What Makes A Good Poem? - Almost An Author

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The Poet's Pen What Makes A Good Poem? September 13, 2018

All writing is about “words” but poetry uses concise words in a concise order. One word in a poem can make a drastic difference in how the poem is perceived. Sometimes changing one word can make or break a poem.

Look at the following example from THE EAGLE by Alfred Lord Tennyson

He clasps the crag with taloned hands (my version) or–

He clasps the crag with crooked hands (the way Tennyson wrote it)

Do you see how much smoother Tennyson’s version reads?

Which of the following two poems by an anonymous writer do you think is better?

A The spoken or written word Should be as clean as a bone, As clear as is the light, As firm as is a stone. Two words will never serve As well as one alone.

B The written word Should be clean as bone, Clear as light, Firm as stone. Two words are not As good as one.[1]

A Good Poem:

comes from the poet’s heart.
touches your heart.
makes you want to read it again…and again.
like the Bible, each time you read it you see/learn something different.
creates a new image by juxtaposing different things together.
uses clear, memorable, concrete images
tells a story.
creates a world inside the poem

The next time you write a poem, think about how the words fit together. Try replacing a word of phrase with a different one to see which one is better.

[1] Perrine, Laurence, LITERATURE Structure, Sound, and Sense, Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., New York, 1970. p.565.

Darlo Gemeinhardt writes middle grade novels. She believes that there is a story in every dog. In her spare time she takes care of 1 husband (of 40 years), 29 dogs and trains with TALLAO, K-9 SEARCH AND RESCUE. Visit her at From the dog pen.com

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