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10 Punctuation Tips for Poems!

If you are a new poet, you should know some basic punctuation rules to bring life to your poetry.

A lot of expert poets mold punctuation and grammar rules to make room for their creativity and to put a unique impact on the readers.

You can read different types of poems and can notice this feature. We have a bunch of different poems written by expert poets who have mold punctuation rules; click here for more information.

But, if you are just starting, you should know some tips and tricks to use punctuation marks in your poetry.

As every punctuation mark serves different purposes, you should use them wisely.

Let’s have a look at some punctuation rules for poetry. These rules will help you to use punctuation effectively.

1. Period:

You should use the period at the end of that verse where you want your readers to take a pause.

Your readers will pause at that line so it stands out from others. It means the period will highlight that line.

You can also use the period between the lines to create a caesura.

2. Comma:

The comma is mostly used at the end of the line to take a brief pause.

They can also be used to list items, create descriptive lists and eliminate the use of semicolons.

Using this punctuation mark at the end of a line means that an idea or concept is still not finished, and the other line is interlinked with the first one.

Commas are also used to insert dramatic pauses in the line.

3. Capitalization:

It is the rule of punctuation to capitalize the first word of each line in the poem.

A lot of poets follow this rule but some don’t as they have their own unique way to start each line.

A lot of poets also capitalize words between the lines to emphasize that word.

4. Question Marks and Exclamation Marks:

A lot of poets used question marks when they were asking rhetorical questions in their poems.

But, what is the benefit of rhetorical questions?

These questions are poetic devices that keep readers engaged and drive them to brainstorm about the concept introduced in the poem.

Exclamation marks are used at the end of sentences to put emphasis and to show special emotions.

These marks are mostly used at the end of the line to make a pause and to put emphasis on the line.

5. Apostrophe:

The apostrophe is used to show possession of things in the poem.

It is also used to shorten the word to create a rhythm and poetic tone in the poetry.

Shakespeare has used this punctuation mark a lot of times in his sonnets to create a flow in them.

6. Semicolons:

Semicolons are used at the end of sentences to create an extended pause and to interlink two ideas.

The pause on these semicolons will be a bit more from commas, but less from a full stop.

They indicate that the line coming now is related to the previous one.

7. Dashes:

There are two types of dashes. One is en dash, and the other is em dash.

The en dash is known as the small dash which is used to connect elements of adjectives or numbers.

The em dash is a long dash that is used for a dramatic pause in the poem.

It is mostly used in between or at the end of the verse to indicate a break in thought.

This punctuation mark drives the audience to give special attention to the word or line.

8. Colon:

Colon is used in the poem for explanation, quotation, and example purposes.

This punctuation mark at the end of the sentence shows that the next line or line coming is the explanation of this concept.

9. Quotation Marks:

Quotation marks are used when we have to quote a saying of a person in the poem.

They are mostly used in narrative-type poems in which the poet is narrating a story.

10. Ellipses:

This mark is used to show a time-lapse or transition in the poem.

It can also be used to show an omission of words or letters which are not necessary.

Conclusion:

These are ten punctuation marks and the rules which you can use in your poem for various purposes.

Maybe a lot of you find these rules a bit difficult to remember. But, if you focus on them, it will be easy for you to memorize them.

Start your poetry writing career while focusing on these punctuation rules, and with time, you can alter the rules to make more room for creativity.

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