by Paul Rance

Created on: May 26, 2010

There's nothing more miserable for a poet than the dreaded writer's block! But there's always something which can inspire you to write.

Sometimes one can try too hard to force the words out, when it's a better idea to use little tricks to instigate the creative process.

Learning from great poets can normally stir the emotions, and you should always find the time to dip into classic poetry, and the best of contemporary poetry. You may discover a new poetry form you'd like to write in, new subject matter to tackle, or just be generally inspired by powerful imagery, or a simple or elaborate use of language.

Some poets will just hide away waiting for inspiration, but a change of scenery can be inspiring. A walk in a park in any season will give any poet something to write about. This could be observing everything coming to life in the spring, basking in the summer sun, admiring the colors of autumn, or seeing the bleakness of winter.

News stories can inspire a poet, too. Stories of a person battling against seemingly overwhelming odds, someone's joy or luck, being moved by a tragedy or scenes of war. Since the very beginning of poetry, poets have always tried to explain the vicissitudes of life.

Poets can always be inspired by things which can often be taken for granted - the beauty of a garden, a happy marriage, a child's love, a cat's purr, a bird's song, or walking the dog! There are an infinite amount of subjects a poet can find to write about, and in many different ways and poetic forms. You can write about a subject directly or indirectly, for instance. Poets also do love a metaphor!

Sometimes you may find words flowing freely, but then you struggle to finish off a poem. You should have a notebook with you when you compose the early version or versions of your poem, and you may find that if you have written two unfinished poems at the same time, you will have similar subject matter, and so you could merge the two poems into one complete poem.

A lot of pressure a poet feels can be self-inflicted, and the pressure to write can obscure what is right in front of you. It's better to be inspired, and write when you are, than writing for the sake of it - even if that means taking longer to finish a poem than you'd like. If you write when you are inspired by something, it'll improve the quality of your poem - and quality should always come first!

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