How To-24: "How to Write Rap Lyrics"

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit


An editor has suggested that this article be merged with: "How to SpecialWrite Rap Lyrics" Per the merge policy, if these topics are determined to be similar but distinct, then the articles will remain separate. Please comment on the discussion page. Notice added on 2008-06-09.
If you want to learn how to write rap lyrics, you've come to the right page.

Steps

1. Know your rap music. Do this by studying different artist's styles, or study a rapper such as: 2pac, The Notorious B.I.G, Nas, Eminem, 50 Cent, etc.
   
2. Choose your style. You can rap like Eminem, with big multies and big words and a unique way of rhyming. Or like 50 Cent, with different styles such as gangster rap, a dance music, hip hop, etc. The Notorious B.I.G's style changes from slow to fast flow, and the same applies for 2pac.
   
3. Carry a notebook with you everywhere, but you don't have to in public if you feel uncomfortable. If you’re in public, carry an IPod/Walkman, pen, and a few sheets of paper to jot down rhymes that you come up with.
   
4. Learn to freestyle!
   
5. Listen to different types of instrumentals. If you are old enough to drive, keep a few instrumental CD's in your car and freestyle to those.
   
6. Keep repeating these steps.
   

Tips

• Don’t get discouraged or let people put you down. You will learn some skills and get better.
  
• If you’re white, don’t give up or feel like you can't do it. One of the best rappers of all time is white (EMINEM).
  

Things You'll Need

• Pen
  
• Paper/Notebook
  
• CD's/IPod/Walkman (you don't NEED it but it would help)
  
• Instrumentals (you don't NEED it but it would help)
  

Sources and Citations

• Wikipedia.org (look up freestyle rapping or type in how to rap in the toolbar).
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Write Rap Lyircs. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to-22: "How to Copyright a Song"

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Under international law, copyright is the automatic right of the creator of the work, this means that copyright exist as soon as you have a tangible version of the music, such as sheet music and/or CDs.
Registering the copyright of your work makes it easier to be compensated in court if your copyright is infringed.

Steps

1. Get the proper forms. The form needed for a sound recording to copyright is the Form SR and possibly Form CON. The form for Performing Arts, such as what people listen to on the radio, from Cd's, and live, is the Form PA or Short Form PA, and possibly Form CON. These copyright forms can be requested at (202) 707-3000, requested through mail at US Copyright Office Library of Congress Washington D.C. 20559, or found on the Internet at external links #1 and #2.
   
2. Fill out the forms. Read the instructions carefully and fill it out exactly how explained.
   
3. Send it to
   
   • Library of Congress
     
   • Copyright Office
     
   • Independence Avenue, S.E.
     
   • Washington, D.C. 20559-6000
     
   
   
4. Include a $45 and a non-returnable copy of the music.
   
5. If your submission was filled out right, you will get a certificate of registration in the next 4-5 months.
   

Tips

• Copyright albums at a time rather than each song. It is a lot cheaper to pay $45 instead of $300 or more. The exception is if the publisher insists to copyright each song.
  
• Send your work to the Copyright Office by certified mail, and request a return receipt. This costs about $5.00. When you receive the return receipt, you'll know they have it and the process has started.
  

Warnings

• Make sure that your music is totally original. The rap hit Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice copied the bass line from Queen and David Bowie's song Under Pressure, and Vanilla Ice was sued.
  
• The above advice assumes that your are a US citizen. In 1989, the US became a party to the Berne Convention, meaning that if you are from outside the US, you are not required to register with the US Copyright Office before you can make a claim in a US court (more on US Copyright rules).
  

Things You'll Need

• Recording
  
• $45
  
• Internet Connection (I hope you have it if you are viewing this)
  
• PA, SR, or CON Forms
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Publish Your Music
  
• How to Write a Vocal Melody over a Piece of Music
  
• How to Write and Sell Your Songs
  
• How to Find Your Own Singing Voice
  
• How to Write a Song and Put Guitar Chords to It
  
• How to Compose and Perform a Rock Song
  

Sources and Citations

• Where to register copyright (includes non-US registration offices)
  
• US Copyright Office - Registering Sound Recordings
  
• US Copyright Office - Registering Performing Art
  
• How to register copyright in the US
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Copyright a Song. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-21: "How to Write and Sell Your Songs"

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Ever wonder why some songwriters get the deals while others, with incredible talent, style and know-how, never even get the slightest nod from industry professionals? As if talent and know-how weren’t enough, today’s writers are faced with the ever increasing challenge of partitioning their writing styles from the endless barrage of production makeovers of what would otherwise be mediocre songs at best.
Read on to learn how to get your songs published!

