Why

In Dr. Ortega's class, we've learned that content drives form - that the technicality and structure of a poem should be secondary to its meaning. Focusing on form too early in the process can hinder you... Or, it can inspire you.

This dichotomy, between constraint and creativity, really inspired me for this project. Too much freedom, and you're stuck on a blank page; but too much restriction, and you can't think of anything that would fit in all these boxes you've made for yourself. It's a fine line to walk on!

But people don't realize that even those cute little writing prompts people post on Instagram are a form of constraint, too. By telling people to write about the weather, their mom, the color blue, you're limiting the topics that they're writing about - and that's a good thing! Some of the best examples of poetry, of any type of creativity at all, have been generated through prompts. Even rhyme is a limitation, as it forces you to only choose from certain types of words that have a certain type of sound. We're constrained by other things too: our natural sense of grammar and spelling, expectations of appropriateness, of style, whatever.

Poetry itself can be a really powerful tool, and constraints can help you sharpen it. Think about those plants that, against all odds, break through sidewalks just to see the sun. That challenge just made them stronger! So I hope this little website inspires you, challenges you, and helps you get that much stronger.

Happy writing!

Here are some resources for you to read more about the usage of constraints in writing: