Poetry
How to Write a Sonnet Poem
The sonnet is a poetry form that poets have wielded for centuries—from Petrarch and Shakespeare to Marilyn Nelson and Terrance Hayes. These 14-line poems use restrictions of length and rhythm…
Read MoreWhat is Found Poetry? Prompts and Inspiration
Found poetry is proof that a poem can be discovered in any instance of language. But there’s an art and craft to the making of found poetry that, like any…
Read MoreHow to Get Poetry Published: Your One-Stop Guide
Learning how to write poetry takes a lot of patience and practice; learning how to get poetry published does, too. Indeed, the world of publishing poetry is murky at best—with…
Read MoreSound Devices in Poetry and Literature
Although literature exists on the page, poetry and prose are both sonic artforms, each enhanced by the use of sound devices. Indeed, poems and stories used to be developed as…
Read MoreHow to Write a Poem
Learning how to write a poem requires two things: a love of language, and a need for language to communicate more than it currently does. If this describes you, you’re…
Read MoreLiterary Motifs: What is a Motif in Literature?
When a work of literature employs an image or idea in repetition, that image or idea might be a motif. Literary motifs describe noteworthy repetitions whose presence in the work…
Read MoreSymbolism in Literature: What Symbolism Is, and How to Use It In Your Writing
Symbolism describes the use of concrete images to convey abstract ideas. Because this literary device is widely open to interpretation, and because many readers form different relationships to concrete objects,…
Read MoreNaPoWriMo Prompts for National Poetry Month
Want to do NaPoWriMo with other poets? Check out our April 1st class 30 Poems in 30 Days, designed to celebrate National Poetry Month! April is National Poetry Month in…
Read MoreUnderstanding Rhythm and Meter in Poetry
The phrase “meter in poetry” probably conjures thoughts of high school English class: Shakespeare’s iambs or, more broadly, the term “iambic pentameter.” In other words, it’s a phrase that smacks…
Read MoreHow to Write a Love Poem
Love poems have tried to capture the essence of love since the dawn of poetry itself. Because love is a highly personal and variable experience, no two love poets will…
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