I’ve been writing poetry for children for more than forty years and have had a wonderful time doing it. Over all those years I’ve learned quite a few things about writing poetry. Nobody ever told me about them, and I had to teach them to myself. It’s also possible that I’ve invented some of them. I wish that I had known some of these techniques earlier. It would have made writing my poems a lot easier.
I’ve talked to thousands and thousands of kids about writing poetry, and many of them have asked me questions about it. The most asked question has been “Where do you get your ideas?” I’ve explained that I get ideas by keeping my eyes and ears open and by paying attention to what’s going on around me. I’ve also explained that everyone gets ideas—the trick is to know what to do with them.
One of most important things I do is to write down my ideas immediately in my notebook or at least on a scrap of paper. Otherwise, I’m certain to forget those ideas, and so there’ll be poems that never happen. I talk about writing down your ideas and carrying a notebook several times in this book.
I use many techniques for writing poems and thought that it would be helpful to share the creative process with you. That’s what this book is all about. Don’t ask me about dactyls, quatrains, or iambic pentameter. There are many fine books that describe poetic forms, meters, and structures. In this book I’m letting you peek into my mind and see how I use my imagination to turn ideas into poems.
I hope that you enjoy reading Pizza, Pigs, and Poetry and that it inspires you to write your own poems.
Your friend,