How do I Write an Abstact Poem?

Writing an abstract poem requires attention to not only the words you employ but also utilizes the sounds of the words themselves and the rhyming and rhythmic scheme the words form. The poem should produce a sonic effect that is just as powerful as the sense they words convey. Poet Edith Sitwell, who coined the term when describing her own work in her book "The Canticle of the Rose: Poems," wrote that, "The poems in Façade are abstract poems--that is, they are patterns of sound. They are . . . virtuoso exercises in technique of extreme difficulty, in the same sense as that in which certain studies by Liszt are studies in transcendental technique in music."

Instructions

1. • 1

     Write down images, memories or places that inspire you in a poetic format.

   • 2

     Repeat to yourself carefully the sounds of the words you have written both separately and as part of the poetic line with the aim of conveying a mood or sensation. If the combination of sense and sound is effective enough when reading it aloud, then keep the line.

   • 3

     Read the poem aloud to yourself after it's done in a quiet place and ask yourself if it has the quality of music to it. If so, ask yourself if the music reflects the emotional state you wanted to convey.

   • 4

     Give the poem a title that likewise reflects the sonic landscape of the poem.