Finding Your Inspiration For Poetry : Part 3

We polled Pulitzer Prize winners, poet laureates and professors to get their thoughts on where poems come from and below is their experience this may help you.

"Poems come from ordinary experiences and objects, I think. Out of memory—a dress I lent my daughter on her way back to college; a newspaper photograph of war; a breast self-exam; the tooth fairy; Calvinist parents who beat up their children; a gesture of love; seeing oneself naked over age 50 in a set of bright hotel bathroom mirrors."
—Sharon Olds, winner of the 1984 National Book Critics Circle Award for The Dead and the Living

"Poetry for me is a little bit like noodling at a piano, or like muttering or shouting when you play a game or dance—almost meaningless little grunts like oh yeah and whoopsy-daisy, and easy does it and watch-it-watch-it-watch-it and yes-yes-yes (or, no-no-no).
—Robert Pinsky, U.S. poet laureate, 1997–2000
"I'm only half joking when I say a stork brings the poems. They are little creatures I have to train and send out into the world."
—Terrance Hayes, winner of the 2010 National Book Award for Lighthead
"When I least expect it something strikes me. Just now, for instance, we were driving westward and stopped at the West Virginia welcome station, and I looked at the woman next to me who tucked her purse between her legs to wash her hands, and that little action triggered something in me—I suddenly thought of all the things we do subconsciously to keep things neat, and the way women carry purses around."
—Rita Dove, winner of the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Thomas and Beulah
"I think I was just born with iambic pentameter in my veins. Writing poetry is an obsession—who in his or her right mind would become a poet?"
—Maxine Kumin, U.S. poet laureate, 1981–1982

"The idea that poetry comes from beyond oneself is vital, as is the sense that one writes a poem in a condition that is often associated with a spiritual position, i.e., the condition of humility. One doesn't know what one's doing and is inspired in that respect. But it doesn't mean one's completely inert, or passive; rather it's just about allowing a poem to come from wherever it comes from and getting it into the world."
—Paul Muldoon, winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Moy Sand and Gravel
"I feel my way into a poem. Ther is no topic that is taboo. And even if I were to avoid certain topics, they would return to me, beckoning, and demanding to be written."
—Yusef Komunyakaa, winner of the 1994 Pulitzer prize for Neon Vernacular
"There seem to be no deals you can make with poetry to entice it out of its lair. A poem, actually any writing, is always a private thing, and that is how I begin. It must have that secret source."
—Michael Ondaatje, author of The English Patient and 12 poetry books

"There seem to be no deals you can make with poetry to entice it out of its lair. A poem, actually any writing, is always a private thing, and that is how I must begin. It must have that secret source."
—Billy Collins, U.S. poet laureate, 2001–2003
"You have to pay attention to what's said and what's not said, and what's done and not done. And that creates curiosity. You go to that what if. And that what if takes you into the poem."
—Nikki Giovanni, University Distinguished Professor of English, Virginia Tech

"I don't have any method. But I like to talk to people and find out what their story is—and then just listen."
—Azure Antoinette, spoken-word poet
"When you go to bed, you can't force a dream, right? In fact, the dream is a gift because it's a surprise. There are different theories about where dreams come from, but a general one is that the day's residue often becomes the little grain of sand around which the dream will then build. i think a poem is like that."
—Timothy Liu, author of eight poetry collections
"They come from my wanting to write them. I want to make something. The way I work is I start, and then something starts to happen. In other words, I have to mehanically, intentionally, and willfully begin."
—Kay Ryan, U.S. poet laureate, 2008–2010
"I think lines of poetry come to you whenever they come. You could be waiting for the dentist and suddenly you'll get an image or a line and you write it down. I write on the backs of envelopes, parking tickets—whatever I have at hand because you cannot lasso the muse. I really believe you can't force a lot of this. Now, I passionately believe in revision, and that you have to try to write in a disciplined way as much as you can. But I do think there are moments that you suddenly get something, given to you as a gift from the imagination, and you have to honor those moments as well."
—Carol Muske-Dukes, California Poet Laureate and professor of English and Creative 

Writing at the University of Southern California

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Finding Your Inspiration For Poetry : Part 2

In poetry, more than in other forms of writing, there is an attitude that you must wait for inspiration to strike. This seems to be true particularly among beginning poets, but I have seen this inclination in those who have been writing poetry for years as well. I believe that there are two problems with this attitude. The first is that you can wait a very long time for inspiration to strike. The second is that when it does strike, it is likely to come from your subconscious.

One of the ways to get around the problem of waiting is to put yourself in a poetry frame of mind, which can be as easy to do as reading poetry that you like, or sometimes poetry you don't like. Keeping a varied poetry library increases the chances that you will find something to motivate you. Reading poetry that I like moves me to create something beautiful myself. Sometimes inspiration comes from just one phrase and sometimes it is the whole idea. Occasionally I am inspired by the rhythm of the language. 

Reading poetry expands poetry horizons. You see the many things that poetry can be written about and it breaks you out of your shell of thought. It also increases the myriad of images and ideas in your subconscious. The number of people who write poetry but don't read it is astounding, and you can usually tell who they are when you read their work. 

On the days that I have started out reading poetry, I see it reflected everywhere. I don't have to wait for inspiration to strike -- I can't make it leave me alone. There is poetry in the reflection of headlights in the rain, in the feeling of a strand of hair falling across my face, and even in the strange spots that mysteriously appear on the bathroom mirror.