Steps

1. Understand how the industry works and your new role within it. Gone are the days when great songs were recorded in what would seem the worst of conditions for a recording facility and recording hardware. Today, the onset of the computer, drum loops, samples and limited music abilities rule – or do they? In one sense that last statement is true, and in another, it’s not. Let’s take a closer look.
   
2. Realize that music is now written, deployed and embarked upon from a market driven perspective. While a volume of music is being created from a very shallow writing and production style, there is left a vacuum for songs and music that is yearned for by a large segment of the population, particularly baby boomers, who miss the “days of the past" where style and passion ruled. Don’t forget that, and in fact, if you will keep that in the back of your mind while you are writing, you will be one step closer to success.
   
3. Continue to write from within and from who you are, but don’t be caught up in the music fads, what’s hot at the moment and what “seems" to work – stay in it for the long haul. If you continue to write with substance, style and from who you are and where “life" has carried your writing style to, you’ll be driven by the craft of the song and not the latest music industry craze.
   
4. Know how to market yourself. Today’s music industry demands that you not only write the next “hit" song, but that you are able to sell and market your next big “hit" – Forget the song selling itself. Sadly enough, this is the case a lot of the time. There are still A&R directors, producers and artists who look at the strength and character of the song, but they’re becoming more and more rare. If you write country music, you’ll have an easier time finding individuals who will look at the strength of your song and not just pure marketing. Other genres are not as conducive to song viability, but marketing viability as the “rule of law".
   
5. Build your production strength. Many great songs today don’t make it simply because the production doesn’t yield the emotional tone, upbeat or not, that the song implores. We all wish the day was back when a great song stood on its own, but many a song demo is actually the track used for the final artist record cut today. You can no longer get away with “fairly" good sounding tracks, they have to sound like a record cut. You may be able to get away with a lo-fi sound in country music, but even this has changed as the popularity of this genre has increased.
   
6. Stay focused, believe in your writing, but be honest at the same time and demand the highest in quality of your song demos and learn from others who have the “sell ability" factor in marketing their songs or products. This is a new day in the music industry, but you can succeed if you will hold to your writing values and not to the latest music whim.
   

Tips

• Have fun making your songs and selling hoping you will make some money.
  
• Try to get a local band that you know well to perform the song.
  

Warnings

• Try not to get too cocky with your songs or you'll get disappointed if your song doesn't sell.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Publish Your Music
  
• How to Write The Vocal Melody for Music
  
• How to Copyrights
  
• How to Copyright a Song
  
• How to Compose and Perform a Rock Song
  
• How to Find a Tap Harmonic on the Guitar
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Write and Sell Your Songs. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

'Somehow' - Poem by Silverfish

This is what we want, we and our children:
A seat in the best school – somehow;
Very high marks in the exams – somehow;
Then the best course in the best college – somehow;
Again best grades in the college exams – somehow;
After that a lucrative job – somehow;
Then the most beautiful girl to love – somehow;
A fabulously rich girl to marry – somehow;
A Hyundai or a Ford Icon – somehow;
A palatial house to live in – somehow;
God! What a dangerous word this “SOMEHOW’ is!

Poem of the day-18: "Ode on Solitude" by Alexander Pope

Happy the man, whose wish and care
A few paternal acres bound,
Content to breathe his native air,
In his own ground.
Whose herds with milk, whose fields with bread,
Whose flocks supply him with attire,
Whose trees in summer yield him shade,
In winter fire.
Blest, who can unconcern'dly find
Hours, days, and years slide soft away,
In health of body, peace of mind,
Quiet by day,
Sound sleep by night; study and ease,
Together mixt; sweet recreation;
And innocence, which most does please
With meditation.
Thus let me live, unseen, unknown;
Thus unlamented let me die;
Steal from the world, and not a stone
Tell where I lie.

Wikipedia article on "ALEXANDER POPE":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Pope

Grateful thanks to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

How To-20: "How to Create a List of Rhyming Words for a Poem or Song"

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Lots of times you might want to write a poem or a song that rhymes, for a class or just for fun. Here is an easy way to come up with those rhymes without having to resort to a rhyming dictionary.

Steps

1. Think of an ending to a word, such as -at or -on.
   
2. Write it down so you remember it.
   
3. Go through the alphabet and stick each letter to the beginning of the word. so for -at you would say that 'at' is already a word, then 'bat', 'cat','fat', 'hat', 'mat', 'nat', 'pat', 'rat', 'sat', 'tat', and 'vat' all are real words that rhyme with that ending.
   
4. 4. Once you've gone through all the letters, try two letters a at a time, for example, 'flat', 'gnat', 'stat', 'that'...
   
5. 5. Figure out where in your poem or song you can use these words
   

Tips

• Choose an ending that isn't too common. for example, don't use -ing, because almost every verb out there ends in that.
  
