The Ultimate Guide to become a poet!
When Shailendra Singh said, “Main Shayar Toh nhi par ae hasi jabse dekha mene tujhko mujho shayari aagyi.” Someone should have told him that it’s not that easy! Let us give you the ultimate guide to become a poet!
1) Study poetry from every era.
Without knowing Keats from Kerouac, you won’t succeed as a poet. Take the time to study various periods and movements of poetry, such as the Romantic period, the Beats, and contemporary poetry, written by living writers today. You need to read other poets living in the 21st century if you want to write poetry today.
2) Write constantly.
To be a successful poet, you must read, write, and revise your work constantly. Successful poets don’t wait for inspiration to strike to write their poems. Working on a poem at a desk, computer, or journal is what they do. A successful poet is like a successful businessman or doctor who heads to the office every day.
3) Keep a poetry image journal.
Keep it with you wherever you go so that you can jot down ideas or poems as they occur to you. The goal of writing poetry does not need to be your primary goal. Many successful poets create their poems by collaging images, words and found language from their image journals. Listen for strange turns of phrases and unusual bits of language that could sneak into your poems.
4) Kill your darlings.
The work of a successful poet is revised. Frequently. Just because you typed it up and printed it out, or because it rhymes, or because you like it, doesn’t make it finished. The most effective poems move the reader outside of themselves and communicate. Well-written poetry takes time and effort to write, and it must be rewritten and revised carefully. Learn about the tricks of the masters by investing in a good craft book and reading plenty of poetry.
5) Share your work with good poets and accept criticism gracefully.
Poetry will appeal to some people and not to others. Take advice graciously and keep revising your work constantly, instead of dwelling on what haters say. Learn as much as you can from more experienced writers.
6) Consider studying poetry formally.
Many schools, community centres, and libraries offer after-school poetry workshops for a reasonable price, where you can read others’ work, study poetry, and take part in a workshop. The purpose of a workshop is to share new work and critique the work of others in a friendly environment. Getting feedback from an experienced teacher and other poets can lead to dramatic improvement.
7) Figure out how you’re going to make money.
While he wrote his classic American poems, Walt Whitman worked as a nurse and ambulance driver, while Frank O’Hara worked at an art museum and wrote poetry on his lunch break. Poets often pursue academic careers, while others become musicians, truck drivers, or parents. Take your poetry seriously and keep writing them.
8) Free Courses for poetry in India
● Poetry: How to Write Poems by The Crafty Writer’s Creative Writing Course
● ModPo offers an online class.
● Coursera offers several MOOC (massive open online courses) on poetry.
● Skillshare has a few video courses as well.
● Yale provides a couple of open courses, including one on Modern Poetry and one on Milton. You can download all the course materials.
● Open Learn has several poetry courses.
● MIT provides several through their MIT Open Courseware program
● How to Make a Poem is a recurring course on Future Learn.
● mslexia provides three Poetry writing workshops you can work through at your leisure
● Albany Poetry Workshop’s online classroom provides a five-session and seven-session workshop, as well as guest teacher’s writing exercises.
It is how you can become a poet! Don’t forget to comment down below for any further questions you have!
