How can I put myself into the mindset to write poetry quite quickly?

Question

I can only write poetry about my experiences because I am a very analytical and logical person, when i go into whimsical i just spite my creations. Apparently there is a mindset in which subconscious creative thoughts are brought to the fore. As an assignment I have to write a piece of poetry today and it is to be inspired by the romantic poetry movement. If any poets out there could give me any little tips about putting yourself in 'poetry mode' or any tips about writing poetry in general, that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, everyone :)

Answer 1

Correct, you need romantic inspiration...  Gee, I wonder who you should think about?

DuH!  Your crush!  And let it all out.

Answer 2

Open a dictionary at random. Point at a word on the page without looking.

This is your first word.

When you have ten words: write your poem which includes each of them.

Extra points if you use a word outside its regular sense (eg : 'march' in the sense of 'border area').

Answer 3

Dark, soulful music always does that for me : )

Answer 4

You said you can only write about your experiences...

Each time I write a poem, I think only one thing: "What if...?"

From here, the possibilities are virtually endless.

Examples (although you probably won't need them =] ):

-What if I loved someone who didn't love me back? (Or vice versa?)

-What if I had one day left on earth?

-What if no one could see or hear me?

-What if the world was black and white?

-What if I faked a smile, and no one could ever tell? How would I feel eventually?

-What if time didn't exist?

-What if...? ;)

Shel Silverstein has a poem called "Whatif", it's very clever and you may find it helpful. Good luck, and keep writing!

God bless,

Emily

Answer 5

I'm a huge poet. And things come to me when I'm relaxed comfortable and most of the time when I'm not thinking about writing poetry when there's a happy time a sad time an irritating time. So when you're discussing or dealing with whatever in your life is going on, you simply sort of get the words. You don't just sit down and say 'Poetry come to me' you have to be in the mindset of emotion. That's when your best work comes through to your brain.

Answer 6

This may sound odd, but the mindset you are referring to is Right Brain thinking and is the mind state most commonly attained by artists whilst painting.

There is a tremendous book by Betty Edwards called Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain which should help. It will also help with your drawing!  Try Googling right Brain thinking and see where it takes you.

Good luck.

Answer 7

Lee Lee is incorrect - if you want to write poetry to stick in your bottom drawer and then you alone read it - fine, it doesn't have to make sense to anyone else.

But, most people write poetry in order to communicate - especially in order to communicate emotion.

I am inspired to write poetry by reading what others have written. A!Y Poetry has done this for me oodles of time.

My latest method of writing consists of writing a random phrase...anything which comes into my head....then allowing my brain to find rhyming or echoing sound words which follow (making sense of course - your subconscious mind creates the ideas, but your analytical brain edits and discards.)

Sometimes the opening bit I discard later because it is only when the process gets going that it really kicks in.  (See my Granny rap....that's how I wrote it....to me it starts to kick in around the 'majesty, no travesty, pure rhapsody' section.

Answer 8

But poems are logical.

Read some Philip Larkin.

"Poetry mode" is a myth. If you want to write, you write.

Answer 9

like said you need to sit down unwind try and clear your mind some where quite,then think of a subject,it can be about anything,a sad time happy,funny,mad,but as you have been given an assignment,you will have to think along those lines,just think of something associated to the subject,once you have the jist,your all set,it can be like a little story,once you start it will come natural to you,you will be crossing out changing things here then there ,but you will get there in the end,good luck.and think of a title to start,i used to corporate the beginning with the end,or the title featured within the poem,everyone writes differently,so you will find your style,

Answer 10

Poetry is easy

Just express your true feelings, a piece of poetry can say alot about the author .. If i were to read your poetry i would understand what you felt towards someone or something

Get it right you already know you can do it just express what your feeling towards that one thing, only you can get the right mindset

Answer 11

I have written poems without even knowing it. I once sat at my desk, doodling and before I knew it, words were just spilling onto the page and now it's my favourite poem. This incident I was in a mood over something but normally, poetry just comes, you shouldn't have to think too much about it. Sometimes masterpieces take, minutes, sometimes hours, days, months, even years... I've got some beginnings that I couldn't finish that I'll need to go back to one day!

Answer 12

Just think about sad time in your life, think about how it made you feel, out loud and write all the words down and you'll get something from those words that will give you starting point for a poem.  That's what i do.  It doesn't have to make sense to anyone else, only you.  Good luck with it!

Answer 13

One word answer and it's proven to work every time... Marijuana.

Answer 14

Honestly as someone who writes a lot of poetry for English class, I can say that writing poetry quickly is a daunting task. When I need to crank out a good poem and get in the mindset I listen to a song relating to the topic (in your case, romance) and get a load of use out of the lyrics for inspiration (not plagiarism). The song also helps to calm ones mind and artistically stimulate it.

Good Luck.

Answer 15

What i do to get my creative juices flowing is i surround myself with something dealing with the topic i want to write about and i draw inspiration from it. Also, i go off by myself and think back to an experience similar to the topic and write how i feel about it. Write as much as you can and then put your thoughts together into something beautiful!