April is National Poetry Month and if you have not thought about poetry since high school, it might be a good time to rediscover its wonder. Poetry is the voice of the soul and is a free-flowing form of expression. The best poetry happens when you write about feelings, observations and images as they arrive. Poetry is a powerful genre because it allows for self-expression and thus can increase your sense of well-being. In addition, reading and writing poetry not only leads to healing and transformation, but it can make you a better writer.
In general, writing poetry fosters the development of keen observational skills because in order to write good poetry, you need to be in touch with all of your senses. For example, instead of saying that something is beautiful, it’s more compelling to show why something is beautiful. For example, when writing about flowers, you might say that the color is radiant and the fragrance is like honeysuckle. This is called, ‘showing rather than telling.’
Writing poetry can also be healing, especially when you write about events or experiences from your past that you’re still coming to terms with.
If rhyming intimidates you, don’t worry, because modern day poetry has very little rhyme. I’m a fan of narrative poetry because it’s most akin to memoir writing because it is poetry that tells a story. In many…
