The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Poetry

Discover the poet within! You've read poetry that has touched your heart, and you'd like to improve your own writing technique. But even though you have loads of inspiration, you're discovering that good instruction can be as elusive as a good metaphor. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Poetry will help you compose powerful, emotion-packed poems that you can be proud of. You'll learn simple explanations of poetry building blocks such as metaphor, imagery, symbolism and stanzas; steps to the poetic process; easy-to-follow guidelines for writing sonnets, sestinas, narrative poems and more; fun exercises to help you master the basics of poetry writing; cliches and other poetry pitfalls to avoid; advice on writers' conferences and workshops; tips on getting your poetry published; good poems that will inspire your own work; strategies to beat writer's block.

Nikki Moustaki holds an M.A. in creative writing/poetry from New York University and an MFA in the same from Indiana University. She is the recipient of a 2001 National Endowment for the Arts Grant in poetry. Nikki has taught both poetry and fiction writing at New York University and Indiana University, as well as fiction, memoir, and poetry writing at the Gotham Writers' Workshop in New York City. Her publishing credits include Quarterly West, Cream City Review, Alaska Quarterly, TriQuarterly, Spoon River Poetry Review, Many Mountains Moving, PIF Magazine, American Literary Review, Yemassee Review, Madison Review, Berkeley Poetry Review, Cimarron Review, and Yankee Magazine, among others. Nikki hosts the writing Web site http://www.4betteror4words.com, featuring writing services and interviews with contemporary poets. You can e-mail her at betterverse@aol.com for information on upcoming private workshops and poetry critique.

Part 1: What Is Poetry and How Do I Write It?

1

(50)

What Is Poetry and How Do I Begin to Write?

3

(14)

Chapter 1 helps you begin to think of yourself as a poet and gives you some important steps for beginning to write

Exposing Poetry's Bones: What Poetry Is Made Of

17

(16)

Poetry is a complicated art, and this chapter breaks down many of the tools you'll need to get started thinking as a poet thinks

Getting Started (and Over the Fear of Starting!): The Poetic Process

33

(10)

This chapter helps you to ``find your Muse'' and begin cranking out verse, for better or for worse. A discussion on how to know if what you're writing is ``good'' helps the novice poet to begin to see his or her work with a critical eye

All Your Words Fit to Print (and Some That Aren's!): Keeping Journals

43

(8)

Journaling is an important part of becoming a poet. Chapter 4 shows you several ways of keeping a journal, as well as how to cull poems from your journal entries

Part 2: Opening the Stanza's Door: Entering Poetry

51

(62)

Painting with Words: Imagery

53

(10)

The image is one of the most important tools you will need in your poet's toolbox. Chapter 5 shows you how to create an image and what kinds of images your could be using in your work

Metaphorically Speaking

63

(12)

The metaphor is the finest tool you have in your toolbox---and one of the most challenging to use. This chapter shows you the many different types of metaphor you can use and how to create them

Repetition, Repetition, Repetition

75

(12)

Poets and children love to repeat themselves. Repetition is one of the oldest poetic devices, and this chater shows you the many types of repetition and how to use them effectively

The Sound of Music

87

(14)

Yes, poems are alive with the sound of music. Much of learning to write good poems is learning to meld sound and meaning. Chapter 8 shows you how to begin, as well as illustrating the many musical elements available for use in your poems

You've Got Rhythm: Metrical Poetry

101

(12)

Meter is often daunting for the beginning poet. Chapter 9 will familiarize yo with the art of metrical poetry and makes it fun and easy to try

Part 3: Popular Types of Poems and How to Write Them

113

(92)

Tell Me a Story: Narrative Poetry

115

(14)

Storytelling is deep is poetry's roots. The narrative poem, one that tells a story, has a long history and is a fun and challenging form to write

Love and the Great Beyond

129

(16)

Most poets write about love and death, and as a result, there are more bad poems about both subjects than any other. Chapter 11 will help you bypass the pitfalls of writing about your true love---or true love lost

The Three Faces of Eve: Persona Poems and Letter Poems

145

(10)

Pretending to be someone else can be freeing and fun, and persona poems enable you, as the poet, to put on a mask---to write in another voice. Letter poems are often written in a persona, and I Include them here as well

Spellbinding! List Poems and Rituals

155

(14)

Poetry is rich with ritual, and many modern poets write loosely in many different ritual forms. This chapter will give you a few amusing rituals to begin with

Some Fun Fixed Forms

169

(18)

Writing in form is a fun challenge---a fixed form is like a recipe for a poem, and there are many forms to choose from. Chapter 14 offers you a few

More Fun Forms

187

(18)

In addition to fixed forms, poetry has a wealth of poem types available to poets. This chapter features the low-down on some popular forms

Part 4: Poetry and Practicality

205

(124)

Cursed Be He Who Stirs My Bones!: Avoiding Poetry Pitfalls

207

(14)

The poetry pit is a dangerous place. You can become entangled in a wretched rhyme schme or fall into cliche and can't get up. This chapter points out the many pitfalls in poetry and shows you how to avoid them

How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?: Revision, Revision, Revision

221

(10)

Revision is possibly the most important thing you can do as a poet. Chapter 17 will show you the ins and outs of the revision process

To Slam or Not To Slam?: Reading Your Poetry in Public

231

(10)

Traditionally, poetry is an oral and aural art, meant to be spoken and heard. This chapter will show you how and where to read your poems in public

Writing in a Vacuum: Workshops, Colonies, Conferences

241

(18)

Where to go from here? Chapter 19 gives you the scoop on writing beyond your bedroom

Your Name in Print: Getting Published

259

(14)

Poetry is meant to have an audience, and most poets want their own poetry to have one! This chapter will teach you how to give your poems the best shot at publication

Pen Out of Ink?: Beating Writer's Block

273

(20)

The dreaded writer's block occurs when the Muse is on vacation. Chapter 21 has many original exercises from poets who teach, as well as valuable tips on getting your creative juices flowing

Poetry Appreciation 101

293

(12)

Before you write a poem, you have to be able to tell the difference between a good poem and a bad poem. This chapter gives you the ``short course''. on appreciating a poem

Writing Poetry FAQs: Most Frequently Asked Questions

305

(24)

Everything you always wanted to know about poetry but were afraid to ask. Chapter 23 gives you answers to the most commonly asked poetry questions

Appendixes

A Glossary of Poetic Terms

315

(8)

B Resources

323

(6)

Index

329

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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Poetry

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials