I love poetry. Can’t write it worth shit, but I love reading beautiful words.
The movement is so different from other writing. Poetry evokes emotion in the reader, and it can inspire your characters too.
So it’s little surprise that poetry is used in a lot of YA books. I understand why poems and poetic references, are effective in YA stories A teen lives in a flux of angst and poetry speaks to the emotional roller coaster they live on.
Over at The Guardian, Ciara Murphy explains the importance and effect of poetry in YA stories. From John Green’s Paper Towns poetic metaphors, to Ally Condie’s Matched series (one of my all time favorites) where she uses banned poems by Dylan Thomas and Tennyson.
Today it seems as though poems have been regulated to Meme’s, but maybe it’s time to give poetry another look.
Have you considered using poetry, new, or old, to spur a story forward? If not maybe it’s time to see just what poetry can do for your stories.
Pop over and read…
Why is there so much poetry in YA/teen lit? by Ciara Murphy
Let me know what you think. Can poetry improve your writing, or do you think the idea lame?
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