Basically, poetry is the most abused genre of literature. Maybe, this is because there are more lazy writers in this generation than there ever was. Everyone seems to be distracted by the unfurling events that flash a little quicker than flash fiction would tarry to carry. I wish that poets (especially those who think they’re poets because they know how to talk smoothly), will learn these few things about poetry.
First, don’t start your poem with a transitional marker like I just did in this poem. This means that words such as, basically, therefore, however, first, second etc, and should, should be shoved into the next Egyptian plane heading towards Bermuda triangle.
I should have started with ‘second’ here but I won’t because this is a poem or at least, a potential one. Because this is a poem, run away from the ends of your paper. Your lines should be found in between your paper and shouldn’t run from the left end to the right end of your paper/pad.
As you can see now, this is gradually
looking like a poem. You may also
want to economize words. If possible,
each line should contain its thought.
This means you should murder
circumlocution and the use of grandiloquent
expressions.
Don’t be scared of ambiguity,
You won’t be PUNished for being sexy.
Lines can be athletic,
They can run
to the next line.
But don’t forget that the race is
intercepted by punctuations.
You should know that judges capitalize on capitalization
and hack off marks for poor punctuations.
Don’t forget to use alphaBETs well,
They can win you huge figures,
Huge figures of speech, I mean.
Take a shot at anadiplosis,
As she poses with her sis,
Anaphora.
Repeat words and a line again and again.
Until you birth repetition and an entrement or a refrain.
Make sure your consonance is in consonance with your assonance,
And your alliteration, an instance of a morphological distance;
Don’t go like: ‘real reality’ and ‘realistic realizations’,
These are jabronic alliterations!
Basically poetry.
Rhyming is one way to keep readers entertained,
But once you start, make sure it’s sustained.
May I say this for the last time,
You must not rhyme!
But if you must,
Your focus on your theme shouldn’t be lost.
Basically poetry.
Depending on your view,
How well words know you,
How you can periodize words and brew,
Make the rhyming long with
rhymes not a few,
True, ‘monorhymes’ are not new.
I’ll say it for free though I know you knew.
Basically poetry.
You can choose to make the rhymes alternate,
Here rhyming lines should show love,
Sit patiently and wait,
For cousins to pass like these ones above.
Basically poetry.
You can rent couplets and make rhymes a couple,
Where rhyming lines their spouses strongly grapple.
Now, it seems you’ve learnt everything about symmetry,
Maybe everything their is to know about poetry.
But dare, before you start looking forward to selling,
Don’t be too magical, cheque your spelling.
Up up there, it’s ‘there’ and not ‘their’
And ‘dear’ should also replace ‘dare’.
Because I am not so sure about your feeling,
I won’t spell check ‘cheque’ because of ‘selling’.
Basically poetry.
To be far better than wannabes,
Learn to kill your babies.
Some lines you love could be very useless,
Striking them off doesn’t mean you’re museless;
Make them shorter or better,
Or abandon them in a gutter.
Basically poetry.
Even the seeming perfect poet has a prefect.
Choose unsnubbing word dukes to you direct.
Read them and read their books,
Then shall your pen spit phlegming nukes.
Flattery can kill your battery,
Flattery can drain your ARTery.
A cynic is better than a flatterer,
But a critic will say your dumb piece is a stammerer.
Basically poetry.
If you’re writing the right thing,
If you’re righting the writing,
You may flop but will never stop.
Keep writing and let’s meet at the top!
Basically poetry.
