Young Writers Society

In my 13-14 years of life, i have a deep and the only impression on this poem.
Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
Sugar is sweet.
And so are you.
i've only know this poem in my entire life.
i guess i need some help in creating poems.
firstly some questions for it.
Must all poems have to rhyme like this?
i have a cat
his name is pat.( Is this a poem?)
What are the necessary component needed in a poem.
How do i start a poem and how do i end it?

Poetry isn't really something that you can learn. It just... happens. And you get better. My advice? Read real poetry. None of that "roses are red" crud. REAL poetry. Like William Shakespeare, Edgar Allen Poe, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, William Blake, Keets, Shelley, Bronte.... *Rambles on about amazing poets*
No, not all poems must rhyme, but there must be some sense of rhythm. There must also be poetic devices. Metaphor and simile are the language of poetry. There's also imagery, personification, et cetera.
But as I said, the best way to "learn" to write poetry is to read poetry.

Not all poems need to rhyme, no.

Really, if you want to get an idea of what poems are like, try to get your hands on a book of poetry. You can also just have a look at what people have been posting in the Poetry section of YWS, although you should keep in mind that we're all just amateurs.

Hey!

I'm June, and I'm going to give you a brief lesson on poetry, and how I approach it.

Poetry is not something you can learn simply in a matter of minutes. In fact, poetry is never learned; it just exists. Poetry is simply your approach to something and how you view it as something other than what it is.

The best way to learn poetry is to read poetry. I like this site alot:

http://www.poets.org/

Not only can you read some of the greatest American poetry, but you can also read a lot about the poets.

Poetry is the most flexible form of writing. It only becomes strict when you attribute your work to a genre.

There are plenty of rules of structured poetry, but they're not necessary to touch on. To begin, you should take something-- anything that means a lot to you and write about it. Describe it in a way that others may not see it. Use descriptive imagery, but don't overdo it.

Some people believe that if a poem doesn't rhyme then it's no good. That's absolutely untrue; you can write a sentence, break it up over a few lines and call it a poem.

Pick up a book of poetry at a library. Most of those poems don't make sense. However, if the author is well known, then there are plenty of people who are going to try to believe that the poem they just read is brilliant. They can't find a meaning to it, but try and make themselves believe that they understand it.

All of that to say, poetry is what you make it.

Create a rough draft, and post it here on YWS. I'm sure there are plenty of people who could lend you a helping hand .

Good luck!
June

Hi
I'm not an expert in poetry and I know how you're feeling.
But still I can give you a few tips that over time I have learned.
Like the others above me state its always good to research and read poetry.
Now if you don't like to read well then all I can say is follow what you feel.
If you need help on the basic structure practice writing poems that come with a set number of lines,syllables per line and rhyme scheme. Such as a sonnet !! I bet you've heard about it!!
Also know your punctuations and spelling. Its very important if you want your poem to run smoothly. Critiques can be harsh.
But over all if you have an idea that you can express on paper that's all you need to start!
That's the problem with many, they don't have ideas!!
WYS has some real good writers that can help you so just attempt it and see how it comes out

Poetry really isn't something you can just be taught. I agree with everyone else on here to look up some poetry books. Start with Charles Bukowski. He's a great jumping off point.

haha I go to that site heaps to June.

Poetry is basically using WORDS to create IMAGES in peoples minds and each subsequent image tells a story or an idea. So first you need to work out what the images in your head are, and then describe them, and you will have poetry, and over time you will just get better with the description

Hi, the only advice I can hope to give you is that you shouldn't concentrate only on one kind of poem, but rather you should try to have a look at all kinds of poetry. The poetry I recommend is haiku, search it up if your interested because I'm not really good with explanations, and if you want to try haiku PM me so i can read it, okay?
Thanks and i hope this helps.