Six Tips on Writing Poetry for Children

Entertain is the key word. You shouldn't want to write for children to teach them. Your job as a writer is to entertain them with an engaging poem. Children love to be captured by a story which ignites their imaginations. Here are some tips to help the beginning writer get started in the right direction.

Tip One

Children love to rhyme. Decide which of the two verses for the children's market you wish to write. The first one is children's poetry and the second is rhyming stories or rhyming prose.

Children's poetry should take an ordinary situation and turn it into an extraordinary episode. Poetry should be lighthearted or funny. Rhyming words appeal to children who are learning how to read.
Children's rhyming stories are like Dr. Seuss stories. They are stories in picture books with strong openings, believable, characters, an interesting plot, a satisfying ending and above all words which rhyme.

Tip Two

Decide your target audience. Do you wish to write for babies, preschoolers, young readers, or upper elementary? You should also decide if you want to write Christian poetry or for the general market.

Tip Three

When brainstorming the type of poem you want to write for children, decide your topic. Children's poems usually tell a story. Begin by picturing a moment in a child's life, a highlight moment. Explore the emotions surrounding that event in a child's day. Use strong visual images or a specific emotion to evoke in your reader. If you choose to write a funny poem, give it a punch line which will surprise the reader.

Tip Four

Select a point of view for your poem. First person uses the pronoun, I/We. Second person uses the pronoun, You. Third person uses the pronouns, He/She/It/They. For people characters, first person usually works better because it places the reader in the character's mind, drawing the reader closer to the story. With animal characters, third person works better. Whichever point of view you choose, please remember to choose one viewpoint and stick with it. Don't hop from one viewpoint to another viewpoint.

Tip Five

Pick the tone and emotion of your poem. Different ideas you could use are: exciting, sad, mysterious, scary, mischievous, happy, angry, nervous, or lighthearted. You should work at establishing your voice. Finding your writing voice is paramount for becoming a successful writer.

Tip Six

Write a list of words. These types of lists are extremely helpful for the writer. Once you decide what type of poem you want to write make a list of strong action verbs, descriptive adjectives, and rhyming words. As you write you can consult these lists to help make your writing stronger.

Conclusion

One aspect of Christian poetry is writing for children. You can choose to write children's poems or children's rhyming stories. Either way your poem will delight and entertain your readers.

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