• If you're having real problems, ask your teacher if you can use a rhyming dictionary, which have lists of words that rhyme.
  
• You can also google 'rhymes' or 'online rhyming dictionaries' and find online databases of words that rhyme, often which can be sorted by number of syllables, which is a nice feature
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Become a Writer
  
• How to Rejuvenate a Cliche for Creative Writing
  
• How to Avoid Making a Mary Sue
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Create a List of Rhyming Words for a Poem or Song. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Poem of the day-17: "A Book" by Emily Dickinson

There is no frigate like book
To take us lands away,
Nor any coursers like a page
of prancing poetry.

This traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of toll;
How frugal is the chariot
That bears the human soul !

Wikipedia article on "EMILY DICKINSON":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Dickenson

"The Poems of Emily Dickinson" (Free eBook) from Asiaing.com. :
http://www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/dickinson/Dickinson-poems6x9.pdf

Grateful thanks to Asiaing.com and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Poem of the day-16: "My Song" by Tagore

This song of mine will wind its music around you,
my child, like the fond arms of love.

The song of mine will touch your forehead
like a kiss of blessing.

When you are alone it will sit by your side and
whisper in your ear, when you are in the crowd
it will fence you about with aloofness.

My song will be like a pair of wings to your dreams,
it will transport your heart to the verge of the unknown.

It will be like the faithful star overhead
when dark night is over your road.

My song will sit in the pupils of your eyes,
and will carry your sight into the heart of things.

And when my voice is silenced in death,
my song will speak in your living heart.

Wikipedia article on "RABINDRANATH TAGORE":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabindranath_Tagore

Grateful thanks to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

How To-19: "How to Write a Poem About Nature"

How to Write a Poem About Nature

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Nature is beautiful. Nature is wonderful. Nature is awe-inspiring. Here is one way to go about writing a nature inspired poem.

Steps

1. Take some writing materials (pen/pencil, paper/journal/diary) and venture into nature. It could be somewhere in the woods, on a hill, near a creek, on a mountain, in a park, or maybe even just in your backyard.
   
2. Look around you. What do you find that is beautiful? What do you find that is not beautiful?
   
3. Close your eyes and listen (if your location permits) to the sounds of nature. Listen to the wind, the birds, the bugs, the grass growing...anything.
   
4. Take a deep breath in and sense your surroundings. Can you smell the trees? The water?
   
5. Think of some key words that come to mind when you observe your surroundings and write them down.
   
6. Concentrate on these words and how your surroundings make you feel. Take some time before writing anything to really feel your surroundings and become one with nature.
   
7. When you feel the time is right, start your poem. Remember the key words you wrote down, and what you felt when you looked, listened, and smelled you surroundings. Feel free to take a few moments to stop in the middle of your writing process and reassess your surroundings.
   
8. Choose a writing style that you feel comfortable with; whether you are accustomed to rhyming, prose, haikus, sonnets, or limericks, any one of them will work for this subject.
   
9. When you start writing, do so without editing or going back. This way, your immediate feelings will be more easily captured in your work.
   
10. When you've finished writing your poem, take a few moments to sense your surroundings again. Breathe deeply and just relax in the beauty of nature.
    
11. Take a quick look over your poem and make small adjustments until you are satisfied with the result.
    

Tips

• It is easier to write about nature when you are surrounded by it.
  
• Don't try to block any feelings that come to you when you are trying to write. If an unexpected emotion arises, don't suppress it, write about it and let it flow.
  
• Writing poetry is hard and takes practice. If you aren't satisfied with your first effort, don't be discouraged, try again and keep practicing.
  
• Keep a journal in which you write all your poetry. Having all your work in one place will make it easy to refer back to previous works, and looking back may spark new ideas
  
• Wear proper apparel. Sturdy shoes and long pants are best when going on a hike into nature.
  

Warnings

• Nature is not always very nice. If you go into nature, make sure you are familiar with where you're going so you don't get lost or attacked by unfamiliar animals.
  

Things You'll Need

• Something to write on: journal, paper, composition book
  
• Something to write with: pen, pencil, chalk, crayon, charcoal
  
• The desire or motivation to write
  
• Bug spray to ward off angry mosquitoes
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Become Inspired to Write Poetry
  
• How to Write a Poem
  
• How to Watch Wildlife
  
• How to Hike Safely
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Write a Poem About Nature. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to-18: "How to Write a Sonnet"

How to Write a Sonnet

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

So, you may not be the next Shakespeare. But that doesn't mean you can't write a great sonnet. This page will teach you the way to become a respectable sonneteer.

