In A Phase Of Life's Flurry... [ Selfwritten ]

* Sometimes you want to say a lot, but words come short.
Sometimes speaking out just a line seems so long.
You don't know, what you're doing is dumb or smart.
And you hate to judge your self- right or wrong?

* You act like what seems so appropriate.
You kill your emotions by yourself.
As if between feelings & deeds, you negotiate.
Like slicing your heart to pieces, with a knife.

* I am living in a life's flurry.
Coldly taking decisions like a machine.
Every emotion seems to be smeary.
As if everything in life lost its sheen.

* Its like acting out what seems logical.
Leaving the mind & choosing the brain.
Killing the feelings & acting practical.
Like a warrior neglecting his pain.

* Unwilling inside, forced to act as such.
Whether I like or not, this has to be done.
I just hope there's something left as much.
Or you were like a stranger & I was a none.

- Akshat.




*** It's been a while that I have written any poem, but I guess a new piece of writing takes birth only when you are feeling so close to yourself, to your heart.
This poem that you have read above is straight from my heart, of what I am feeling right now, it took me few minutes or so in writing out, as I straightly published my feelings to words!

"Quest" [Selfwritten]

Another day in my life added today.
Begining a new tale everyday.
Cache have my feelings become.
Death seems the only end.
But my quest for "Love" remains, that has lost somewhere in this mean world!

This is a poem titled "Quest".
The notable thing is the "abc" type that I have used here.

ABC is defined as:

A poem that has five lines that create a mood, picture, or feeling. Lines 1 through 4 are made up of words, phrases or clauses while the first word of each line is in alphabetical order. Line 5 is one sentence long and begins with any letter.

My poem titled- "Voice of reflection" [Selfwritten]

“Voice of reflection”


•I have been sleeping so long
Singing in dream a melancholic song
Then a sound interrupted me
As if a sunshine touched me
And I woke up to see what’s wrong

•Still hazy I was confused
To recollect myself, my mind refused
Then struggling I woke up
But what I saw, lost my gulp
At the front mirror my eyes mired

•I saw my reflection, but antic was the feel
He looked in my eyes, with enquiring zeal
As if Asking- Have you ever thought of me?
Countless times I’ve been afore thee
But never let my grievance reveal

•What’s mirror image to you, for me
Is a real world, where I live & spree
My world is an image of yours
Full of hatred, anguish & tears
I could elucidate your world better than thee!

•Whenever you feel fading
You come here and start gazing
You look at me, trying to learn yourself
But for me you are amusing to laugh
Like a candle your heart seems melting

•You need to pay attention
Look what has been your creation
Your world is full of jealousy & anger
It is plentiful of hunger
Like a volcano waiting for eruption

•Love has lost its soul
Greed is everybody’s goal
Selfishness is easy to find
Least good things you remind
With all the emptiness you feel whole!

•I have been watching it all
All your deeds big or small
Always waiting for your observation
I am the voice of your reflection,
Always with you with your rise & fall!

-Akshat

Poetic Devices:
Out of the numerous poetic devices I have used for this poem, you might have first noticed the rhyme scheme ie AABBA & the variation of "Dramatic Monologue" in it. Happy reading. :)

Poetic devices...

The following poetic devices can be used in both poetry and prose compositions.

The examples given are from personal mask poems composed by Ms. Roderick's ceramics students at Sabino High School (2002-2003).

Term	Meaning	Example
alliteration	repetition of the initial consonant sounds	terrible truths and lullaby lies
assonance	repetition of vowel sound	mystery disguised within
consonance	repetition of consonant sounds, but not vowel sounds	gloomy woman
imagery	language that evokes sensory images	drip of ruby teardrops (aural/sound) to wake up where the green grass grows (visual/sight) lips like cool sweet tea (oral/taste) streaming through a velvet sky (tactile/touch) the stench of the underworld (olfactory/smell)
internal rhyme	rhyming that occurs within the line (rather than at the end)	piece of me emerges
metaphor	comparison of unlike things (made without using like or as)	I am the "Lone Star"

Personal Mask by Matt Richards

onomatopoeia	a word that imitates the sound it represents	Boo! Who?
personification	giving human qualities or characteristics to animals or objects	tears of amber fall from my soul
rhyme	a pattern of words that contains similar sounds at the end of the line	life for me is wild and free
rhyme scheme	a repeated pattern of rhymed words at the end of the line	lusty eyes (A) passionate cries (A) rich blood, (B) bitter sweat (C) she/he loves (D) and dies (A)

Personal Mask By Sandra Hallquist

simile	a comparison using like or as	notes dance across the page like stars twinkle in the night sky
stanza	a group of poetic lines (also called a verse)	Like glistening sun and moon like day and gloomy night like pure earth and gentle clouds transformation - life and death
symbol	an object or action that means more than its literal meaning	always open like a rosebud about to bloom (a young girl)

Have you thought about it... [Selfwritten]

“SHOUTING Silence!!”



