How to Write Poetry (Beginner Friendly)
A complete step-by-step guide for poetry writing beginners and experts alike—created by a Poet Laureate.
I’m not going to lie to you. Writing poetry is easy. Writing good poetry, however, is hard, and it takes time to learn.
However, you can learn how to write poetry by:
Writing poetry (yes, it’s that simple)
Reading poetry
Learning from experienced poets in blog posts, books, and videos
This blog post, and its associated YouTube video links to The Poetry Vessel with Nathan Hassall YouTube channel, will help you save time by teaching you hard-won, learned, and researched poetry writing knowledge I’ve gleaned from over half my life practicing the art.
In short, it’s the sort of poetry for beginners guide I would have liked access to when I first started writing.
From obtaining a Master’s in Creative Writing [Distinction], teaching writing and learning from other experts as Malibu Poet Laureate from 2023-2025, and 18 years of poetry writing experience, here is a condensed guide for you to start and improve your poetry writing skills.
I know, I know—poetry has a reputation for being exclusive. But you don’t need permission or advanced training to start writing poems. First, you need to cultivate attention—to words, to images, to rhythm—a willingness to experiment, and an openness to your own creativity.
This beginner’s guide on how to write poetry is a practical roadmap for anyone who wants to start writing poetry with confidence. Along the way, you’ll find videos that dig deeper into each step—whether you’re looking for quick poetry writing tips or in-depth lessons.
Start with a Crash Course:
Most people stop themselves before they even start writing poetry. They think their poems must rhyme, or must be lofty, or need to look like something they’d study in school. None of that is true.
When you’re starting, your first job is to overcome writer’s block and get words down. To do so, all you need to do is write a fragment. A memory. An observation, or a line that feels raw or strange.
You can achieve this with a stream-of-consciousness writing technique, which is essentially writing without thinking consciously.
👉 Learn this writing technique and more in our How to Write Poetry in 10 minutes (or less!) video above.
Step 2. Dive a bit Deeper
Ready to dive a bit deeper?
In this video, I’ll walk you through how to create a writing ritual that will help you create stronger, more resonant poetry. You’ll also learn some poetry writing techniques, including the effective use of line breaks, powerful metaphors, and other writing tips.
👉 Learn to Write a Good Poem in just 22 minutes by watching the video above.
Step 3: Learn from the Poetry Masters
If you want to write good poems, reading other poets isn’t optional—it’s how you become good. Think of it like this: Your chances of becoming a great filmmaker are going to be low if you never watch other films.
But you don’t need to start with the most difficult texts. You can start with accessible poets who elevate ordinary language and resonate with a wider audience.
The next two videos detail two of the best poetry writing book recommendations I have for beginners. I’ll break them down for you to help you learn their key insights.
Mary Oliver’s A Poetry Handbook
Mary Oliver was an American poet who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 and the National Book Award in 1992. She also happens to have written one of the best poetry craft books out there, A Poetry Handbook. This video will walk you through it step-by-step, continuing to teach you how to become a better poet.
Ted Kooser’s The Poetry Home Repair Manual
Learn to write like a U.S. Poet Laureate (that’s the highest official poetry position in the country) with Ted Kooser’s The Poetry Home Repair Manual: Practical Advice for Beginning Poets. In this video, you’ll learn tried and trusted techniques that Ted Kooser taught his poetry students over his many years in teaching.
Step 4: Experiment with Forms and Themes
Poetry topics can range all the different emotions of the human experience. Don’t box yourself in—write from different perspectives. When tackling themes like love, grief, or identity, focus on honesty and fresh language.
👉 Need help writing love poems that avoid clichés? Watch How to Write a Love Poem (That Isn’t Cringe)
Step 5: Improve Your Poetry Performance
Poetry isn’t only for the page. The way you read your work aloud changes how people experience it and helps you understand your poems better. Consider this an essential guide to performing your poetry at open mics and readings that engage your audience’s emotions most.
👉 Watch How to Improve Your Poetry Performance for practical techniques on pace, emphasis, and presence.
Step 6: Push Your Poetry Writing Boundaries
Some of the best poems sound odd at first. A metaphor that feels almost too weird, an image that doesn’t “make sense”—these can be the lines that stick in a reader’s memory.
Poetry thrives in the unexpected. Let your imagination take risks. Strangeness is an excellent technique for poetry writing. In this video, we learn from a diverse set of poets and thinkers, including Owen Barfield and Sigmund Freud. Beware, this video is for intermediates and experts — watch it only if you feel ready.
👉 Explore this in Don’t Be Afraid to Be Weird in Your Writing (Poetry of Strangeness).
Step 7: Embrace Poetry Rejection and Keep Going
Every poet faces rejection—journals, contests, or even just a friend who doesn’t “get it.”
If you share your work publicly—whether in a workshop, at an open mic poetry slam, or through submissions—you will face rejection. Every writer does. What matters is persistence.
Rejection is not a verdict on your talent. It’s feedback, context, timing, and whether it fits.
👉 Watch How to Overcome Poetry Rejection (6 Tips) for strategies to build resilience and stay motivated in your writing practice.
Your Journey as a Poet
Writing poetry isn’t about reaching some fixed endpoint. It’s about starting where you are and learning to see differently. Every image you notice, every line you shape, is a step into a lifelong practice in the art.
Poetry isn’t something you need permission for. Pick up your pen, pay attention, begin writing, and improve along the way.
Feel free to watch all of the videos above or choose your own adventure. There are plenty of other videos on the channel, and more to come, so—if you’d like to stay up to date, subscribe and hit that notification bell.
Oh, and share this with a friend if you found this helpful.
We’ll see you soon in the Poetry Vessel.
- Nathan
FTC DISCLAIMER:
Some of the links above may be affiliate links, which means that if you click on them, I may receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The commission is paid by the retailers, at no cost to you, and this helps to support The Poetry Vessel, LLC and its missions. Thank you!
