How to Write Poetry
Writing Tips When Feeling Stuck
Hey guys, come write poetry with me. It’s important to be inspired by an object, a view, feel, a person, and music. Today I want to write a poem. I’m usually really good at using my five senses and instantly feel connected by something that reminds me of something else. However, there are days where you’re like, damn, I don’t know what to write. Guess what? No—not chicken butt…But I will share some pointers that have helped me. Let me help you…Let you help me? Anyways, let’s go!
For a month straight, I was on a roll. I wrote many poems like: Flick, Spring Crudité, Wise and Wiser, and American Greatness. Nothing could stop me until my inspiration faded. I found myself writing two lines, then a period followed at the end because it truly was my end. I fumble and tumble like a tumbleweed. I crumble, then am reincarnated as the Cookie Monster, like, “Ahhh, where is my cookie!” The gist is, I wasn’t going anywhere. So, like a philosopher trying to perfect their paper, I throw my scrap a la poubelle.
Using My Five Senses
I once wrote a whole poem in twenty minutes and ten extra minutes for mild editing. I was so proud of it. Like the little girl in me running to wait for the ice cream truck, I jumped ecstatically. The poem, La Façon Dont les Choses se Pass is in my top ten.
It was March 13, in Pennsylvania, and I had just come home temporarily to visit family. The countryside, with manure as a welcome concierge. A quite drizzly day. Fog from afar and mist on the leaves, I observed it all at the bay window. Perhaps it was the stillness of it all, leaving me inspired. I curled myself and sat on the wooden floor. I began to stare. At first, driving by, you’d think I’m out to get you, but that wasn’t the case; I was allowing myself to disengage with reality and focus on earth…like planet earth and the amazing things it does for us. I wanted to use my five senses.
1. Sight
That’s always my first thing to do. What do I see? While sitting on the floor, staring intensely, I notice the colors of the farmland in front of me. It was drizzling, so I noticed the mud, twigs, trees, shapes, colors, houses, wind, and dimensions of objects.
Some examples I’ve used in the poem:
“Forest green land with brown twig mud”
“Willow took up the most space”
“Tomatoes and carrots put on their happy face”
“My roof shone in with the drum”
“The wind waved”
“The pine trees wore their green dress with their nest hat”
2. Hearing
Some examples I’ve used in the poem:
“Birds humming as the chorus”
“The bucket outside are playing their cellos”
“Each piano key ricochets off my house”
“Roof cheered with heavy droplets”
3. Smell
An example I’ve used in the poem: “The soil is wet”
4. Touch
Some Examples I’ve used in the poem:
“He softly hits each leaf and petal”
“Cozy candlelight dinner”
“The wind took a chance and waved”
“The rain was relaxed”
5. Taste
Some examples I’ve used in the poem:
“Sweet, savory fruits and vegetables”
“Harvest waits for us to eat”
Sitting in the living room that day, I was inspired by my five senses. I relaxed and started to observe and analyze what’s going on, then it was a matter of time before the theme and direction of La Façon Dont les Choses se Pass came to me. I used my five senses directly and indirectly.
I used sight because I noticed shape, movement, and color. Hearing because I wanted a symphony. I connected the rain, instrument, and nature’s rhythm to make a unified concert of sound. As for smell, that was indirect. I said, “The soil is wet,’’ by observation that’s true, but there was a part of my writing process where I stepped outside and sat on the patio, to smell my surroundings.
While I was outside, I wanted to include touch. That was a hard one because how can I personify nature to make sense? That’s where my literary devices came into play. A few moments passed by, and I began saying things like, “The wind took a chance and waved”, “He softly hits each petal.” I gave temperature and texture to wrap my audience in a physical experience. Lastly, there is taste. This was used through metaphor and anticipation. The lines, “Sweet, savory fruits and vegetables”, “harvest waits for us to devour,” awaken the mouth.
Using your senses can make your poem rich when you’re stuck. It can also be an experiential feel for whoever is reading it. My best advice, write poetry like you’d want to read it, feel it, touch it, hear it, and envision it.
Music
When it comes to music, I don't mean put on your new Taylor Swift. Okay, okay, I do like Taylor Swift. But seriously, I don't mean put on your new Taylor Swift. I mean, put something on that will carry you afloat. When I mean music, I mean something instrumental and an interlude. Something that has soul and can make you travel subconsciously. That's what I mean by music.
