by Paul Rance

Created on: May 25, 2010

There's no better feeling for a poet than writing a poem which brings joy or comfort to someone. If a poet writes something of outstanding quality, or has a poetry collection selling really well, then both make a poet feel satisfied, but 'connecting' in a personal way really does match anything else one achieves through poetry.

It can be daunting to write for someone else. When you are writing about something mainly for yourself, that should be easier, as you are writing in a way which appeals to you. Writing for someone else is a different skill, and it gives you a responsibility. The expectation, however, that you can write something for someone should be considered a great compliment. It means your ability has been recognized.

If you know a person really well, then the easier it will be to write something which will touch them. If you are writing something for someone you know less well, then you should work with them on what they are looking for, and you'll also begin to know them better on an emotional level.

You also have to adjust your mentality slightly when writing for someone else, because you have to stop thinking along the lines of how you respond to the poem, but how will the recipient respond.

Writing for someone else takes a poet out of their comfort zone, because no matter what a poet has achieved, or even how many times a poet has written a poem specifically for someone, a satisfactory outcome is never guaranteed. If your poetry gets accepted by a major publisher, or you win a prestigious competition, or your poetry gets a standing ovation at a poetry convention, then that's all positive, of course, but you have normally reached that point by building up to that stage of recognition. Writing poetry for someone else is challenging, because it doesn't matter how good or famous you are, the reaction to your poem could be good or bad.

You should lift any pressure from off your shoulders, before you even start work on the poem, by making it clear to the recipient of your poetry that they may not like your effort, but that you have done your best. If you understand the person that you are writing for, then the easier it'll be to write for them, and you will find that, more often than not, your work will then be to their liking.

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