Moving Galleries

How to write poetry

A few suggestions:

• The sound and rhythm of the words – the MUSICALITY – is important.  ‘The sound should seem an echo to the sense’ (Alexander Pope).
• Write about what MATTERS most to you, right at the centre of yourself.
• AVOID clichés.
• DISTIL the language.
• SHOW, don’t tell, i.e. rather than saying “I feel happy”, describe the feeling (“I have a bird dancing in my chest”…)
• You can write poetry about ANYTHING.
• READ good poetry. 
• Then forget all the rules and just WRITE.

Click here to go to the Moving Galleries Submissions page for information on how to submit your poem.