Steps

1. Choose your style of sonnet. The two most common kinds of sonnet are the Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet and the Shakespearean (English) sonnet. Note that the Petrarchan consists of quatrains (the octave) and a closing sestet in the pattern ABBA ABBA CDE CDE. The letters represent a rhyme (i.e., a's should rhyme with a's and b's should rhyme with b's). The Shakespearean style is two unique quatrains followed by two like and one unlike couplet: ABAB CDCD EF EF GG. However, it can also be quatrains and a couplet. In The Art of Shakespeare's Sonnets, Helen Vendler describes it as Q1, Q2, Q3, and C. The structure is essentially the same, though, with the couplet being the finisher.
   
2. Write your lines in iambic pentameter. This is where every other syllable is stressed, so that each line ends with a strong rhyme. There are also ten syllables in each line, five of which have emphasis (pentameter). The ninth line of the sonnet (Shakespearean/Italian style) usually has a turn or a change of tone)
   
3. Keep writing! It will probably take you a few drafts to be happy with your sonnet, but don't get discouraged. Keep the trusty thesaurus by your side and you'll be fine.
   

Tips

• Don't feel that it is necessary to stay within the strict patterns of Shakespearean and Petrarchan sonnet styles; poetry is a fluid art form, so feel free to alter the rhyme scheme or shape of a sonnet to suit your vision. For example, "Sonnet 145" was in tetrameter.
  
• Read other poets' sonnets for examples and inspiration. Many poets have written in this style, including Shakespeare, Elizabeth Barret Browning, William Wordsworth, John Milton, P. B. Shelley, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Pablo Neruda, and more.
  
• Try reading every other syllable louder and harder; it makes it much easier to make a sonnet.
  
• If you can't think of something to write about, don't freak. Look around you, see if anything that you are looking at can spark an idea. You can find poetry in anything!
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Write a Poem
  
• How to Write a Haiku Poem
  
• How to Write a Love Poem
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Write a Sonnet. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-23: "How to Write a Fabulous Poem"

How to Write a Fabulous Poem

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit


An editor has suggested that this article be merged with: "How to SpecialWrite a Poem" Per the merge policy, if these topics are determined to be similar but distinct, then the articles will remain separate. Please comment on the discussion page. Notice added on 2008-03-21.
Want to know how to write a fabulous poem? Well, you have come to the right place to learn how to write a fabulous poem. Here we will teach you how to write a fabulous poem.

Steps

1. What do you want to write a poem about? For our example poem, we'll write about a country called Djbouti.
   
2. Begin your opening paragraph for your poem. For example: "Off the coast of Africa, Is a country that exports no paprika. No cows, no geese, no flocks of sheep, Djibouti's income is rather cheap."
   
3. Continue into your moral of the story, if there is one. If not, just continue on explaining about it. "If you go to Dijibouti, don't expect to find much water. For from there and here, it is much hotter! Don't look for a creek with a river otter, 'cuz you won't find it, not when there's no water!
   
4. Something not to do? Keep repeating!! You usuallly shouldn'treuse a word in one stanza. But, if you look at the example above, you will see that I used 'water' twice and it sounded OK. So use your best judgement. And don't keep on going and going with words that rhyme. It's great to rhyme for a little while, but then you need to move on to the next stanza and start a new set of rhyming words. For example: "Do not go to Djibouti, If you're looking for a booty. For if you look up Djbouti, In a very nice big muti, You will find that Djbouti, While looking in a muti, is not a place to go to find your booty.
   

Tips

• If you're writing poems for kids, make them rhyme. If you are writing a poem that doesn't rhyme, make sure it flows well.
  

Warnings

• Don't make your poem too long, and don't make it too short.
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Write a Fabulous Poem. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-17: "How to Make Poetry Sound Professional"

How to Make Poetry Sound Professional

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Some people have a passion for poetry, but they never know how to make it sound like a real poet wrote it. Here are some steps on how to make your poetry sound as good as your mind wants it to be.

Steps

1. Find somewhere quiet and relax for awhile with paper, pencil and a book to write on. Start your poem with imagination. If you can't think of anything, write about whatever you're looking at at that moment, or what you would like to see in your future. Begin with "the", "in" or just simple words that begin talking about a specific subject, and rearrange it as you go.
   
2. When you've written a poem you're happy with, get it edited. A trusted teacher or professor, a good friend, or anyone you know who works in writing, editing or publishing can give you useful feedback.
   
3. Fix your poem accordingly, and get it re-edited as necessary until you feel it is sufficiently polished.
   
4. Get it out there! Submit your poem to a contest, a publisher, a newspaper, or try to get it read at any nearby poetry reading. It gives you bragging rights and you've gotten a taste of true professional writing.
   

Tips

• Don't get mad if it doesn't sound good at first, it takes a little practice to make poetry sound good to you. We are our own worst critics, right?
  
• Talking about the earth or nature is a great subject to choose when it comes to poetry.
  
