How to Write Your First Poem?

All set to write your first poem? Well done, because the toughest part is making the decision to do something! However, before you write your first poem, let me ensure that you have already written so many in your thoughts; it’s something different that you could not pen those down on the paper. Today, I will try to be your companion and make you write your first poem, and for sure, you will be loving it. Many poets have written poems about writing a poem. I remember one of such kind by Ted Hughes, The Thought Fox. I will be analysing it some other post, however. Now, we have to focus on how to write a poem.

Poem: What to write about?

Most of the time, it happens; a newly born poet is not easily able to decide what should be the subject for a poem. Moreover, as it is the first poem, things become more complicated! An interesting fact is that all new poets unconsciously become a victim of ‘belatedness’! However, I am not letting this happen with you. I will help you in choosing a proper theme for your poem. And here is the advice – make it personal. Do not try to attempt a ‘T. S. Eliot’ in your very first poem. There were other reasons that T. S. Eliot was dry and his evening was ‘like a patient’. Write about your mother, your father, your wife, your loved one, a flower (say rose), a tree, your dog, your book or simply anything with which you have attachment. Have you decided? For a demo, I have decided ‘the tree’ here.

Write your first poem:

Let us keep it short. You should not think of making your first poem a longer one. Keep it a maximum of ten lines. 10 lines, as I think, is an ideal length for your first poem. Number of lines decided, now, the question is – how to move ahead? What to write on the page? From where, one should start weaving the poem? (Later, you will realize that a poem has neither a beginning nor an ending; it is something spherical!) Let me help you with this. You have to think constantly about the subject you have selected. You will see a magic; thoughts will come like a train, in abundance. Go ahead; catch the ones you can. (Once again, you will later know that a poem is only a recreation of your thoughts, and mostly, just a fragment!) If you are still in a state of confusion, let us work together. My supposed theme was the tree. I take it ahead from here. My thoughts will be something like: “I see this tree daily. I see it in my garden. Well, it is not a usual tree; it lost all the leaves in the storm. I had watered it; I had nurtured it. Today, it stands dry and decaying.”

So, have you started anything about the poem you are going to write? My poem will be:

Those leaves,

fallen of the tree

that stands leafless

once it knew

there is no new life

to be created!

Things seldom happen;

the world is made to happen.

That, what we say catastrophe,

is to remind us of our destiny…

Where are you? Please share your first poem here, if you have something on your paper by now.

Thank you,

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