I was personally introduced to poetry through the limerick. I grew up reading Edward Lear's Complete Nonsense and having my mother and grandma recite silly rhymes to me. Limericks stick in your head due to their uniform metre and rhyme scheme, which is probably why I can recite so many of them today (much to … Continue reading Limerick: A Beginner’s Guide
WON'T YOU CELEBRATE WITH ME? by Lucille Clifton (1991) LET AMERICA BE AMERICA AGAIN by Langston Hughes (1935) from ON THE DEATH OF GENERAL WOOSTER by Phillis Wheatley (1778) SO YOU THINK I'M A MULE? By Jackie Kay (1985) STILL I RISE by Maya Angelou (1978)
Blank verse is a fairly straight forward concept to get your head around (but it is not to be confused with free verse, the two are incredibly different.) Blank verse follows a non-rhyming, strict metrical pattern, usually iambic pentameter. Blank verse became very popular during the renaissance, and the most famous person to use it … Continue reading Blank Verse: A Beginner’s Guide
We all know that writing is therapeutic. It allows us to get our emotions out and on a page, separates them from us and lets us look them straight in the eye and say 'not today!' I want to release you from the burdensome notion that all writing has to sound great, look great and … Continue reading Therapeutic Writing Exercise For Times of Crisis (some might call it witchcraft)
If you have never written a poem before, the prospect might be daunting, looking at a blank word document or sheet of paper and feeling the pressure to produce something Shakespeare would wish he wrote. But poetry shouldn't be daunting and inaccessible. It's just words, after all, and every single person reading this knows words. … Continue reading Write Your First Poem in 5 Steps
We face a long road ahead, and I truly believe that the arts are instrumental to people's mental wellbeing in these difficult times. I have compiled below a selection of poems for you to peruse while you are tucked up safely at home. I have tried to select poems that fit the theme of quarantine; … Continue reading Must Read Poems for the Quarantine
We've all been there. Whether it's needing to write because you have an assignment due, or you're just trying to get the last couple of poems for your new pamphlet. All poets experience poet's block to varying degrees. There is nothing wrong with this, it is a natural part of the creative process. We can't … Continue reading Beating Poet’s Block (or Writing When you Can’t)
I often think of a sonnet as a swan- romantically gliding across the surface of a lake, while beneath the surface the flippers of poetic artistry are working ten-to-the-dozen. (not the most seamless of metaphors, but anyway.) Sonnets seem like a straight forward poetic form, but they are far more tricky to do in practice. … Continue reading The Sonnet: A Beginner’s Guide
Analysing poetry can seem like a daunting thing when faced with a page (or more) of flowery words that you just can't understand. However, when you break it down it can be one of the most rewarding, enjoyable, and dare I say easy (?!) things to do. In this article I will break down the … Continue reading The Basics of Poetry Analysis
As I begin writing on this website, I am 6645 words into my Master's dissertation in creative writing. I am sitting slap bang in the middle of storm Ciara, a phenomenon that has flooded near enough every street leading anywhere worth going, has caused businesses to close and friends to be evacuated from their homes … Continue reading Floods of Ideas
All things poetry, from one nerd to another... 