• Don't get frustrated if it doesn't sound right the first time, keep trying.
  
• Not all poems rhyme, in fact most great poetry doesn't. Don't feel pressured to have a strong rhyme scheme or rhythm, poetry is about expressing yourself the way you want to.
  

Warnings

• Don't change the subject too fast. Make each thought flow smoothly into the next.
  
• Try not to talk on and on to your friends about your writing career if you've only had one or two things published.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Write a Haiku Poem
  
• How to Scan a Poem
  
• How to Write Serious Gothic Poetry
  
• How to Write a Overcome Writer's Block in Poetry
  
• How to Write a Quatrain Poem
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make Poetry Sound Professional. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-16: "How to Write an Acrostic Poem"

How to Write an Acrostic Poem

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

When we think of 'poetry', we only think of poetry that rhymes. There are many other forms and styles of poetry and each one different from each other. Acrostic is different, unique, and used for different purposes than either prose or rhyming.

Steps

1. Get out a pen and piece of paper, or open a word processor on your computer.
   
2. Choose a title. It should be one word in length, and not too long. Depending on the number of letters in your title, you'll be creating fewer or additional lines in your poem. For example, if your title is "SINGING", you will have a 7-line poem.
   
3. Write the word of your title vertically on the page. You will want to have one letter for each line.
   
4. Add the lines of your poem to the acrostic. Your lines will begin with the corresponding letter of that particular line. For example, if you are using "SINGING" as your title, you will write a sentence that has meaning that starts with the "S". The next sentence will start with an I but has to relate to the first sentence. Continue until the end of the word.
   
5. Each line has to relate with each other line, and the acrostic letters must also relate to each other.
   

Tips

• Be creative! Acrostic poems don't have to rhyme, but you might try to give it a shot anyway.
  
• If you're having trouble, you might want to start off with a short title, like "BIRD" or "CAR". As you get better, you'll be able to think of more lines to add to your title.
  

Example Poem
DARLINGby Sondra Crane
Dearer to me than words impart
Always in my thoughts and heart
Right from the very start I knew,
Love would always mean just you.
In every dream I see your face,
No one else can take your place,
Go where I will, you’ll always be,
The only Valentine for me.

Related wikiHows

• How to Write a Poem
  
• How to Write a Love Poem
  
• How to Write a Haiku Poem
  
• How to Become Inspired to Write Poetry
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Write an Acrostic Poem. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-15: "How to Write a Quatrain Poem"

How to Write a Quatrain Poem

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

A quatrain is stanza with four lines and a rhyming scheme. However, there are many variations of rhyming scheme so many people like to write quatrain poems because there is lots of scope to express all your ideas.

Steps

1. Read examples of quatrains
   
   • A summer day, a winter night,Fluffy Clouds, stars shine bright,Appreciate all, here on earth,Mother Nature, what is she worth?
     
   • Oh the birds are singing,In a nest of broken sticks,Look what they are bringing,It's nutrition for their chicks.
     
   • Shakespeare uses lots of quatrains in his poetry and plays. He mainly writes in sonnets which contain a combination of quatrains and rhyming couplets.
     
   
   
2. Choose a subject for your poem. More abstract topics such as nature or emotion are easiest to find rhyme for, however you can write about anything. It could even tell a story as your poem can have more than one stanza.
   
3. Choose a rhyming scheme. It is best to choose the rhyming scheme before you start writing however you may have to change it later if you can't find anything to fit. Common rhyme schemes for a quatrain are: ABAB, AABB and ABBA. If you have more than one verse you could consider: AABA BBCB CCDC etc. or similar.
   
4. Start writing. Use a rhyming dictionary for help if you get stuck on rhymes. Remember you might not always be able to say everything just how you like because you are constricted by a rhyme scheme but you may change from the rhyme scheme you chose to begin with.
   
5. Read your stanza aloud to check it flows naturally. At this point you may need to change the amount of syllables in each line or choose different words in order to have the best possible quatrain.
   
6. Check spelling and grammar.
   
7. Decide if you want more than one stanza and if so, repeat the previous step. Following quatrains often have the same rhyme scheme. Although this is not mandatory it will make you poem sound better generally.
   

Tips

• You will write better poetry as you practice - you won't become a poet with one poem.
  
• Jot down some general ideas that you want to convey. Highlight keywords, find rhymes or think of rhymes related to this idea. The more brainstorming you do beforehand, the easier it will be to write the poem.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Write a Love Poem
  
• How to Write a Poem
  
• How to Write a Haiku Poem
  
• How to Write an Initial Poem
  
• How to Write a Unique and Easy Poem
  
• How to Write a Poem About Nature
  
• How to Write a Cinquain Poem
  
• How to Write a Metaphor
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Write a Quatrain Poem. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to-14: "How to Write Instant Romantic Poetry"

How to Write Instant Romantic Poetry

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Create instant randomized poetry for your loved one with just a few clicks. It's like magnetic poetry and a comedy wrapped with romance...

