Category: Poetry theory

Poetry deserves precision: Hunting for the Right Words

​How do you choose the words that go into your poetry? What are the right words? ​As the poet, you must ultimately be the judge. But the “right words” shouldn’t just be the first ones you toss onto the paper when you feel the sudden rush to write. The critic Samuel Taylor Coleridge famously noted… Continue reading Poetry deserves precision: Hunting for the Right Words

Changing Diction: How Word Choice Shifts a Poem’s Soul.

Changing Diction, Changing the Theme: How Word Choice Shifts a Poem’s Soul. ​In poetry, you can use the exact same scene, the exact same characters, and the exact same sequence of events to tell two completely different stories. How? By changing your diction—your specific choice of words.​By shifting your word choices, you change the emotional… Continue reading Changing Diction: How Word Choice Shifts a Poem’s Soul.

The Bloodstream of Romantic Poetry: A guide to controlling imagery.

​Images and imagery are the bloodstream of love poetry. They’re how emotion becomes sensory—how longing becomes something the reader can taste, touch, or see. When you control your images rather than letting them drift in randomly, you shape the reader’s emotional experience with precision. ​Below is a craft-focused guide to how imagery works in love… Continue reading The Bloodstream of Romantic Poetry: A guide to controlling imagery.

Try not to write Obscure, Abstract Poetry because it confuses readers

Abstractions in poetry can be a great concept, when used wisely and judiciously. When abstractions are overdone, the poem becomes a confusing mess for the reader that often defies navigation to a successful conclusion. When someone tells you that your poem is too abstract, they are very likely saying you have abstractions where there should… Continue reading Try not to write Obscure, Abstract Poetry because it confuses readers

Painting poetry with colour

Using colour to paint your poetry The psychology of colour is a fascinating area that explores how colours are linked to emotions, perceptions, and cultural expressions.Colours have a way of evoking emotions, memories, and associations. Metaphors and similes that involve colours add depth and vividness to our language.So adding colour to poetic comparison devices and… Continue reading Painting poetry with colour

The Art of using symbolism in Poetry

Symbolism is a powerful literary device that enriches poetry by adding deeper layers of meaning. Through symbols, poets can convey complex ideas, evoke emotions, and create connections between the tangible and the abstract. What Is Symbolism? At its core, symbolism involves the use of—objects, colours, events, or even emotions—to represent something beyond their literal meanings.… Continue reading The Art of using symbolism in Poetry

Pauses in poetry

Rhythmic pauses in poetry The caesura plural caesurae.It can be used in poetry and prose.This literary device involves creating a break of a breath within a line where the two separate parts are distinguishable from one another yet intrinsically linked together. The purpose of using a caesura is to create a dramatic pause, which has… Continue reading Pauses in poetry