Words of Wisdom

by Nicole Baldwin

“Although I cannot see your face as you flip these poems awhile, Somewhere from some far-off place I hear you laugh—and then I smile.”  – Shel Silverstein.    Poetry helps you express your feelings, and see things from another perspective. Even a short poem can say a lot. However, getting your poem to flow can be challenging, and poetry can have many meanings. For instance, one phrase can mean a totally different thing to two different people. Poetry is a very powerful writing style.

Poetry is a unique type of art. A poem can send many messages even if it’s about the same topic. What makes each poem different is the writer, and how they feel at the time. Another reason poetry is outstanding is because one idea can grow to a thousand different meanings. Poetry has fewer rules than regular writing, which lets the poet feel free to express their personality. Once you have an idea, you can create your poem as you go. Another interesting thing about poetry is that it is everywhere: in songs, movies, and books. As you become a better poet you can see poetry everywhere you look. Poetry is a fun way to express yourself.

While poetry can be amazing, there are also many challenges. A big challenge many poets have is making the words flow. It is frustrating when a word that you really want to use doesn’t fit in the poem. That will happen if there are too many syllables in the word to make the poem flow. Sometimes you have no idea what you want to write about. Another frustration is engaging the reader. You want to draw them in, and to talk about a topic that your audience will enjoy. However, you also want to pick a topic that is meaningful to you personally. So, it is hard it choose a topic that inspires you and the reader. Poetry takes a lot of practice and resilience.

Poetry is a big part of my life. It lets me release all of my emotions. Also It helps me feel refreshed. I always write about something new, or something that is important to me at that time. I love poetry because I can write my own and get ideas from other poets. Reading other poetry makes me a better poet. My tough challenges in life have inspired me to write poetry. In 1st grade I had cancer, and that taught me alot. So all those life lessons connected to my poetry. I hope one day someone who has cancer will read these poems to make them feel better. For those reasons, poetry is very special to me. Here is a poem I wrote:

Maybe in the later years I will see you again,

Maybe I will ponder across memories and let new ones begin,

Maybe right now we are closer than we think,

Maybe we are near,

Yet we will never know until the later years.

– Nicole Baldwin

 

So, now you may know a lot more about poetry than before. However, there is so much more to learn, and many more kinds of poetry. My perspective of poetry is one out of a million. There are a lot of tips that will help you become a better poet. The first tip is if you’re low on ideas, find a poet who inspires you, and get ideas from them. However you do not want to do the same exact thing; you should make it your own. Another tip is to understand why you are writing about a topic. If you acknowledge what your topic means to you, it will make the poem special to you, but also to others. One more tip is to read other poetry. You may only like writing and not reading, but it will help you understand and focus. Sometimes you can find something you never saw before, and it will help you as a poet. If you take these tips and use them, it will help you gain confidence in writing poetry.

One amazing poet I would like to honor is Shel Silverstein. He was one of the people who inspired me to write poetry. His poems are very wacky and creative, and they always flow so nicely. He has a strong voice in his writing. Even though he is not there reading you the poem, you can somehow hear his voice. He has a lot of meaning in his poetry. Each of his poems are gripping with the very first word, or the title, and there are a lot of mysteries behind his poems, leaving me wonder, ”What are these poems based off of? Who inspired him?” Silverstein is a great example of a person who uses all of the poetry tips I mentioned, and who has a wild mind. As you can see, poetry is amazing, and there are so many different layers to peel off. I hope you will start writing poetry of your own if you have not already.

Here is one more poem by Shel Silverstein that I found inspiring.

Happy Endings?

There are no happy endings.

Endings are the saddest part,

So just give me a happy middle

And a very happy start ~Shel Silverstein

RESOURCES:

Shel Silverstein

https://www.pinterest.com