Turn Your Dream Into a Poem, Part 1

This entry is part of a series on how to write poems:

Turn Your Dream Into a Poem, Part 1


Some people like to document what they dream of in a special journal, but dreams can also appear as part of a story or even a poem. For some people, composing a poem based on a dream may feel next to impossible, especially if only part of a dream is remembered, while the rest of it remains blacked out during our waking hours. Usually the most powerful dreams are memorable in detail, and they needn't be nightmares, either. Provided it is a wonderful enough dream, something that really is worth remembering, it is not hard to construct a plot for the poem that will essentially recount the dream to readers.

It has been said that poetry reflects the soul of the poet, and for many poets, this is nothing new. Poets draw their inspiration from many places and events; in my case, I draw much of my work from my own background, whether it is during the waking or sleeping hours, thus the title “The Biographical Poet.”

In this manner, poetry is a cathartic means as well as being able to communicate certain events of my life which no doubt will resonate with a number of readers out there. Life is not always a bowl of cherries, but when life hands you a lemon, you turn it into a poem. Getting back to dreams and writing a poem about one, following is an exercise for all writers and poets who think they are unable to write down in detail a dream they had last night.

Take out a piece of paper (or open your word processor). Do not write down any titles for your poem; always save the title after the poem is complete. In the first line, write down the one thing you remember most about the dream. It can be a house, a building, or even a church. Describe this in detail as best you can.

Starting a second paragraph, write down any conclusion you can remember in association with the dream. Even if details are foggy, include them in the document. By this time it is possible you may have remembered something else about the dream, so write that down either before the main subject of the dream, or afterwards, depending on where it occurred.

By now this may look like note taking for an English literature class on a poem taught in class. These notes, however, will eventually be crafted into a poem that is fluid and tell a story, however fantastic it may seem.

To be continued.