10 Essentials of Poetry: A Guide to Writing with Intention & Power
Introduction
Poetry isn’t just words on a page—it’s architecture. A space where emotion meets craft, where each line builds something that feels both personal and universal. Great poetry isn’t just read—it’s felt, remembered, and carried forward.
This guide, part of our Sunday Sessions Series, gives you the foundation to elevate your poetry. Whether you’re discovering your voice or refining it, these tools will help you write with intention, depth, and impact. Let’s break it down.
1. Anchor Your Poem with Emotion
What it is:
Emotion is the foundation of every great poem. It’s the raw material that fuels your writing and connects you to your audience.
Why it matters:
Your audience might forget the words, but they’ll remember how you made them feel. Emotion is the bridge between your story and theirs—it’s what makes your poem universal.
Practice:
Ask yourself: What am I feeling right now? Start with one word (e.g., joy, fear, longing). Build your poem around that emotion.
Examples:
Instead of: “I’m tired,”
Try: “I feel like the couch after everyone’s gone home, cushions sinking into themselves.”Instead of: “I feel unheard,”
Try: “It’s like yelling into the wind, but the wind just keeps stealing my voice.”Instead of: “I feel sad,”
Try: “I’m the last voicemail they never listened to, stuck on repeat.”
2. Build with Imagery
What it is:
Imagery uses sensory details to create vivid mental pictures for the reader. It brings your poem to life by making abstract emotions tangible.
Why it matters:
Strong imagery transforms your poem into an experience. Instead of telling readers how you feel, it allows them to see, hear, and feel it for themselves.
Practice:
Close your eyes and imagine your emotion as a scene, object, or sound. Ask yourself: What do I see? What stands out?
Examples:
Instead of: “I feel stuck,”
Try: “It’s like pressing the elevator button, but the doors never open.”Instead of: “I feel overwhelmed,”
Try: “It’s like trying to carry a full grocery cart with one broken wheel—every step feels heavier.”Instead of: “I feel invisible,”
Try: “I’m the empty chair in the corner of the room, seen but never noticed.”
3. Shape Sound
What it is:
Sound in poetry comes from how your words flow, rhyme, and repeat. Techniques like alliteration, assonance, and repetition create rhythm and mood.
Why it matters:
Poetry is meant to be heard. How your words sound affects how they’re felt. A good rhythm carries your audience through the poem; a bad one makes them stumble.
Techniques:
Alliteration: Repeating consonant sounds.
“The silence stayed still, soaking the shadows.”Assonance: Repeating vowel sounds.
“The room bloomed with gloom.”Repetition: Emphasizing key ideas.
“I waited. I waited. I waited until waiting became who I was.”
Practice:
Read your lines out loud. Which words feel natural? Which ones interrupt the flow? Adjust until the rhythm matches the emotion.
4. Mastering the Turn
What it is:
A turn is the moment in a poem when something shifts—emotion, tone, or perspective.
Why it matters:
The turn keeps your poem dynamic. It’s the “aha” moment that surprises the reader or deepens the meaning of your words.
Examples:
Instead of: “I let go, and everything was fine,”
Try: “I let go, expecting freedom—
but all I felt was the weight of my own hands.”Instead of: “I smiled through the pain,”
Try: “I smiled through the pain,
but every laugh sounded like a warning.”
Practice:
Ask yourself: Where does my poem feel predictable? Add a turn that shifts the reader’s expectations.
5. Deepen with Metaphors
What it is:
A metaphor compares two unrelated things to highlight similarities, making abstract emotions more vivid.
Why it matters:
A metaphor gives your audience something tangible to hold onto. It turns emotions into images and layers meaning into your poem.
Examples:
Instead of: “I feel stuck,”
Try: “I’m the traffic jam no one can escape, horns blaring but going nowhere.”Instead of: “I feel disconnected,”
Try: “I’m the charger that doesn’t fit the outlet, close but useless.”
Practice:
Think about your emotion. What does it feel like? What could it be compared to? Write three metaphors and choose the one that feels the strongest.
6. Layer Your Meaning
What it is:
Layering is writing lines that work on multiple levels, offering new meaning with every read.
Why it matters:
A layered poem grows with its audience. Some readers will see the surface; others will dive deeper into hidden meanings.
