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TJMF Publishing - Open Mike Cafe Editor-s Desk Staff Editor Patty Zion |
Pieces of a Poem, Part One
The Opener
By Patty Zion, Staff Editor
Every poem has to begin. And though it is a simple matter, this becomes the tripper for many poets. We struggle with the blank page, the quiet keyboard, the sluggish pen. Surely there must be more to beginning than simply starting to write something! We need momentum - anything that will defeat the inertia.
Of course, there is more to starting a poem than simply putting fingers to keyboard, but not much more.
In practice, the best way to get your poem rolling is to write the first words that enter your mind. It may be a phrase, a rhyme, a vague image or idea, or just a word you like. Write it! In fact, write it down this very moment. Grab a piece of paper or open a new file on your computer screen, and have a go at it. You have absolutely nothing to lose. I'll wait.
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Okay, good work! By writing something down, you have planted the seed of a poem. One word of warning, though - this beginning will not necessarily be the true first line of this poem. In fact, it probably will not be.
Most poets have a tendency to meander in their opening thoughts. A poem needs a powerful start, since the opening words must capture the reader's interest and hold it tight. The first line needs to say something. It needs a strong visual image or a fascinating turn of words. Better yet, it needs mystery and intensity.
Start with a consonant. It's no accident that we learn to read by first learning the sounds of the consonants. First-grade phonics programs take full advantage of this, as children look at and pronounce the sounds of B, D, P, R, S, T, and so on. B is for BIRD. D is for DOG. These sounds are memorable and catchy. The first line of your poem will catch the ear of a reader if it has one or more strong consonant sounds.
There are exceptions, of course, but who can deny the captivating sounds of these opening lines?
She walks in beauty, like the night
(She Walks in Beauty by George Gordon, Lord Byron)
Come live with me and be my love
(The Passionate Shepherd to His Love by Christopher Marlowe)
Jenny kissed me when we met
(Jenny Kissed Me by James Henry Leigh Hunt)
By contrast, a poem starting with I always evoke an embrace by a young Jenny would not have nearly the impact as Mr. Hunt's classic poem.
Drop a hint. The first line of a poem, much like the first sentence of a novel, will be remembered and possibly even recited someday. If it contains a small bit of mystery or a hint of what is to come, so much the better. Consider these openers of well-known narrative poems, which all hold a tiny piece of the poem's plot:
Something there is that doesn't love a wall
(Mending Wall by Robert Frost)
There are strange things done in the midnight sun
(The Cremation of Sam McGee by Robert W. Service)
Tell me not, in mournful numbers
(A Psalm of Life by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)
Repeat something. Repetition can be dangerous in poetry, because it is easy to fall back on. The beginning poet sometimes makes the mistake of repeating a phrase over and over and over and . . . too many times. One of my first poems, penned in my sophomore year of high school, repeated the phrase I must not in virtually every line. Fortunately, I have learned to avoid this trap.
But skillful repetition enhances the poetic sound of words. Use it sparingly, and use it at the start of a poem, to hook the reader into thinking more than once about what you say. Study these openers, which use recurring words to echo the poets' ideas:
Tiger! Tiger! burning bright
(The Tiger by William Blake)
Miss you, miss you, miss you;
(Miss You by David Cory)
When I was one-and-twenty
(When I Was One-and-Twenty by A.E. Housman)
Note that the last example repeats only the W sound, but it is repeated four times: when, was, one, twenty. Housman uses this alliteration almost like punctuation, and the result is a haunting mood.
Exercise:
Start with the few words you wrote down earlier in this article. Expand them, first, by using a stream of consciousness method. Simply write down what comes to mind, and allow the thoughts to flow wherever they may.
Once you have ten or twenty lines, scour them for strong consonant sounds, hints of the poem's plot, or phrases which will be powerful when repeated. One of these powerful lines will most likely become your opener, but for now, continue to develop the phrases into a workable poem. Rearrange the lines in at least three different configurations; then decide which one works best.
In your life as a poet, you may develop many beginnings before you actually finish a poem. Keep all of them, and allow them to cool for a week or a month, but remember the age-old advice: Return to your beginnings!
Staff Editor Patty Zion welcomes your editing questions and comments. You may reach her by e-mail at