Writing poetry increases command over language

Advita Chopra has recently discovered the magic of verse. She is one year old in poetry and is fast creating beautiful verse on diverse themes. In the Apeejay Promising Poets interview series, the class 8 student at Apeejay School, Tanda Road,  suggests that everyone must write poems as it increases command over language and enhances vocabulary level. Edited excerpts:

Since when did you start writing poems?

I started writing poems last year, during the Covid lockdown times, when we were having our online classes. It was then that I came to know about this amazing platform called the Apeejay Newsroom where the poems of so many students get published.

Why do you choose to write poems?

I give Apeejay Newsroom the credit for this. I saw that so many of my classmates had their poems published here. I read their poems and felt inspired. So, I thought that I too should send my work here.  Through poetry I found that I can express our thoughts freely and that felt magical.

Who is your favourite poet and what is your favourite poem?

I recently read the poem Daffodils by William Wordsworth and I liked it a lot. I like poems related to nature. I find writings on nature very peaceful. I am a nature lover, so it gives me a sense of calmness. 

When it comes to writing, how do you approach a poem?

If I like a theme, then I think about it for some time in my mind. Then for making the rhyme in the poem, I search for words that fit with the rhyme scheme. I usually write on every theme, whatever strikes me. I recently wrote a poem for teachers on the occasion of teacher’s day, then on Independence Day I wrote a poem on freedom. It generally takes me 2-3 days to finish a poem.

Rhyme or free verse?

Rhyme! A poem in rhyme is very pleasing to the ears. Writing in rhyme enhances our vocabulary as well.

How does your school help you to write such beautiful verses?

My teachers encourage me a lot to write poems. They often say that it would enhance my command over language and improve vocabulary skills. 

We loved your poem: ‘Teachers-The heart of every classroom’. What was the thought process behind this?

Teachers help us students a lot. So I wanted to pay a tribute to them through a poem. I recited this poem in front of all the teachers. They always encourage me to keep on writing.

What are your upcoming poems?

I will be writing some motivational poems next. Motivational poems give us all the inspiration to move higher in life.

One advice for budding poems?

Build a good vocabulary. Learn synonyms of some common words, it will help your poems to come out well.