Poetry is Hard Work

So I've been working on this poem for about...a week and a half now. It's only a draft on FB now so nobody can see it. But here I am, toiling away for an hour, two hours, three hours at a time and...whew. I'm almost sweating with the effort. I know it's going to be better than a lot of my other poetry because I'm spending this much time finding just the right words to say what I want to say. Some days, though, words and rhymes come much faster. I've written and rewritten a lot of this poem, which is unlike me since I usually only write one or two drafts and I'm done [for the bulk of my poetry, anyway]...but I always have a song to work to and it helps the flow.

I can't find a song for this poem. Ergo, I am having to work hard. :P

I find writing poetry interesting. It's not my favorite, but it is a joyful occupation at times. Other times, it helps rid me of pain or hurt and I can move on once I write it down. In any case, poetry is helpful to me and I enjoy very much trying to find rhyming words. I wanted to talk a little bit about how I write poetry in hopes that other poets/poetesses will dialogue with me about the way they go about it.

1. I see or hear something that sparks an idea - it's usually a song, but can sometimes be a book, another poem, a painting, a picture, or a piece of clothing [like the one I'm working on now - it all started because of a gorgeous 1490's Italian Renaissance gown on Etsy.com]

2. I write down the immediate rhymes that come to mind - this is the easy part. Some things just fall into place and I scribble it down on a piece of paper somewhere. Sometimes the verses don't really go in a linear direction but that's where I spend some time re-writing.

3. I have to start with an outline if I'm going to finish the poem - My father instilled in me the need to write an outline every time I started writing something. Whether it's a poem, a paper, or a manuscript, I HAVE to start with an outline. Braintstorming and lists are also involved.

4. I try to connect the rhymes I have and write in the other verses using the outline. This is where the most time is spent, agonizing over using "Dark despair" or "cold despair" - which one sounds better and works for the poem?

5. Polish - This is the 2nd thing that takes the most time. I re-read my poem over and over, sometimes becoming so unsatisfied that I try to start over. Other times, I realize I did my best and I change one or two things and then finish it.

Everyone's got a different writing style. I only write tragic or goofy poetry, and I don't spend a whole lot of time on each poem - except in rare cases, like this one. I can sort of "see" my "author voice" coming out in one or two poems, and you can tell who my influences are, though hopefully it's not obvious and I don't sound exactly like them. Emily Dickinson is my favorite poet of all, though I enjoy Robert Frost, e e cummings, William Carlos Williams, Robert Browning, his wife Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and Percy Shelley, among others.

I do enjoy memorizing poetry, from time to time, and I have memorized bits and pieces from Emily Dickinson, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and Robert Frost. And also a poem by William Carlos Williams.

Who do you enjoy? Do you write poetry? [let's see some!] What does your writing process look like?