Steps

1. Go to the Romantic Poetry Composer site.
   
2. Choose if you want a poem your boy or girl friend.
   
3. Enter your friend's name in the pop-up box.
   
4. Click the "Create Poetry" button.
   
5. Your poem will be created instantly.
   

Tips

• Repeat the process and combine the best stanzas.
  
• Make sure your browser is enabled for JavaScript.
  

Warnings

• Don't do this at work, your laughter may get you in trouble...
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Become Inspired to Write Poetry
  
• How to Write Serious Gothic Poetry
  
• How to Write a Limerick
  
• How to Write a Love Poem
  
• How to Write an A Report
  
• How to Come up With Original Written Material
  
• How to Be a Poet
  
• How to Write Dark Poems
  

Sources and Citations

• http://gopat.us/mystuff/mycode/dynamic_poetry/RomanticPoetryComposer.html
  
• P.S. I tried to go to this site and it came up unavailable and with a 404 error. Your mileage may vary!
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Write Instant Romantic Poetry. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-13: "How to Memorize Lyrics of a Song"

How to Memorize Lyrics of a Song

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit


An editor has suggested that this article be merged with: "How to SpecialMemorize a Song" Per the merge policy, if these topics are determined to be similar but distinct, then the articles will remain separate. Please comment on the discussion page. Notice added on 2007-12-16.
Memorizing the lyrics of a song is not an easy task for most people. But with a little time and effort, you will come to know every word of the song. Whether you will be able to sing it is another story.

Steps

1. Pick the song you want to memorize. Obviously, it cannot be an instrumental song, because it has to have lyrics. It helps if it is a song you like and listen to all the time.
   
2. Find the song and the lyrics. By having the song on CD, iPod, or on your computer, you will quickly be able to pick up on the rhythm, which will aid you a lot when you memorize the actual lyrics. However, a sheet with the lyrics of the song is more important because you know exactly what the words are; lyrics can be hard to hear somtimes.
   
3. Memorize the song, line by line. Starting from the beginning, memorize the first line. Cover it up and say it out loud. When you are done, check to see if you got it right. If you did, add the next line. If not, try again. Over time, you will be able to keep adding lines until you know the whole song.
   
4. Play the song with the music while you sing along and see if you have the words memorized correctly.
   

Just write down the lyrics on a notebook after listening to it a couple of times,and you should be able to memorize it better
Alternatively, just listen to the song repeatedly.

Tips

• It helps a lot to listen to the song whenever possible. Buy the CD that has it, or find it online.
  
• Try singing along with the song while it is playing in the background with your written lyrics. It will help ingrain it in your head.
  
• Try writing out the lyrics yourself by ear before you look them up online or in a lyric booklet. This will make them stick in your head a little better.
  
• It helps if you actually understand what the song is about. Most songs are derived from poems or stories.
  

Warnings

• If the song has words inappropriate for young children, be sure not to sing it around them and do not teach it to them.
  
• There are a lot of lyrics that are quite obscure.
  
• Most conjunctions and prepositions are sung very lightly rather than clearly in a beat. If your are playing "Singing Bee", be sure you sing it clearly to avoid controversy. You're trying to sing the lyrics correctly, not trying to sing in tune or in time, even when it helps.
  

Things You'll Need

• Song
  
• Lyrics of the song written down
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Write a Song
  
• How to Sing
  
• How to Act While Singing
  
• How to Be a Singer
  
• How to Learn Lyrics
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Memorize Lyrics of a Song. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-12: "How to Rhyme"

How to Rhyme

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Everyone wants to write the perfect song or poem. Rhyming can help you achieve this goal. But, using rhyming well can be very difficult. Here are some steps to get you started on your quest to become a master rhymer:

Steps

1. Figure out a rhyme scheme for your poem or song. You can rhyme words every other line, do pairs of lines, or anything else you want.
   
2. Pick out the key words that you are trying to find rhymes for. These are usually words at the ends of lines. Make sure it follows your rhyme scheme.
   
3. Change the prefix of that word to every letter in the alphabet. For example, if you needed to find a word that rhymes with, "fog," start at A and go "aog, bog, cog, dog, eog, ... zog," until you reach Z. Write down every word that is real, such as "bog," "cog," and "dog".
   
4. Use other multiletter prefixes you know. First letters won't always cut it. For example, "frog" and "clog" are real words that rhyme with bog. Try multisyllablic words like "bullfrog" or "epilogue."
   
