WRITblog

Charles Simic on Writing Poetry from the Library of Congress

**The internet is full of wonderful pieces of information. The Library of Congress website, kind of a square one of American Poetry, contains some interesting links, from Poetry Webcasts to the following petite list of suggestions from current Poet Laureate Charles Simic. I enjoy these not only for their simplicity, but for outlining the mentalities that surround crafting poems. Not quite as epic feeling as Letters to a Young Poet, but a good piece of perspective. Hope you like it — Jeremiah**

A few things to keep in mind while sitting down to write a poem:

1. Don’t tell the readers what they already know about life.
2. Don’t assume you’re the only one in the world who suffers.
3. Some of the greatest poems in the language are sonnets and poems not many lines longer than that, so don’t overwrite.
4. The use of images, similes and metaphors make poems concise. Close your eyes, and let your imagination tell you what to do.
5. Say the words you are writing aloud and let your ear decide what word comes next.
6. What you are writing down is a draft that will need additional tinkering, perhaps many months, and even years of tinkering.
7. Remember, a poem is a time machine you are constructing, a vehicle that will allow someone to travel in their own mind, so don’t be surprised if it takes a while to get all its engine parts properly working.