How Do You Write Poetry?

Thirty-two Top Poets Give Advice

April may be National Poetry Month,
but writing poetry can be a challenge Don’t miss these other outstanding
any month of the year! To the rescue
comes Seeing the Blue Between: Advice
poetry selections from Candlewick!
and Inspiration for Young Poets, an
unprecedented volume combining
poems with letters of advice from
poets, compiled by poetry anthologist A New York Times Book Review 10
Seeing the Best Illustrated Children’s Books
Blue Between: extraordinaire Paul B. Janeczko (who selection
Advice and Inspiration was also the force behind the award-
for Young Poets A Publishers Weekly Best Children’s
winning A Poke in the I: A Collection of A Poke in the I: Book of the Year
compiled by Paul B. Janeczko A Collec tion of
(Grades 4-8) Concrete Poems). Concrete Poems An American Library Association
HC: 0-7636-0881-5 compiled by Paul B. Janeczko Notable Children’s Book
“Young people illustrated by Chris Raschka
(Grades 1-5) A Bulletin of the Center for
who read my HC: 0-7636-0661-8 Children’s Books Blue Ribbon winner
books often write to me with the question,
Look for downloadable activities related to A Poke in the I and
‘How can I become a better writer?’,” Paul concrete poetry on our website at www.candlewick.com. Just
says. “I usually tell them to do two things: click on “Activities” on the top menu bar and then choose
“Discover the Potential for Poetry.”
write a lot of poetry and read a lot of
poetry. The letters and poems I’ve assembled
in Seeing the Blue Between should add one Paul B. Janeczko
more thing to every young writer’s ‘to do’
list: listen to the advice of poets who have spent years practicing
their craft.”
Here is a sneak preview of the expert advice to be found in Seeing
the Blue Between, for the benefit of new poets everywhere: Becoming Joe DiMaggio Classic Poetry:
A short novel in blank verse An Illustrated Collec tion
by Maria Testa selected by Michael Rosen
Do you want Your ideas are more illustrated by Scott Hunt illustrated by Paul Howard
to write a poem? (Grades 5-9) (Grade 4 and up)
important than trying to HC: 0-7636-1537-4 HC: 1-5640-2890-9
Forget it . . . make a perfect rhyming
“Powerfully moving as it An International Reading
until poem. Your poem should braids together baseball, Association Teacher’s
you have have a sense of rhythm—it family, and the Italian- Choice Award winner
American experience.”
rewritten it. should sound like a song —Booklist (starred review)
and have a repeating beat
—Lee Bennett Hopkins
like a soft drum tap. BUT
YOU DON’T HAVE TO MAKE
Nothing succeeds like failure. THE LINES RHYME!!!
Revel in it. You may take a — Jack Prelutsky
measure of pride if you can
say, “I failed three times You Hear Me?
I love to write poems Things I Have to Tell You:
today, and that was before Poems and Writing by Poems and Writing
lunch.” because I am lazy. A poem Teenage Girls by Teenage Boys
compiled by Betsy Franco compiled by Betsy Franco
is short. I can write a first photographs by Nina Nickles
— J. Patrick Lewis photographs by Nina Nickles
draft in five minutes and go (Grade 7 and up) (Grade 7 and up)
HC: 0-7636-0905-6 HC: 0-7636-1158-1
eat a bag of potato chips. PB: 0-7636-1159-X
PB: 0-7636-1035-6
Most of all, I want a poem to — Janet S. Wong
say what I really felt or saw or American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults
heard—that is, to be true.
American Library Association Recommended Books for Reluctant
—Lilian Moore Young Adult Readers, Quick Pick

A sample spread from Seeing the Blue Between and a biography of Paul B. Janeczko
may be found on our website at www.candlewick.com.