Quills at the ready: Five steps to writing a poem

"Hope" is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –

– Emily Dickinson

Poems are powerful, magical and mysterious. They show us life in novel ways.

“A poem is an offering,” says poet and professor Julie Marie Wade. It can sneak up on readers to show them something familiar in an unfamiliar manner. “It might be different for everybody in the room,” Wade explains, “but there’s something to take from [a poem] as a reader and appreciator of our shared world.”

Psychology professor Shannon Pruden also praises poetry’s ability to present various points of view, thereby engendering empathy: “I think reading and writing poetry allows you to understand the perspective of other people, which ultimately leads to a much more complex understanding of emotions and emotional development. Poetry allows you to make that leap.”

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