Examples:
Instead of: “I feel forgotten,”
Try: “I’m the light left on in an empty house.”Instead of: “I miss them,”
Try: “Their absence feels like the smell of rain—always close, but just out of reach.”
Practice:
Write one line. Then ask yourself: What else could this mean? What’s beneath the surface?
7. Writing with Contrast
What it is:
Contrast is the art of placing opposing ideas or images side by side to create tension, highlight emotions, or surprise your reader.
Why it matters:
Contrast makes your poem dynamic, pulling the reader in by showing how light interacts with dark, joy with pain, or chaos with calm.
Examples:
Instead of: “I feel empty,”
Try: “The room was loud, but I felt quiet.”Instead of: “I feel torn,”
Try: “I’m running toward a future I can’t see, dragging the past I can’t let go of.”
Practice:
Write about two opposing emotions you’ve felt at the same time (e.g., love and fear, joy and sadness). How do they push and pull against each other?
8. Build an Ending That Lingers
What it is:
The ending of your poem is where everything comes together—or falls apart. A strong ending doesn’t just close a poem; it leaves a lasting impression, echoing in the reader’s mind long after they’ve finished.
Why it matters:
The ending is your final word, your mic drop. It’s the moment your audience decides whether your poem will stay with them or fade away. A great ending doesn’t explain—it leaves space for thought, emotion, and reflection.
Examples:
Instead of: “I walked away, and that was it.”
Try: “I walked away, but my shadow stayed behind.”Instead of: “I finally let go, and I felt free.”
Try: “I finally let go, but my hands still remember the weight.”Instead of: “I’ll always remember this moment.”
Try: “This moment will remember me, long after I’ve forgotten it.”
Practice:
Write three different endings for your poem:
One hopeful.
One unresolved.
One surprising.
Then, read them out loud. Which ending lingers in your mind the longest? Which one feels the most honest? That’s your ending.
9. Read Aloud to Refine
What it is:
Poetry isn’t just something you write—it’s something you speak, hear, and feel. Reading your poem out loud is how you identify its rhythm, pacing, and emotional weight.
Why it matters:
Your poem isn’t complete until you’ve heard it. Reading out loud reveals what flows, what stumbles, and what feels disconnected. It’s also a chance to feel the emotion behind your words and make sure it matches your intention.
Tips for Reading Aloud:
Listen for Flow:
Read your poem slowly. Does it glide, or do you trip over certain parts? If it stumbles, adjust the line breaks or rewrite the phrasing to make it smoother.Find the Rhythm:
Experiment with different pacing. Does speeding up a section make it more intense? Does slowing down give it more weight?Feel the Emotion:
Pay attention to your voice. Are you rushing through a vulnerable moment? Are you underplaying something that needs more energy? Let the emotion guide your delivery.
Practice:
Read your poem out loud three times:
First to yourself.
Second to someone else (a friend or fellow poet).
Third to an empty room.
After each read, ask: What worked? What didn’t? What surprised me? Refine your poem based on what you notice.
10. Trust the Process
What it is:
Trusting the process means embracing the journey of writing poetry—drafting, editing, experimenting, and growing over time.
Why it matters:
Poetry is a craft that evolves. Every draft, every experiment, every failed attempt shapes your voice. Trusting the process allows you to stay curious and creative, instead of chasing perfection.
Encouragement:
Not every poem will be “perfect,” and that’s okay. The beauty of poetry is in its rawness, its growth, and its honesty.
Writing is a conversation with yourself. Some days, it will flow. Other days, it will fight you. Both are part of the process.
Growth happens when you take risks—try new forms, explore new themes, and step out of your comfort zone.
Practice:
Look back at an old poem. Rewrite it using the tools in this guide. What stays the same? What changes? Let this be a reminder of how far you’ve come and how much further you can go.
Poetry is a practice, a craft, and a journey. These 10 essentials aren’t rules—they’re tools to help you dig deeper, write bolder, and share your voice with the world. Whether you’re anchoring your emotions, layering meaning, or mastering the turn, every poem you write brings you closer to your truth.
Thank you for joining us for this week’s Sunday Sessions Series. Catch us again next Sunday for more tips, techniques, and insights to elevate your poetry. And remember—your voice matters, and your story is worth sharing.
