A photograph of Ted Kooser in front of a red building with American-flag style painting hung on the wall.

Touching your readers hearts with poetry

In this article, we’ll break down 12 of the best poetry writing tips from Ted Kooser’s best-selling poetry craft book, The Poetry Home Repair Manual.

According to Ted Kooser, former Poet Laureate of the United States and Pulitzer Prize winner, poetry's purpose is to "reach other people and touch their hearts." As a poet, you want your words to resonate with your readers emotionally. In this article, we'll explore practical advice from Kooser's book, The Poetry Home Repair Manual to help you craft poems that touch hearts.

In this article, we’ll explore 12 steps to writing good poems that will touch your reader’s hearts. Be sure to read to the end for a bonus!

For a more comprehensive, 12-step breakdown, watch this video I made:

YouTube thumbnail of Poet Laureate Nathan Hassall in his video on Ted Kooser's "The Poetry Home Repair Manual," 25 minute video on expert poetry writing advice for beginners.

📚 BUY TED KOOSER'S BOOK HERE

Step 1: Learn from Others, Teach Yourself

Kooser tells us that most of a poet's education is self-education. Reading and writing poems are essential to learning. I suggest reading at least one poem daily and drafting one if time permits. Although you can learn much about poetry yourself, you can search out teachers, read craft books, and more, to write better poems.

Step 2: You Are Not Only Writing for Yourself

Kooser emphasizes that poetry exists in relationship to the reader. You're not just writing for yourself; you're writing to communicate with others. To touch your reader's heart, you need to consider their perspective. As Kooser says, "any well-made poem is worth a whole lot more to the world than to the person who wrote it." Have this in mind, especially when you're editing your poems.

Step 3: Watch Out for Your Ego

Good poetry requires depth beyond the ego. Writing poetry is more important than your image as a poet. Kooser admits to having an ego-driven approach to poetry in his early days but learned that true poetry comes from dedication to the craft. "In order to earn the title of poet, I ought to have written at least one poem," he says. To be a poet, then, you’ve got to do the work of writing poetry.

Step 4: Be Specific

Kooser stresses the importance of specificity in poetry. Using specific details helps readers connect with your poem on a deeper level. “Meaning arrives almost unbidden from an accumulation of specific details,” he says. For example (my example), instead of describing a general scene, focus on specific details like the "blue-white, galaxy-like speckled swirls on a mussel-shell."

Step 5: Deepen Your Knowledge of the World

Reading poetry and exploring the world can deepen your knowledge and improve your poetry. Kooser suggests paying attention to your responses to the world and recording them. “The more poems we read, the deeper is our knowledge of the world,” he writes.

Step 6: Engaging Titles and Opening Lines

Your title and opening lines are crucial in inviting readers into your poem. Kooser advises making a good impression with your title and starting with a hook that grabs the reader's attention. "No spare parts," he says.

Step 7: Use Presence and Action

Kooser defines "Presence" as the accumulation of details that reveal the speaker's experience and feelings. A poem's presence is not just about what is said, but how it is said. "A poem is a way of assembling a little bit of order amid chaos," he states.

Step 8: Be Strong in Style and Form

Kooser emphasizes that a poem's shape should serve the poem and not be distracting. He compares reading a well-written poem to going for a ride in a "glass-bottomed boat" that allows the reader to see into the depths of the poem, to dissolve the relationship between reader and poem. You do not want the reder to be distracted by other details, obscuring the view of the tropical fish, coral, and other things on the boat ride. In other words, if your poem has a weird line break, or uses an “&” instead of “and,” the reader may question your decision, which will take them out of the experience of the poem.

Step 9: Do Not Be Sentimental

Kooser warns against releasing emotions as "a gush of sentiment." Instead, aim to show restraint and control your emotional language. "Express strong feelings without expressly stating those feelings," he advises.

Step 10: Using Your Memory

Kooser teaches that writing from memory requires trust in writing that will lead you to what the poem is trying to tell you. "You have to trust in the process of writing to lead you toward the heart of the poem," he says. If you get to the heart of the poem, the better chance your readers will have of getting to the heart, which means their heart will be engaged, too.

Step 11: Make Sure Your Metaphors and Similes are Strong

Kooser advises against using figures of speech as ornaments. Instead, use metaphors and similes to clarify and make the poem emotionally resonant. "A metaphor or simile should be used to clarify a poem," he says.

Step 12: Edit and Improve on Your Draft

Kooser emphasizes the importance of editing and revising your poem. Let your poem cool off, and then revisit it to identify areas for improvement. "It's better to write a single strong poem than publish twenty books of mediocre verse," he says.

Step 13 (BONUS): Write From Your Soul

Kooser's final advice is to "write from your soul no matter what." Ensure your poem connects with others and allows your readers alternative ways of seeing and understanding the world.

Conclusion

By following these steps and taking Kooser's advice to heart, you can craft poems that touch your readers' hearts and leave a lasting impression.