5. Choose a word that works in your poem. If no word works, consider changing the key word to a synonym of that word. For example, you could substitute "mist" for "fog."
   

Tips

• Remember that poetry and songs are very similar. If you added music to a poem, it would become a song. Likewise, if you took away the tune of a song, you would have a poem.
  
• You can buy a rhyming dictionary at a book store that will greatly aid you with rhyming. Or, check out the website below.
  
• Don't rhyme just for the sake of rhyming - make sure it applies to the theme of the poem.
  
• Try to make your poem or song have meaning. Don't use lines such as, "I'm in love, I'm also wearing a glove." Instead "I'm in love, now I'm flying like a dove," would add greater meaning to the poem.
  
• Pay attention to the number of syllable in each line. You don't want to have lines where one has way more syllables than another.
  
• Ask friends and family for help.
  
• Take a poetry or song writing class.
  
• Try not to stress out if you can't get the words right. Poetry takes time and practice to master.
  
• Try not to make a word that has a rare ending, you will not find a rhyming word.
  
• When going through the alphabet, most letters can be followed with an R or an L to make another word. So if you were looking for a rhyme with cat, you could find bat as well as brat; fat, as well as flat and frat, etc.
  

Warnings

• Don't work on poems and songs for too long. Remember the other things that you like to do.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Memorize a List Using Numbers and Rhyming Words
  
• How to Become Inspired to Write Poetry
  
• How to Write a Song
  
• How to Create Instant Romantic Poetry
  
• How to Be a Good Writer
  
• How to Relax
  
• How to Come up With a Topic to Write About
  

Sources and Citations

• http://www.benandverse.com/writings/index.htm.
  
• http://www.wikirhymer.com
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Rhyme. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-11: "How to Write a Sestina"

How to Write a Sestina

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

A sestina is a form of poetry that uses a method of repeating words at the end of each line. It has 6 stanzas of 6 lines each, with an envoy (or tercet) of three lines to conclude the poem. While a sestina may seem daunting at first, they can be used to create vivid, powerful poems.

Steps

1. Become familiar with the structure of a sestina before writing one. You will use 6 repeating words throughout the poem. If you label each word with a letter (e.g. A, B, C, D, E, F), the stanzas will follow this line pattern:
   
   • • Stanza 1: A, B, C, D, E, F
       
     • Stanza 2: F, A, E, B, D, C
       
     • Stanza 3: C, F, D, A, B, E
       
     • Stanza 4: E, C, B, F, A, D
       
     • Stanza 5: D, E, A, C, F, B
       
     • Stanza 6: B, D, F, E, C, A
       
     • Tercet: AB CD EF
       
     • What this means is that in Stanza 1, the word you labeled “A” will end Line 1. The word labeled “B” will end Line 2; in Stanza 2, the word you labeled “F” will end Line 1, and so on. This pattern continues throughout the poem. In the tercet, there are only 3 lines. Line 1 will contain word “A” somewhere, and it will end with word “B”; you use the same pattern for the other two lines.
       
     • Example: The first couple of stanzas of a sestina may look like this: Over the world we shall travel (A) And listen to the whales sing (B) Far beneath us in the ocean, (C) Where the water stretches into infinity, (D) And all we can see is the blue (E) Of the sea that is deep. (F)We share our thoughts, those simple and deep (F)With each other as through the marketplace we travel. (A)Far above us is the sky of midnight blue. (E)We hold each other while the mariachis sing, (B)And know that our love reaches infinity. (D)It is greater than even the ocean. (C)
       
     • The tercet might look like this (the repeating words are italicized): We’ve traveled (A) across the world to hear the whales sing (B)And seen the oceans (C) of every land reach into infinity (D)The blue (E) evening settles over us, and the rest we must take is deep (F).
       
     
     
   
   
2. Look at examples of other people’s sestinas. This will help you get an idea of how they are written and how they can sound.
   
3. Choose 6 words. It’s usually a good idea to include at least one verb. There are several ways to do decide what words you want; for example, you could pick 6 random words. However, many times it is helpful to create a word deck:
   
   1. Make a list of 100 (or more) words. Include all kinds: verbs, nouns, adjectives, etc. You can use common words, but is often fun to include more exotic, challenging ones as well (such as places or unusual adjectives).
      
   2. Write them down on index cards or pieces of paper. Put a rubber band around them, or put them somewhere where they’ll stay together and you won’t lose them.
      
   3. You can expand your deck over time to include more and more words. That way you’ll have a large variety to choose from, and your poems will be more diverse.
      
   
   
4. Label each word with a letter (A, B, C, D, E, or F). Sometimes the order makes a huge difference in how your poem will turn out.
   
5. Write the first stanza. You can often get a feel for the poem in the first stanza. Sometimes it might sound very random and strange, but try to keep writing anyway. You can always revise it later.
   
