How to Write Poetry Using Arbitrary Words from the Dictionary

Almost everyone can take random words from a dictionary or a thesaurus and make a poem that makes some semblance of sense. See how much fun it is and see if you can too.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Dictionary
• Thesaurus
• Pen or pencil
• Paper
• Computer

1. Almost everyone some time or later has tried to write a sonnet, haiku or poem for a loved one, to see if they could do it, homework or for the love of words.
   Writing poetry does not mean it has to rhyme. On the contrary, I have two published books of unconventional poetry and maybe one percent rhymes.
2. In my opinion, poetry should tell a story. It should provoke thought. I have read poems that have won awards and, to me, they really did not say much. If “wind rushed by your hair in the autumn breeze with the trees huddled together to sway their branches in unison”… I get a visual, but that is about all. It is nice but uneventful. I apologize if you write that type of poetry; I am not trying to typecast you. I believe poetry should probe a little more. Enough said about that topic.
3. How do you write a poem based on random words you pick out of the dictionary? I will tell you. Take a dictionary, any dictionary. It could be one that is for students that is not that thick or it could be a thousand page dictionary. Hey, you can even do it with a thesaurus.
4. I am going to use Webster’s American English Dictionary that has three hundred and ninety-one pages. I flipped through the pages and I closed my eyes and picked the word “dinner”. I wrote that word down. You can do this as many times as you want. The second word I chose at random was “scenery”. I wrote that down too. Again, I chose the word “tedium”. If you do not know what a word means write the definition down next to the word for easy reference. Another word I picked was “newt”. One more word should do it to give you an idea. After that I will comprise a poem based on those words and let you read it. The last word is chose was “dregs”. Those are the words I honestly chose at random.
5. Here is the poem I wrote:
   
   I tried to entertain the idea of dinner
   but the tedium I was in showed no ambition.
   The scenery would have made most downcast
   as the spoiled newt lying in the fridge lay wasted
   because the dregs looked none too appealing.
   
   It was very easy to do. Now you try.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use any size dicitonary.
• Making sense from the random words takes a little creativity, make sure you are in the right frame of mind.
• Realize that if a poem doesn't make sense depsite everything you tried, it might be best to choose alternate words.