•If I had voice, I would have shouted my anguish loud.
If I had legs, I would have run away!
Living like a zombie, my soul yearns to breath.
Trapped inside this vicious darkness, I could’nt see a single ray!

•Nobody is solicitous for me, neither anyone cares.
Living in absolute solitude, even my shadow feels so strange.
Inside I cry a lot, but my tears are always ignored.
Engulfed in this monotony of life, I die for a change.

•I am with everyone, but nobody is for me!
I care for everyone, but nobody cares for me!
I am just as good & helpful as I could be,
But never they appreciate my endearment, never they try to see.

•People always hesitate from me, rarely they wish to speak.
Never they speak their heart, never do they try to see.
Even when I am willing to abet as much as I can.
They don’t care for my assistance, and just wish to flee.

•Always this happens, as has been happening.
Even when they are so cold, & are never concerned for me.
I trust everyone, even though the trust for them is so cheap!
I forgive you always, and for your help, always I come to thee.

•Ha! Why I talk my grievance to you?
Why do I speak, I should’nt let my emotions flow,
And should’nt try to seek trust & affection in thee!
As like everyone, you too don’t know me, & again I feel so low!

•Now have some shame & try to recognize me!
Always with you, I am your ‘Ability’ my dear, who cares about you!
You seek rarely, but I am ready to succour you!
So when you are hazy or feel low, just please my dear let me help you!!


- Akshat.

How to Write a Poem

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Writing a poem is all about observing the world within you or around you. You can write about anything from love to the rusty gate at the old farm. As long as you are enjoying it or finding it releases something from inside you, you're on the right track.

Steps

1. Read and listen to poetry. Whether someone who has never seen a sonnet nor heard haiku can truly be a poet is an open question. It is almost certain, though, that any poet who has been published or who has garnered any following enhanced their skills by reading or listening to good poetry, even if they later scoffed at conventional notions of what was "good." "Good" poems fall into three categories: those that are recognized as classics, those that seem to be popular, and those that you personally like. Poems typically being short, there is no reason not to explore plenty of both.
   
2. Find a spark. A poem may be born as a snippet of verse, maybe just a line or two that seems to come out of nowhere. That's what's usually called inspiration, and once you have that beginning you simply need to flesh it out, to build the rest of the poem around it.At other times you may want to write about a specific thing or idea. If this is the case, do a little planning. Write down all the words and phrases that come to mind when you think of that idea. Allow yourself to put all your ideas into words.It may sound difficult, but do not be afraid to voice your exact feelings. Emotions are what make poems, and if you lie about your emotions it can be easily sensed in the poem. Write them down as quickly as possible, and when you're done, go through the list and look for connections or certain items that get your creative juices flowing.
   
3. Think about what you want to achieve with your poem. Perhaps you want to write a poem to express your love for your boyfriend or girlfriend; perhaps you want to commemorate a tragic event; or maybe you just want to get an "A" in your poetry class. Think about why you are writing your poem and who your intended audience is, and then proceed in your writing accordingly.
   
4. Decide what poetry style suits your subject. There are a great many different poetic styles. [1]. If you see "Winter icicles / plummeting like Enron stock..." perhaps you've got a haiku in your head. As a poet, you have a wide variety of set forms to choose from: limericks, sonnets, villanelles ... the list goes on and on. You may also choose to abandon form altogether and write your poem in free verse. While the choice may not always be as obvious as the example above, the best form for the poem will usually manifest itself during your writing.
   
5. Listen to your poem. While many people today have been exposed to poetry only in written form, poetry was predominantly an aural art for thousands of years, and the sound of a poem is still important. As you write and edit your poem, read it aloud and listen to how it sounds.
   
6. Write down your thoughts as they come to you. Don't edit as you write, or do edit as you write - the choice is yours. However, you should try both methods at least a couple times to see what works best for you.
   
7. Choose the right words. It's been said that if a novel is "words in the best order," then a poem is "the best words in the best order." Think of the words you use as building blocks of different sizes and shapes. Some words will fit together perfectly, and some won't. You want to keep working at your poem until you have built a strong structure of words. Use only those words that are necessary, those that enhance the meaning of the poem. Choose your words carefully. The differences between similar sounding words or synonyms can lead to interesting word play.
   
8. Use concrete imagery and vivid descriptions.
   
   • Love, hate, happiness: these are all abstract concepts. Many, maybe all, poems are, deep down, about emotions and other abstractions, but it's hard to build a strong poem using only abstractions - it's just not interesting. The key, then, is to replace or enhance abstractions with concrete images, things that you can appreciate with your senses: a rose, a shark, or a crackling fire, for example. The concept of the objective correlative may be useful. An objective correlative is an object, several objects, or a series of events (all concrete things) that evoke the emotion or idea of the poem.
     
   • Really powerful poetry not only uses concrete images; it also describes them vividly. Show your readers and listeners what you're talking about--help them to experience the imagery of the poem. Put in some "sensory" handles. These are words that describe the things that you hear, see, taste, touch, and smell, so that the reader can identify with their own experience. Give some examples rather than purely mental/intellectual descriptions. For example: "He made a loud sound" versus "He made a loud sound like a hippo eating 100 stale pecan pies with metal teeth".
     
   
   
9. Use poetic devices to enhance your poem's beauty and meaning. The most well known poetic device is rhyme. Rhyme can add suspense to your lines, enhance your meaning, or make the poem more cohesive. It can also make it prettier. Don't overuse rhyme. It's a crime. In fact you don't have to use rhyme at all. Other poetic devices include meter, metaphor, assonance, alliteration, and repetition. If you don't know what these are, you may want to look in a poetry book or search the internet. Poetic devices can make a poem or, if they bring too much attention to themselves, they can ruin it.
   
10. Save your most powerful message or insight for the end of your poem. The last line is to a poem what a punch line is to a joke--something that evokes an emotional response. Give the reader something to think about, something to dwell on after reading your poem. Resist the urge to explain it; let the reader become engaged with the poem in developing an understanding of your experience or message.
    
11. Edit your poem. When the basic poem is written, set it aside for awhile and then read the poem out loud to yourself. Go through it and balance the choice of words with the rhythm. Take out unnecessary words and replace imagery that isn't working. Some people edit a poem all at once, while others come back to it again and again over time. Don't be afraid to rewrite if some part of the poem is not working. Sometimes you just can't fix something that essentially doesn't work.
    
12. Get opinions. It can be hard to critique your own work, so after you've done an initial edit, try to get some friends or a poetry group (there are plenty online) to look at your poem for you. You may not like all their suggestions, and you don't have to take any of them, but you might find some insight that will make your poem better. Feedback is good. Pass your poem around, and ask your friends to critique your work. Tell them to be honest, even if it's painful. Filter their responses or ignore them altogether and edit as you see fit.
    

Video

Tips

• Do you find that you never feel inspired when you sit down to write a poem? It's a common problem, and you can solve it by carrying a notebook with you everywhere in which you can jot down poem ideas as they come to you. Then, when you're ready to write, just get out the notebook and find an idea that catches your fancy.
  
• You might want to listen to soothing music or look at pictures to calm and inspire you.
  
• Don't forget that surprise makes art (writing) extra special. If you're going to drag out the tired old rose metaphor in a love poem, put your own twist on it.
  
• Don't give up. You'll probably find that your poems become better and easier to write as you write more of them.
  
• Poems can make a great gift.
  
• Keep all of your poetry in a book whether you like it or not. In the future, you might be able to salvage some of the throwaways or publish your best work.
  
• When writing poetry, try to plan it out, use all the senses and base it on one or two main ideas.
  
• Avoid cliches or overused images. "The world is your oyster," is neither a brilliant nor an original observation.
  
• If you are writing a poem to be sent to a newspaper or a family-friendly magazine, choose your words and topic with care. You don't want the paper to censor your original work or reject it because of profanity.
  
• Try to think of words that rhyme before you put them down on paper. This saves you from erasing over, and over again.
  

Warnings

• Avoid sharing your work with people who do not appreciate poetry. This is a mistake that can discourage you from being a poet. It is often difficult to explain that you are just trying your hand at something new. The best thing to do is ask someone you know who will support you (who also happens to appreciate the art of the written word) to kindly critique you.
  
• To guard against plagiarism, do what you can to reinforce your copyrights to your work. One way to do this is to make a copy of your work, seal it into an envelope, place a stamp on it, and mail it back to yourself. When you receive it in the mail, don't open it. The un-opened envelope can provide additional evidence that you are the copyright holder should it ever be in question, although it is not guaranteed to prove it in court.
  
• If you have too much imagery, it can actually hurt your poem. "Explosively radiating sunshine slammed through my window" is just over the top.
  
• If you want others to read your poetry, ask yourself "If somebody else showed me this, would I like it?" If the answer is "no," edit the poem some more.
  
• If you're simply brimming with ideas and inspiration, don't try to fit it all into one poem. You'll have the chance to write more in the future.
  

Things You'll Need

• Paper
  
• Pen/Pencil
  
• Time
  
• Great idea(s)
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Read Poetry out Loud
  
• How to Play Haikai (Collaborative Poetry Game)
  
• How to Write Emotional Poetry
  
• How to Master the Basics of Poetry
  
• How to Create a Book of Your Original Poetry
  
• How to Write Serious Gothic Poetry
  
• How to Write a Haiku Poem
  
• How to Write a Love Poem
  

Sources and Citations

• McGraw Hill Glossary of poetic terms
  
• List of Poet Laureates - http://poetry.about.com/od/poets/l/bllaureates.htm
  
• One Poet Laureate's attempt to introduce modern poetry in to schools - http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/
  

1. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Poetic_form

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Write a Poem. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

A poem relating life with drama! [Selfwritten]

The Drama Of Life

Ø Sometimes I wonder about, what we call as life.

Despite every effort I make, I don’t get what is it.

Only “The condition of being alive”, as the dictionary defines,

Or is a phenomenal enigma, which we know only a bit!

Ø Whatever it is, I can bet, is a conundrum for all of us.

Which keeps moving with the wheels of time & is experienced by every one.

Some times sweet, sometimes sour & a little bit bitter too.

But ironically the fact is that, it is understood by none!

Ø People put on faces with different colours.

As if part of a drama, each has a different role to play.

Ofcourse lead is played by you only chum.

And many characters are such, who’ll never cross your way!

Ø You might marvel that who is the play writer?

And from where has the script come, if there exists any!

My dear He, the almighty, is the play writer & creator.

Who has generated the script & which you call as destiny!

Ø People perform their act & live different episodes of the drama.

But the sole aim of all is to touch the zenith & make a name.

I myself believe that such a gifted human life must be utilized,

To give the world something more than it has already,&not to leave it all the same.

Ø Ordinarily, like in a drama, there are villains important to the plot!

But uniquely in this drama of life, they are more than one.

Critics, as we are cognizant, are those villains in this drama.

Who always find flaws in you, but also make you learn!

Ø As a risen sun always sets, everything commenced has to end.

The climax of the drama is an immaculate certainty called death!

This seemingly long drama of life is like a sweet fable,

And the moral is-- You keep learning till you have breath!

- Akshat.

A poem depicting my confusion ... [Selfwritten]

“ Awake or Dreaming “

v Am I awake, or still sleeping??

Is this life a part of my dreaming?!

Sometimes I get amused of this thinking.

So bizarre but fascinating is this feeling.

v Now I am compelled of this feeling so strong,

To pen it down, not judging what’s right or wrong!

I am writing this poem to quench my craving!

To share my confusion between living & dreaming.

v How would it be, if one good day…

To all your happiness & dismay…

You woke up in a place so strange.

Every thing you knew appears to change.

v What was real, now is a dream!

The world so calm appears to scream.

You don’t know a single face.

Don’t remember any single place.

_

v Messed up in the life’s race,

Like walking on a clay without a trace.

So lively & real was the dream you’ve been,

That now the real world appears unseen!

v Throughout life you made choices like insane.

Now all those choices appear to be in vain!

Whatever was yours is now gone.

Nothing you posses, nothing you own!

v For all your excuses so lame.

You used destiny to blame.

But choices & chances were so fake!

Now realizing that nothing you could change or make!

v It is real or a dream may be intricate to decide.

But with one thing you’ll surely abide..

That nobody can state it, & everyone is ambiguous.

And this thought being bizarre, can also be so obvious!!!

-Akshat.