Poetry in practice

Doris Corti conjures prompts for a poem to banish dark days

It might be a dark day – either the weather or some situation causing this. Either way, you have that urge to escape the darkness and write a poem. But although you feel a need to do this perhaps you don’t know what to write about? I have often felt like this so let’s try working on a poem together. For instance, lets start with four words as follows: ‘Today I will write.’ Then make another line as though progressing into a poem and write five words: ‘Will it be a poem?’ Then a third line, with six words ‘I will write the words revolving’ then go to the next line and use enjambment (see, already we are slipping into poetry mode!) and now seven words – ‘round my mind, sort through the theme’.

Let’s take a look at these lines as a poem now.

Today I will write, will it be a poem? I will write the words revolving round my mind, sort through the theme.

I am going to leave you readers to finish this poem,or write another using the same idea beginning with four words and increasing each following line by adding a word on each one. You can make the poem as long or short as you wish. That small exercise will help your powers of concentration and hopefully remove the darkness from the day.

Lots of writers have used various strategies to overcome a time of writer’s block. Flaubert used to sniff a drawer of aging apples before beginning his working day. A writer I know had to have four pencils, freshly sharpened, laid out in front of her. Whatever makes your muse surface, use it.

Another method to help is to use what is called

‘flow writing’. Perhaps someone can give you a prompt, just an idea. You begin writing instantly, either handwriting or on the computer, but you write the words applicable to the prompt without thought to spelling or grammar, just keep constantly writing. At some point you will want to pause. It is then you decide whether to continue with the flow of writing or to revaluate what you have already done. At this point you can decide how you will progress into a poem.

Exercise 1. Write a poem beginning with the five words ‘Her coat was cashmere warm.’ Increase each line by adding one word until you have 14 lines.

Exercise 2. Set a watch or timer for 5 minutes and write for this time on the theme of summer. Stop and revise this writing flow.