Inspiration and Poetry

Before a poet can put pen to paper, he must first be inspired. Where does one find inspiration? Almost anything can serve as inspiration: natural beauty, grief, happiness, anger, fear, imagination, or an actual experience. Some may find inspiration in a city skyline, while others might wish to express the joy they feel when seeing a rainbow. Wordsworth could make the most mundane experience seem unique and exciting, while his friend and colleague, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, often endeavored to make the supernatural seem believable. The choice is entirely up to the individual poet.

You never know when a verse or an interesting description might come to you. Coleridge even dreamed in verse from time to time. He would wake up and remember his dream and try to write the lines down while they were still fresh in his memory. According to the poet, one of his most famous poems, “Kubla Khan,” came to him in its entirety while he was sleeping!

We, as humans, might be inspired on a daily basis, in a number of unexpected ways. It’s a good idea for a beginning poet to keep a notebook handy to jot down ideas as they come. Later, these notes might just be the basis for a wonderful poem. Also, try automatic free writing. Set a timer for five minutes, and write continuously for the allotted time; do not let your pen or pencil leave the paper until the buzzer sounds. Write whatever comes to your mind. It doesn’t matter if it makes sense or not. You might be pleasantly surprised at some of your words and thoughts, and hopefully, you can use some of them as a basis for a poem.

Another way to gain inspiration is to read, read, read! Reading poetry written by famous poets will help you get an idea of some of the wording, rhythm, rhyme, and flow of good poems. For beginners, try the works of Wordsworth, Coleridge, John Donne, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Thomas Hardy, Gwendolyn Brooks, William Carlos Williams, Langston Hughes, A.E. Housman, E.E. Cummings, and Robert Herrick. While you might not like all the poems by these famous poets, reading them will give you a nice sampling of different types of poetry, different poetic devices, and a wide assortment of subject matter. Don’t copy their work; let in inspire you. Throughout history, many great poets were inspired and influenced by the work of other writers.