First of all, forget about the 5-7-5 syllable rule. Modern haiku poets here in the west rarely use it. The Japanese used it because their language somehow fit it quite nicely. Fortunately for us, we don’t have to think about how to fit what we want to say into a certain number of syllables.

What’s important when writing a haiku is to understand the haiku spirit and basically, this really has to do with looking at things in nature with reverence. To understand that the beating wings of a humming bird is a small miracle itself is to begin to understand haiku for it seeks to capture the “small” things and make them big.

Now we can look at a certain technique I like to call macro-micro technique. Basically, this is when the first part of the haiku poem, the fragment, takes a macro view of the world. For instance, if we begin a haiku with something like this: “winter twilight,” we’ve established the background or mood of the haiku… the macro view.

Now what we want is a present tense phrase that contributes some detail of something that is happening now. It doesn’t have to be sophisticated and there’s no need to search for something. The best haiku use simple direct language to describe things. For example, if we were to create a phrase like: “ice crystals hang off the pine,” what we have just done is composed a micro view of something that is specific and can be described visually. Now the finished haiku would look something like this:

winter twilight –
ice crystals
hang off the pine

You’ll notice that I broke this poem into 3 lines. The first line is the fragment or macro view. Lines 2 and 3 consist of the phrase. How you break the phrase up into lines 2 and 3 is purely an aesthetic choice best left to the poet.

But if you look at haiku composition as macro and micro, it will help you to write a haiku the easy way!

By Edward Weiss
http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/

sunset –
a cormorant glides
inches above the water

Here we have an image of a cormorant gliding above the water. But notice that the poet isn’t telling us…he’s showing us! This makes all the difference! This is also what makes haiku poetry so special. The image is just there for us to see. There’s no judgement or bias on the part of the author to tell us about the image. On the contrary, by writing in a “present tense” descriptive style, Ross shows us exactly what he saw.

We also have an image of what time of day it is. By using the word “sunset,” Ross shows us that the day is about to end. Instead of telling us in a hundred words or so, he shows us with just one word!

The power of haiku rests on its unique use of imagery. And really, it’s the juxtaposition between line 1 and lines 2 and 3 that create the poetics. For instance, in line 1 we have the word “sunset.” This first word is very important because it establishes the scene and the time the event or action is taking place. Haiku poets call this part of the poem “the fragment.” It’s usually 3 words or less that indicates place or time. But having a fragment by itself just doesn’t quite do it. We need something else – something specific that shows us what is taking place. And Ross adds in the beautiful phrase “a cormorant glides inches above the water.”

Now, just reading fragment or phrase by itself, we come away with a “so what” feeling. But, when combined, it creates a snapshot…an image that can resonate with the reader!

By Edward Weiss
http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/

Haiku poetry uses the concept of macro and micro very well here. For example, if I started a haiku out with the fragment “cool spring day,” what we have here is a macro description of what kind of day it is – a weather report if you will.

Now, if I add a specific descriptive phrase to it like “a hummingbird darts out of sight,” we have a micro view of something happening on this day. Combined, we have this haiku:

cool spring day –
a hummingbird
darts out of sight

Good haiku poetry need not be more than a description of the general ambiance of the day and something that is taking place during the day. As long as what is taking place is happening in “a present moment” the haiku will be OK. The problem some people have is that they remove themselves from the thing “as it’s taking place” and describe something that already has or will happen. Not very haiku like at all.

Personally, I have a problem with haiku poets who try to be sophisticated thereby losing the haiku spirit. They try to write something that is “good” or they try and come up with something that will impress others. Don’t do it! Keep it simple and your haiku will be little gems.

By Edward Weiss
http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/

Likewise, are you getting tired of reading the same descriptions?
If the answer is yes, read on.

In general, poets tend to stick to one or two genres when writing. This is because we find these subject areas comfortable for our style. In effect, we begin to use the same descriptions and images over and over. In turn they become comfortable and it’s a cycle thatâ��s hard to break.

So I ask you to join me in breaking the cycle, and quitting the addiction of overused ideas.

What poets can do -

The next time you feel a “comfortable” poem brewing, jot it down in accordance, but refrain from posting right away. Instead, grab a thesaurus or go to thesaurus.com.

In your poem, you may notice your usual description words, only this time you may want to look up a more creative way of expressing it. However, before you jump in with a random complex words ensure you know the meaning (a dictionary is great for this) and that it fits within the context of your poem.

Furthermore, you may want to use concrete comparisons and metaphors instead of vague descriptions.

So, “we grew apart” could become “our kisses became the nettles” And “I want to cry” could read as “my squint beckons the river.”

Please do not use these examples in your own poems, as they are copyright of Silver J.

An extra hint is, if you’re using a description and think, “I’ve read this before, so Iâ��ll use it as I know it sounds good,” that’s a bad move. If you’ve read it before, it’s probably been used many times before, thus isn’t original. An honest reader should pick this out in a comment.

A simple exercise you can do with a dictionary is to pick a letter or two and find random interesting words (it sounds odd, but itâ��s fun.) Then try to weave them into a new poem, but make sure you know the meaning and correct context in which it should be used. It should be an interesting piece, and it probably won’t be the greatest gift to poetry, but itâ��s the start of getting into a new habit – using new words.

It is easy to let your ego get in the way of receiving constructive criticism, however, this type of feedback is crucial if you want to improve. It indicates your strengths as well as weaknesses, which in turn enables you to become an “expandable” poet.

What readers can do -

Some “words” are unavoidable, though most aren’t, and it is your job as the reader to inform the poet that alternative words could be used. You must be constrictive when offering criticism, stating what and how the problem could be improved, but at the same time ensuring the poet knows you’re only expressing your opinion.

