Happy National Poetry Month!

I’m a little late to the party on this (mostly because I’m lazy), but since April is National Poetry Month, I think a tribute post is in order.

So, without further ado, here is a list of things that poetry has taught me about writing (and life in general).

1. The key is to get it all out the first time. This is a huge struggle for me because of my extreme perfectionism-I always want the poem (or the essay) to be exactly how I envision it, without having to revise. But what I have found is that that strategy kind of sucks the feeling out of the writing, especially with poetry. Sometimes when you want to capture an idea you just have to word-vomit it out onto some paper without worrying about how “good” it is. That way you can go back and tweak it later, but the original inspiration is preserved.
2. Inspiration is not something to be afraid of. When it hits you, go for it. Even if you don’t quite know what you’re feeling or how to convey it with words, don’t let that scare you away from chasing that inspiration. More often than not, the writing process will actually help you get to a point of clarity.
3. Not every word is necessary. I know myself well enough to be aware of my tendency to ramble. Constructing long, drawn-out (yet grammatically correct) sentences is one of my fortes. Sometimes that’s called for, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned from writing poetry (and this goes for prose as well), it’s that you can almost always say the same exact thing with half as many words-making it even more impactful. And being concise forces you to be more choosy with your vocabulary! 
4. Poetry is a really good way to preserve a memory. Like taking a photograph of a feeling. That being said,
5. Not every experience needs to be preserved. Being a poet means you start seeing meaning in all kinds of ordinary and extraordinary things. Life becomes an inspiration. But trying to write everything is not only impossible, but can be tiresome-like posting a picture of your lunch on Instagram every day. Some things are just meant to be lived, and seeing things through a poet’s eyes always enhances the moment, whether or not anything comes from it.
6. Not all pieces are created equal. Some poems are descriptive, some deeply philosophical, some weird, or fun, or kind of pointless. And all of that is awesome. Poetry is about experiences, and different experiences require different voices. I constantly have to remind myself that comparing one of my pieces to another in terms of voice or vibe can be discouraging. And having too heavy a focus on all of your writing being equally meaningful (or silly, or eloquent) just sucks the joy out of the creation. So embrace whatever you write, or do. It’s all you, even if it doesn’t all have the same feel.

This concludes today’s program on Why Poetry Makes Lives Better. Tune in next time for more of my non-sequitur ramblings.

In the meantime, be excellent to each other (and party on, dudes).