How To Write Poetry Like Shakespeare

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As a poet or prospective poet, you may want to learn how to write like the most famous poet in English history, Shakespeare. Well, the good news is that you can get linguistics help online for the training you need to write like Shakespeare. Today, this form of poetry is referred to Shakespearean Poetry or Elizabethan Poetry. This is no surprise since the English writer was one of the most influential sonnets in his time. His works followed a particular rhyme meter and scheme. These sonnets have no more than 14 lines and Shakespeare wrote about 150 of them.

How To Write Poetry Like Shakespeare

1. Learn To Write In Iambic Pentameter

This is the specific writing style for sonnets. While you can write any other poem without learning this style of writing, you can’t write like Shakespeare if you don’t know how to write this way. You can take an online course to learn the iambic pentameter. It is a type of metric line that sees the meter or rhythm established by the words in the line. Each line contains ten syllables.

2. Make Sure You Topic Incorporates The Volta

A volta in poetry is the turn of argument or thought that you have to put in the 9th line. At this point, make sure your focus shifts to something else which you can then relate later to the original point. You can learn more about how to add your Volta online as it is one of the key components of Shakespearean poetry.

3. Learn The Correct Rhyme Scheme

For Shakespearean sonnets, the standard rhyme scheme is abab, cdcd, efef, gg. It means that your first line and third line in every 4 line quatrain should rhyme. And the fourth and second line of every quatrain should rhyme. The last two lines of the sonnets should also rhyme.

4. Learn How To Use Metaphors And Imagery

You should also learn to use metaphors in ways that captivate the readers and keep them engaged. A metaphor is a figure of speech where you use one thing to describe another thing that cannot be literally applicable to it. It provides more clarity about how two ideas are related. Learn as much as you can about the types of metaphors and how you can add them into your poems.

5. No Matter What You Do, Don’t Use Clichés

One of the things that suck the life out of good poetry is the use of clichés. These are phrases that have lost real meaning because they have been used too often. They can also be in the form of comparisons. These should be avoided as well. Sometimes, you may use a cliché without realizing what you’re doing. So, reading your poem for someone else to hear might be a good way to spot clichés. You can also use a cliché finding app online to avoid using clichés.

These are five things you should keep in mind if you want to start writing like Shakespeare. Finally, never forget that you’re not going to become perfect overnight. It’s going to take time and practice but eventually, you’ll get there. Make sure you practice for at least one hour a day when you’re most productive.

Author: Sebastian Miller

Please be advised that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this blog is solely that of the Author or his/her sources and does not necessarily reflects those of English Forward. This includes, but is not limited to, third-party content contained on or accessible through the English Forward websites and web pages or sites displayed as search results or contained within a directory of links on the English Forward network.



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