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Most writers know what it’s like to struggle with imposter syndrome. For poets, a lot of that stems from what a professor of mine used to refer to as the big “P”. The big “P” stands for the kind of poetry many of us learned in high school, the strict rules of meter, rhyme. Even the formal language of classical poetry, although beautiful, can be a little hard to understand for beginners. I admit when I first started writing poetry, I was intimidated by writing in form. I struggled to follow the rules and structures in a way that didn’t limit what I was trying to say. Ultimately, I was scared that I would fail at it until I discovered some forms that worked for me. So, here are some forms that I think are great for beginners.
1: Blackout Poems
A blackout poem is when you create a poem by blacking out or erasing words from an existing text. You can use old articles or documents; the goal is ultimately to create new meaning from what was originally on the page.
2: Golden Shovel
A Golden Shovel is when you take a line from a poem, or even a song, that you like and use each word from that line as the last word of every line in your poem. Think of it like an acrostic poem with words at the end of each line, rather than letters at the beginning. By the end, the last word of each line should make up the line of the original poem. If that’s still confusing, here’s an example.
3: Cento
Similar to a golden shovel, a cento takes lines from another poet or artist. The difference is that the entire poem is made up of lines by other poets. You can even use song lyrics. The name of this form comes from the Latin word for patchwork, meaning that you sort of mix and match existing lines to create new meaning. Here’s my first try at a cento using lyrics from different Florence and the Machine songs.
Simple Rebirths
I couldn’t help it, yes, I let it get in. And I don’t care whether I live or die.
I thought that love was a kind of emptiness. Worn out and tired, and my heart near retired. How quickly the glamor fades.
Now I am nobody’s moral center.
Made myself mythical, tried to be real but it cannot hold.
I start spinning, slipping out of time and time stretches endless. History keeps pulling me down.
And yet, the birds begin to sing, and, in the spring, I shed my skin. It seems I’ve made the final sacrifice.
I'm gonna be released from behind these lies.
I drank every sky that I could, and it turns me to gold in the sunlight.
Now, my arms emptied, the skies emptied, and I don’t need the day, I don’t need the night.
I never thought it would get this far. This, is a gift. The dog days are over.
Tip for the last two forms: Don’t forget to give credit to the original author.
Honestly, writing formal poetry can be difficult at first, but with practice you can quickly discover what works best for you. So, don’t give up. My main piece of advice is to write your draft first. Then, you can see which form best suits the subject matter and emotional truth of your poem. Have fun writing 🙂
Life Without Limits 