How to Write Teen Angst Poetry

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Find inspiration.

   You should start by finding inspiration for your poetry by drawing on your own experiences and feelings.
   
   Ask yourself, “What makes me angry in my life?” or “What moment or event triggered my confusion or frustration?” You could then focus on the moment or event in your poetry.
   
   Using your own experiences as inspiration will help you translate raw emotion and feelings down on the page.You may start by simply jotting down notes about your answers to those two questions.
   
   You may end up focusing on one particular event or moment in your life that you feel is significant.
   
   Or you may write about a series of events that lead to a pivotal, emotional moment in your life.
2. 2

   Step 2: Brainstorm around a particular theme or idea.

   You may also get started on your poetry by brainstorming around a theme or idea that appeals to you.
   
   You may decide to write a poem about “angst” or be more specific and focus on “angst as a teenager girl” or “angst as a queer person of color.” You may then explore this idea and what it means to you in your poem.You can brainstorm by writing the main theme or idea of your poem on a piece of paper.
   
   You could then write words or phrases that come to mind around the theme or idea.
   
   Draw circles around the words and connect them to each other or list them in clusters around the main theme.
   
   For example, if your main theme was “angst as a queer person of color” you may write phrases or words like “fear in a crowd of white, straight people”, “loneliness”, “otherness”, or “being proud and afraid at the same time.” , You can also try doing a freewrite using a writing prompt.
   
   You may use a writing prompt that already exists or create your own prompt.
   
   Often, writing prompts will be in the form of a line or phrase that gets you thinking.
   
   You can then do a timed freewrite using the prompt as a starting point.For example, you may use the prompt, “I am feeling this angst because…” or “My most angst filled moment was…”.
   
   You may then set a timer for 10 to 20 minutes and write everything you can think of in relation to the prompt.
   
   Try not to lift your pen from the paper or read over what you have written.
   
   Once the time is up, you may read over what you have written.
   
   Highlight or underline any words, phrases, or lines that inspire you.
   
   You may then use them in your poem. , You may get started on your poem by first reading poems written about angst, sadness, anger, and loneliness.
   
   You can look for poems written by teens online or by poets who write about these themes.
   
   Several examples include:
   Ariel by Sylvia Plath.Howl by Allen Ginsberg.The Seven Stages of Being Lonely by Warsan Shire.Poetry on TeenInk.com.
   
   Spoken word poets, found online at PowerPoetry.org.
3. 3

   Step 3: Do a freewrite.

4. 4

   Step 4: Read poems written about angst.

Detailed Guide

About the Author