Category: Poetry theory

Vowels and Consonants and the Architecture of Speech

Vowels, Consonants and the Architecture of Speech Before we can explore stress and rhythm, it helps to understand something about the sounds that make up spoken language.We often think of vowels and consonants as groups of letters, but they are more accurately described as different kinds of speech sounds.A vowel sound is produced with relatively… Continue reading Vowels and Consonants and the Architecture of Speech

“Strong Verbs”

We Talk About “Strong Verbs”, But… We are often told to use strong verbs in our writing. It sounds straightforward enough, doesn’t it? But here’s the confusing bit: “strong verb” means two quite different things, depending on whether we’re talking about grammar or the craft of writing. And the distinction is rather interesting. Strong verbs… Continue reading “Strong Verbs”

Adjectives in Poetry

“There is a difference between writing poetically and writing poetry.” Thomas Lux Beginning poets often assume that poetry differs from prose because poetry is more descriptive or evocative.Not necessarily.Good prose can be wonderfully evocative. One important difference is compression. A prose writer may have paragraphs or pages in which to build a scene. A poet… Continue reading Adjectives in Poetry

The Function of a Poem’s Title

In many poetic traditions, especially micro‑forms such as Haiku and Tanka — poems often appear without titles. But in most other forms, the title is a crucial part of the poem’s design. It is the reader’s first introduction, the opening gesture, and often the first clue to meaning.A title is not simply a label. It… Continue reading The Function of a Poem’s Title

Metaphor

Exploring Metaphor The brain is a tree. What is a metaphor? A metaphor is a figure of speech in which one thing is described as another in order to reveal something they have in common.The word metaphor comes from the Greek idea of carrying or transferring something across. In writing, meaning is carried from one… Continue reading Metaphor

The Invisible Musician:Tuning the Mouth of a Poem.

 The Invisible Musician: Tuning the Mouth of a Poem The Mouth as Instrument  Imagine two poets standing before the same winter field. Both want to describe a freezing wind dragging itself across ice‑stiffened ground. One writes: The cold wind blew over the empty fields. The meaning is clear. The image is accurate. But the line… Continue reading The Invisible Musician:Tuning the Mouth of a Poem.

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.