6. Continue writing the poem, being sure to follow the line pattern.
   
7. Be creative with your line endings. For example, they don’t always have to be complete sentences – the word could flow into the next line.
   
8. Edit your poem as you see fit – sometimes it won’t sound quite right or will not make sense.
   
9. Practice writing more sestinas. The only way to really get good at them is to write several.
   

Tips

• Use diverse, vibrant words in your sestina for better poetry. Even though it may be more challenging, in the end it’s a lot more fun and sounds great. You can use a few common words, but also use unusual ones – that way your poem will be exciting and dynamic.
  
• Try combining words that don’t normally go together. For example, you could use these six words: Sing, travel, ocean, blue, infinity, deep. While they may seem unrelated and difficult to use, the diversity allows for greater creativity and expression.
  
• Try including colors in your words. Having at least one color can give your poem a lot of flavor and atmosphere – it will give readers a visual impression that makes the sestina more interesting.
  
• The most important part of a sestina is the line pattern. If you don't follow it, it's not a sestina!
  
• Sestinas aren't designed as rhyming poetry, because the rhythm and pattern makes it difficult to keep a rhyme going. You can try to rhyme if you want, but focusing more on imagery might make a better sestina.
  

Things You'll Need

• Word deck (optional)
  
• Paper or digital word processor
  
• Pen or pencil
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Become Inspired to Write Poetry
  
• How to Overcome Writer's Block in Poetry
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Write a Sestina. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-10: "How to Write a Cinquain Poem"

How to Write a Cinquain Poem

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

A cinquain is a five line stanza poem with two syllables in the first line, four in the second, six in the third, eight in the fourth, and two in the fifth. It can vary anywhere from love poems to stories. Cinquains can be about anything that your heart desires.

Steps

1. Decide what the main theme of your poem is going to be. For this article, the example is "My Beautiful Lakehouse."
   
2. Come up with your first line. This will consist of two syllables and a subject or noun. For example, the first line of my cinquain poem will be, "Lakehouse".
   
3. Come up with your second line. It should consist of four syllables with the words as adjectives. The second line of the example is: "Charming escape."
   
4. Think of your third line. This must consist of six syllables with the words as verbs. The third line of the example is: "Soothing, steady, mending."
   
5. Prepare the fourth line. This should have eight syllables with the words as a feeling or complete sentence. The fourth line of the example is: "Tranquil days and beautiful sunsets."
   
6. Come up with your fifth and final line to complete your poem. It should consist of two syllables. The example's fifth line is: "Lakehouse". You don't always have to repeat the first line, but it should sum up your poem.
   
7. Take a look at your poem, making any revisions or changes needed. The poem created by way of example in this article is:
   
   • Lakehouse
     
   • Charming escape
     
   • Soothing, steady, mending
     
   • Tranquil days and beautiful sunsets.
     
   • Lakehouse
     
   
   

Tips

• Cinquain poems have different rhythms and don't always have to rhyme, but you can add rhyming to create a more noticeable "beat" in your poem.
  
• Be creative! If you have a pet, write about it. If you have a family member you feel especially close to, write a cinquain about them. There is no limit to what you can write about.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Write a Poem
  
• How to Write a Haiku Poem
  
• How to Publish a Poem
  
• How to Scan a Poem
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Write a Cinquain Poem. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-9: "How to Write Limericks"

How to Write Limericks

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Limericks are 5 lined poems that make you laugh. The Book of Nonsense was the first book of limericks. Easy enough? Get set, ready, write!

Steps

1. Brainstorm on a topic or theme you want to write. Whether it's love, friendship, hatred or even cupcakes, you'll do well if you understand and like the topic.
   
2. Think of two different words that have a lot of other 'rhymes'. "Cat" is one example, "ball" is another.
   
   1. The first two lines have to rhyme. Take up one of your words and write the lines. It has to have an 'introduction' feel. Also, it would be best if they had a beat.
      
   2. The next two lines should rhyme with a different word. These should be shorter than line number 1 and 2.
      
   
   
3. # The last line should be funny or the 'punch line'. The last words should rhyme with the word of the 1 and 2 lines.
   
4. Read it and laugh!
   

Tips

• We usually start the 1st line with 'There once was a ___ from _____" This is easier.
  
• Love poems are harder to write. Limericks are jokes, not love poems.
  
• Choose animals, plants, or people as topics for starters. Don't begin with something too abstract.
  
• Read some of Edward Lear's limericks and nonsense poems.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Write a Poem
  
• How to Write a Haiku Poem
  
• How to Write an Initial Poem
  
• How to Write a Love Poem
  
• How to Become Inspired to Write Poetry
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Write Limericks. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.