I have heard the argument that reading poetry right before writing may make you sound like the poet you've just read.  This is possible, but unlikely. We all have a unique voice that will shine through whatever we write.  I am not Emily Dickinson or Robert Frost and while I may be inspired and influenced by them, I am still me in my poetry. 

However, if you are concerned about this influence, putting yourself in the right frame of mind can be as simple as writing your own poem. No matter how good or bad it turns out, you are now thinking about poetry. 

Some might say that the second problem, poems coming from the subconscious, is a good thing. I would have to disagree. Images and ideas from your subconscious are likely to be similar to things you have seen or heard before. There is also more likely to be a recurring theme in your mind. Both of these things increase the chance that the resulting poem will be something that has been overdone, by you or by others. As an example, I have a hand and foot fetish, and I am also fascinated by the wind. My 'inspired' poetry reflects this. It is easy and effortless for me to write most of the poems like this. Most are also not very good. 

It is good practice to write when you feel no inspiration or even inclination to do so.  One of the ways in which I push myself is to sit down and write about whatever object comes into my head, or the least poetic thing you can think of at the moment.  Sometimes I look around and write about the first thing that catches my attention. I call this the "I spy" challenge.  For example, right now, on my desk, I have some notes brainstorming for a title for a novel. At the very top is a name that caught my attention.

Jochen Hahn's

Name caught my ear.

I wondered why

The announcer seemed to say

"Yuckin Heim"

 

He is now

A name I know.

A lyricism engraved on my soul.

Proof of music

In the world.

I won't forget this time.

While this is not a great work of art, it did what it was intended to do. It pushed me beyond my expectations of what I thought I could write. It can be fixed if I feel like it, or it can be thrown away. The most important thing this poem did was to start me thinking about poetry. I am inspired to write more, or just to write something better.

Another way to push yourself to write when you think you cannot is to use the dictionary. Open it at random and point to a word. Use the word in a poem; if you are feeling bold find several words this way and use them all in the same poem. If you want rhymes, get out the rhyming dictionary.

Write with a friend.  You can pick a phrase or several words and each write a poem that includes it.  Seeing the different ways a person can use words, phrases or ideas can be another form of inspiration. Can you write like your friend? Try it. I doubt you will succeed, but you may find a new well of ideas in yourself.

My most creative work comes not when I take the easy way and wait for inspiration, but when I try to be creative within restraints. You must push yourself harder and find the reserves inside. You can do what you thought was impossible; writing when you thought you had no inspiration, and finding that what you wrote is good. You may even inspire yourself. Inspiration and poetry are like the chicken and the egg. Sometimes writing the poem comes before the inspiration, and not the other way around.

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Finding Your Inspiration For Poetry : Part 1

A good poet is able to find the natural rhythms of everyday life and express them eloquently in words. But where do the ideas come from? There are thousands of poems out there about tired subjects like love and war; as a poet, your job is to find either a new and original take on these overused subjects or bring an original idea to life. Sometimes, however, the poetry muse takes a hike…and doesn’t return.

Here are just a few of the many ways to either discover or reclaim your wayward muse:
Look around you. Anything, anything at all can be the subject of a poem if dealt with in an original and creative matter.

Keep a notebook with you at all times and keep an eye on the people and places around you. The grocery store, the park, the bus—all can inspire new and creative ideas for poems. You might not necessarily write about what you see, but ideas may come to you in different settings.

Keep a notebook beside the bed for ideas that stem from dreams. Or write a poem about a dream you wish you’d had.
Keep a file of ideas—clippings, sketches, quotes—anything that may inspire a poem later on.

Writing prompts can often generate original thought. Try a “what if” scenario: What if children ruled the world? What if you woke up three feet taller?
Write about something “ugly” and make it beautiful through imagery.
Write a poem that consists solely of dialogue. Or create a poem from a list (i.e. the ten best pieces of advice I ever received). 

Write a poem about someone from a distant place and time as if you were that person.
Write about an inanimate object—or from the object’s point of view. “Ode to a Paperclip” may not get you published, but it may spark creativity and original ideas. 

Write from someone else’s point of view. Instead of yet another poem about Christmas, try writing about Christmas from the point of view of the homeless woman on the corner. Avoid using the word “Christmas” and rely on imagery instead.

Write about something you did NOT experience but wish you had (i.e. Woodstock) or an era in which you’d like to have lived.
Try writing passionately about something you passionately do NOT believe in—and make it convincing. Write about the joy of being a skinflint or how lovely it is to kill baby seals. Try this with or without the use of irony. 

Go back to your childhood and write an apology in the form of a poem. Write a poem to someone you wish you had known or confront someone who did you wrong.
Scan newspaper or magazine headlines—write a poem about the woman who gave birth to six alien babies or the man who built a shrine to cockroaches. Take risks and experiment with the bizarre.

Take your personal demons and put them down on paper. If the subject is painful yet rings true, it will strike a chord with your readers. Don’t b

e afraid to tackle uncomfortable subjects.

Take on the cliches directly: try writing a good love poem without once using the word “love.” Take it a step further and eliminate the words “joy,” “desire,” and “heart.”

Read contemporary poets’ work. Read all you can. Identify what makes a poem call to you and analyze what makes you dislike other poems. Gain inspiration from others’ work.
Remember: all subject matter is worthy. A good poet need not have traveled the world or lived a life of tragedy. Look in your own metaphorical backyard for material.
Above all, keep writing, keep submitting, and write some more. The poems that result may not be worthy, but keep it up. It’s better to write a bad poem than to not write one at all. Eventually, even when your muse has flown the coop, the right poem will emerge.

 

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