How to Write a Poem

1. Get Inspired
Inspiration strikes at the oddest moments. The commonest one being when you're in the shower or going about your morning business. Once you're inspired enough, think about the theme of your poem. What would you like it to be - happy, sad, manic-depressive, exuberant, funny, satirical or descriptive. Once you've narrowed down the theme, you have to finalise the actual event, person or thing you want to write about.

2. Be sad
Sadness is the biggest catalyst for the creation of art. Whether it be painting, literature, music or dance, it all stems from anguish and pathos, at least that's what I've heard. So, prick your finger if you have to or pick a fight, anything that twinges enough for your to write about.

3. Write on Paper
The charm of crinkly paper is subdued by the tap-tapping of computers now a days. Take a step back into the last millennium and write your poems in hand made paper with a fountain pen. Your poem's evolution will be recorded forever, down to the last spelling mistake and your thoughts which are safe from the 'delete' button. Also, imagine somebody finding it years later in your attic filled with dust- quite a relic for your descendants.

4. Signature mark
A signature, to be distinguished, needs to be incomprehensible. A scrawl of ink and a dash is all you need in the name of a signature. It must seem like an impatient afterthought as though you forgot to write your name and couldn't be bothered by it. In addition, if you make it terribly untidy and unpredictable, there are very few chances of your sign being forged.

5. Rhyme...or not to rhyme
OK, a poem is a poem and free-verse is the third generation of poems. Some people find it very difficult to rhyme and end up destroying it by trying to match awkward sounding words. So, keep it simple or complicated or whatever you want, it's your baby. It it, however, important to know where to draw the line between bizarre and ridiculous. But that's the best part about art, you can be both.