Determine what type of poem you want to write. Ask yourself what mood or tone do you want to create. For instance, the poem might be about a neglected old house, a cemetery or a stormy day. Determine what mood or tone will be most suitable to the poem.
Focus on a particular image or object that will be prominent in the poem. Then ask yourself the role this image or object will play in the poem. For instance, if the poem will feature a house, determine what role this object will play in the poem’s theme, mood or tone.
Choose qualities for the object that you wish to distinguish in the poem. These qualities should personify that object chosen for the poem. For instance, the house featured in the poem can be very old and neglected or it can be modern and sterile. The description of this house will offer some ideas on the type of qualities it will personify.
Use language that personifies human qualities. This includes using adjectives that will bring out human qualities in the object. For example, broken windows can be described as “jagged-toothed” or a stormy sky as “scowling.”
Use verbs that personify human qualities. These are verbs that only human beings are capable of committing such as “scowl” or “yawn.” Examples: “The morning yawned” or “The alarm clock screamed.”