It is sometimes difficult to say whether a poem is good or not, and just how good it is. Even when we decide a poem is good, it can be hard to pinpoint exactly what it is that makes the poem pleasant to read. So here we will be exploring what makes a good poem.

A poem can perhaps be broken up into three aspects – the purpose or message, the technical parts and the creativity.

Purpose

When writing a poem, its purpose should always be considered. When people get carried away with writing, the purpose can sometimes become lost. Good poems have strong messages and reasons for being written. Not only that, but everything within the poem has a reason for being there. Someone once said “If a poem only has three good lines, it should only be three lines long.” This means that nothing should be thrown in for the sake of rhythm, rhyme or meter. It should be clear what the poet wants to say, whether it’s just one message or moral, or more of a story. Too many messages can spoil the poem and make it difficult to understand, so a definite purpose is important, even if it’s light-hearted.

Technicalities

Aside from the actual words used in the poem or the story within it, the technical bits and bobs can make it pleasant or unpleasant to read. For example, are some lines much longer than others, throwing off the rhythm? Does the rhyming scheme change or only appear in some parts of the poem, making it sound disjointed? Perhaps the line breaks don’t quite make sense or the tense or narrator changes unexpectedly. Any of these things can turn a good poem bad.

Creativity