words, metre and syllables in poems. Although there are types of poems that do not require regular metre, establishing rhythm in poems is still a must. The sounds of words should also be considered in producing rhythm. There could be many synonymous words that fit the lines in the poem, but the word having the most fitting sound should be chosen. Aside from word meaning and rhythm, the length and general appearance of the poem should also be addressed with care.