Introduction

Attention! This section is devoted to Russian versification. English-language versification follows different rules and principles, and I am not sufficiently competent to write textbooks on it. However, if you want to understand the technical aspects of Russian verse, this section is for you.

At some point, I felt the urge to write something like a small textbook that could offer something new both to beginner poets and to professionals. What you see here is the result. I tried to present the material in the simplest, most conversational way possible, avoiding excessive detail and an overload of technical terms. That did not quite work, because theory is unavoidable. Yes, it is easier to write poetry when it comes from within rather than from theory. Nevertheless, for a poem to be not only sincere but also beautiful and meaningful, one must understand at least a little of the technique.

Among other things, I believe (and I stress that this is my personal opinion) that poems should not only sound good when performed by the author, but also look good on paper. They must outlive their creator. At least for a while.

Let me begin with three main pieces of advice:

1) To write good poetry, you need to read a lot of good poetry. This is the most important rule. It applies to verse in any language.

2) Writing something from the heart does not mean it is good. Any poem must be revisited after some time, revised, cut apart — and no one but you will do that. Poems are very rarely written perfectly on the first attempt. Have you seen Byron’s drafts? There are more corrections than clean lines. And you are not Byron.

3) Find a new, non-trivial subject for your poem. And if you are writing on a traditional theme (love, autumn—lacking imagination?), then find new words and ideas. I say this for one simple reason: I am not going to teach you what to write about. That is for you to decide.

So, let us begin.