Literature has different genres. Each one of us has our preference when it comes to reading one. Try considering short stories and poems.
What is a short story?
A short story is fictional writing that can range from a thousand to more than a thousand words. Unlike a novel, the reader should be able to read a short story within a short period. Because the length of a short story is faster than a novel, it usually has one main character and focuses on one plot, setting, and central theme. In his essay “The Philosophy of Composition,” Edgar Allan Poe states that a short story should be read in one sitting, anywhere from a half-hour or two hours. A short story has a beginning, middle, and a memorable end, and it usually contains fewer settings and characters. These are some of the elements of short stories which lead to a compelling narrative. Narratives can also account for imaginary events that follow a plot structure, including exposition or introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
Why do we write short stories?
The answer is simple. Short stories are practice, and almost all of the best writers started out writing short stories. Please think of some of the most famous writers today. When their careers first began, they probably started off writing short stories. They didn’t become favorite authors overnight; nobody has ever done it.
On the other hand, some poets think that poetry expresses emotions and that rules do not matter. Others suggest that poetry is all about the rhythm and regulations that must be followed. Thus, the perfect mix to define poetry is somewhere in between.
According to E.E. Cummings, poetry is purely defined by the poem’s feelings, and syntax plays no role. This is evident when he writes, “for life’s not a paragraph And death I think is no parenthesis.” While poetry creates and must express feelings of “imaginary gardens with real toads in them,” poetry cannot be defined by these standards alone. After all, without specific rules to define poetry, any expression of emotion can be defined as poetry.
Below are the tips on how to write a poem:
- Conceptualize your starting point. Your starting point can be a phrase or a line you want to work into your poem. It might be a picture in your head, or it can even be a complicated feeling you want to render with precision.
- Choose the form and style of your poem. Take some time to think about style and shape. The structure of a poem often carries a lot of meaning beyond the structural “rules” that it offers the writer.
- Read for inspiration. A poem isn’t a historical novel or a nonfiction book. Thus, you don’t have to accumulate reams of research to write a good one. A little bit of outside reading can rule out writer’s block and keep you inspired throughout the writing process.
- Consider writing for an audience of one, which is you. Even with preparation, the pressure of actually producing verse can still awaken your inner fear of poetry. Some suggest writing for yourself, not for an external audience, can help you cope with your fear to keep the anxiety away.
- Read your poem loudly. A good poem doesn’t have to be pretty. It should, however, come alive on the page with a consciously crafted rhythm, whether discordant or hymn-like. To achieve that, read your poem aloud — at first, line by line, and then all together, as a complete text.
- Refresh your mind by taking a break. While it’s inspiring to complete a draft of your poem, it’s always advisable to take a break first. You don’t have to turn away from writing if you don’t want to.
- Have fun revising your poem. Even if you write in a well-established form, poetry is about experimenting with both written and spoken language. Some authors emphasize that changing a poem is thus an open-ended process that requires patience — and a sense of play.
It is considered a significant venture when a single author does these two particular literary genres, short stories and poetry. Writers like Brian Clements could write a book about short stories and poems. His true passion is writing.
The Damsel’s Files 