We use music daily to influence our moods. The emotions of a song awaken and shape the amount of energy and effort we put into our day. Let’s digest more. What happens when you listen to a sad, chill, or happy song? Your brainwaves shift: it changes by responding to the song notes and tone, subtly guiding you into a different emotional reality. Of course, this effect depends on whether you truly connect with the music. I can tell from my own experience how certain songs inspire me…it’s a measure of that connection.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, music is good for the brain. They experimented on a survey and found results of “that those who actively listened to music showed the strongest brain benefits, even those who primarily listened to background music showed benefits…” They also explained how music keeps your brain network strong, which promotes well-being, learning, cognitive function, quality of life, and happiness. So, what’s my deal, you ask?
There is another case that arises during my writing process when my five senses won’t work, so I turn to music. Music has helped me unwind the tangled yarns. I listen to anything from Jazz, blues, funk, classy, chill, house, pop, and rock. I could go on, but this is not the Music Choice Award.
Before I started publishing on Substack, I used the notes app on my phone. I sync my iCloud to my laptop, Bluetooth my AirPods, and scroll on Spotify. I spend about six to 10 minutes exploring which genre I want to write in. I always want what is playing to move me and my soul entirely. I have this saying: if you give in, it gives you back.
🟠 ➤ How to START:
Take 2–3 minutes to breathe in and out. While you do, choose your alter ego — someone bold, confident, and reflective. Impersonate the tone you want to write in. Is it a journalist, philosopher, TMZ, Vogue, Scientific, Love, happy, etc.
Open your favorite music app and browse for 6 to 10 minutes.
Choose a genre that speaks to you, preferably an interlude or instrumental. Something soulful.
Connect your mind to the song. Let it pull you in.
Start writing words and sentences down. Write, write, and keep on writing. (It doesn’t have to make sense.)
After writing for 20 to 30 minutes, pause the genre you’re listening to and read what you’ve written.
🟢 ➤ Change to a different genre and repeat.
Do this three times, changing genres each time. Look at how different your writing feels.
Final breath: breathe in and out again after the third session. Pause the music. Take your headphones out.
Get up and stretch, hydrate, or stare outside a window. Take a ten-minute break.
Look at what you wrote. Read it out loud. Start to edit, shape, or let it simmer.
Try giving these a try and tell me what changes. Personally, when it comes to choosing an artist, I go for Mike Dean for a synth-wave electronic vibe. It reminds me of film noir. That’s for when I’m feeling philosophical or in a creative train. When I’m in a love mood or want to amputate a fame fatal vibe, I go for Lana Del Ray, Berlioz, or SEATBELTS. I’ve explored many other categories like Jazz and blues. I like them, it enriches my thought process, hearing the lyrics that they use.
A few playlists to get you started
1. Film Noir
2. Relax and Happy
3. Jazz and Blues
4. Light PUMP WITH EASY LYRICS
5. House and Techno
Strickly, when it comes to writing poetry or a paper it doesn’t have to be an instrumental or an interlude. You can divert to many other types to what fits your definition of the emotions I described above. Nevertheless, starting out, an instrumental and interlude will work best and promote deep focus especially if you have ADHD. So much so, I wrote two audience favorite poem to, Road to the West by SEATBELTS. Sometimes, I listen to a certain song over and again.
Change of Scenery
I’m a Biochemist major student. Trust me, I never liked either. However, I had a great teacher like, Mr. Brown throughout my high school years that did a fantastic job at making me fall in love. Then came my two biology teachers who took their time and effort to teach in a way their students (me) can understand. Their efforts and dedication made me have a sense of future. I hated both Biology and Chemistry…but changing teachers had help me understand the material to where I was able to implement it to my day-to-day life. A change of teacher inspired me, and a change of scenery can change your inspiration.
What does it mean to have a change of scenery? Well, it’s simple. Get in your car and drive to your nearest caffe or step outside and sit on grass…either way just change from your normal writing spot. Find somewhere that makes you happy, like your happy place. If you have to travel to change your scenery, do it! I fully encourage it. When I spent Christmas in Paris, that helped my brain see things in a different light.
Can a Poem Be Too Short or Too Long?
A poem can never be too long. If you feel like you can write more, then write more. That simply means that your story and creative thoughts aren’t over yet. Keep on writing until the beginning and end makes sense. Yes, there are guidelines that informs a poet how to structure their poems if they want to write a: Haiku, Freeform, sonnet, Villanelle, Ekphrastic, Concrete, Elegy, Epigram, Limerick, Ballad, Epitaph, and Ode. But the invisible truth is either can be short or long.
So, screw it and write!
