Poetry anthologies are good ways of learning about different poets you might want to read more of. Norton anthologies are full of historical poetry, while each year the “Best American” series publishes a selection of great poems published over the course of the last year. Getting a basic Norton and a recent “Best American” would be a great way to have literally hundreds of great poets at your fingertips. Online, the Poetry Foundation is a great database of poetry both old and new, featuring the monthly magazine “Poetry” in full on the website. Brand new poetry for free? You gotta.
Many successful poets write early in the morning, while other night-owls find it more effective to stay up late and madly dash out their wild verses. Whatever works for you is appropriate, but it’s important to develop a writing routine and stick to it. You don’t need to write every day, necessarily, but learn what routine will allow you to produce the most good poetry.
May poets keep a portfolio or journal of all the poems they’re currently working on, to have them in a convenient place for gradually editing and finalizing.
Kim Addonizio’s “Ordinary Genius” is a wonderful and practical craft book that makes the writing of poetry a daily exercise, and it’s full of tips and tricks that’ll help you write the poems you want to write.
At the college level, studying poetry is a fundamental part of any creative writing program, and most English departments offer a wide variety of poetry courses that a successful poet would be foolish not to pursue.
Book prizes are also common, for a small reading fee. If you’ve got enough poems to put a book together, try entering your manuscript and seeing what happens. You might even win some money.