It isn’t necessary to provide examples as I did above, but a general idea of what the problem area is lacking would be beneficial for the poet. Don’t forget to praise good use of description and imagery also!

If a poem is unoriginal, and the reader doesn’t state this, it’s only inevitable that more poems of this nature will be posted and left to lay sweet.

So, all in favour of expanding the diction of poets and readers on this site, say aye!

By Silver J
http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/

No matter what, writing a poem is an accomplishment. Many people out there would spend hours merely thinking of the line. One day, I was sitting in the cafeteria after school and I was writing a poem and my friend came up to me and asking what I was writing about. I told her and she said it was amazing how people could write a poem, when she couldn’t even write a line. And, I insisted she could write at least a line, and I found out that in fact, I was wrong. She could not write a line for the life of her, and it in fact was a task to write ONE measly line. That is why in order to write a poem you must feel satisfied with whatever you can accomplish. You must put your heart and soul into the words being written on paper (or typed on the computer), and when you don’t put your heart and soul into a poem, it shows.

There are steps on how to write a poem, how to write this style and that style, etc…, but I believe that it is important to know what to NOT do rather than to know what TO do. Which is why I have taken to writing this article?

Suggestions on how NOT to write a poem:

Suggestion ONE: DON’T “THESAURUS” YOUR POETRY
Writing comes from the heart and the soul, not the dictionary or the encyclopedia. Taking your poem and putting it on Microsoft Word (or other Word Processors) and running the words through the thesaurus are almost like taking your body and getting it all redone by a plastic surgeon: you will regret it. Your poem should be honest and true. Only use a dictionary/encyclopedia as a worst case-scenario and only use it a few times. When you are 12 or 13, obviously your vocabulary will (or should) be nothing compared to a 40 year old. The key to a good vocabulary is to read a lot and listen to people more than you talk to them. Don’t try and force yourself into using big words when sometimes, all you need to satisfy the reader is a small little word that says it all.

Suggestion TWO: DON’T WRITE FOR QUANTITY
I made that mistake. I came on this website to write for quantity, and I will admit that with bashfulness and remorse. I look back on my recent AND old, grammarless poems and know that I was just so greedy to beat 800 that I merely posted the poems in their raw form. I was so stuck to the idea that all I needed to do was post a poem and then another and then another and it would be fine. I didn’t really understand that I would be embarrassed later by the lack of grammar and the carefulness that was shown in posting my older poems. The key to writing a good poem is to not look at it as a number, look at it as a lifestyle. Know that people will be reading your poem hoping that it will give them some revelation. They are looking for a poem that they can read with ease. A bumpy poem that has a good meaning is not looked as a good poem, but merely a bumpy poem. Take the time to capitalize your It’s and scour your poem for every spelling mistake that you can find and correct it. The human eye is much better than the dictionary in Microsoft Word.

Suggestion THREE: DON’T WRITE FOR OTHER PEOPLE
Did Emily Dickinson write her morbid poems because people in a hundred years would enjoy them? The answer is no. She wrote poems about the little things she noticed that she recognized rarely got noticed. This is important to write with: Originality. Write about what you WANT to write about. Nobody is forcing you to write. Don’t write for what you think you should write about; write about what you can write about. If you have an imagination like Silver J (read her poems, very well written), don’t bother following this rule; but if you have a tough enough time writing a poem about your own experiences, I suggest you don’t write a poem about something else.

How TO write a poem:

Suggestion ONE: WRITE POETRY IN YOUR STYLE!
Don’t try to write a sonnet when you don’t even know what a sonnet is. Trust me; it won’t even turn out how you want it. If you have ever tried to write an acrostic, you probably know very well that the poem most of the time sounds forced. That is self-explanatory. You are FILLING-IN the first word of each line to fit into the acrostic, and you have to let the first letters mold your poem. The best thing to do when writing a poem is to not predetermine a style for the poem. It will sound forced. Let the poem show on paper. You should write a poem and not remember writing it. I write poems in whatever style that shows up. I write however I want, not worry whether or not people will understand it. The trick is to be satisfied with what shows on paper and to not worry about elegance or eloquence. If that confused you, think about it this way: What title would you think to get more views? A) Tears Falling Down (terza rima) or B) Tears Falling Down. If you think like me, I would choose B, mostly because it is more attractive. I’m sure that no one really knows that a Terza Rima is a poem that has a rhyme scheme aba, cdc, efe etc…, and it kinda… makes them avoid your poem because they are not familiar with the style.

Suggestion TWO: FLOW IS THE KEY!
In order to make a poem appealing and smooth for your readers, you should reread your poem to make sure it is void of breaks in the flow. A flowing poem should make the poem a fast read.

Suggestion THREE: EDIT EDIT EDIT
I don’t think I can stress this enough. It is SO important to edit your poem over and over again. I have been posting poems here for a couple years and I am just realizing the importance of editing my poetry, something I never quite paid attention to before. When your poem is edited, it is more attractive and appealing to the reader, and the better your poem looks, the easier it is to read it.

Suggestion FOUR: EACH POEM IS A FIRST IMPRESSION
Remember, some people are new to this website or haven’t ever read your poems, so make each poem just as good as if you were reading it aloud in front of a crowd of strangers. It is actually more likely that more new people view your latest posted poem than regulars.

By *Happily*Never*After* (YFL)
http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/

This is a question that has been asked for many years. In using descriptions, metaphors, and imagery in your poetry, you give the reader a more balanced view of your feelings and emotions.

For example:
You could write a simple statement like “the river was dark against the night sky”, But by rearranging a few words and changing others, you could bring a whole new depth to the write. “The river was darkened by the moonless night” Sometimes, just by doing that you have improved the flow of the poem. When using descriptive words in a write you can change the emotional pull that the reader may experience. To make a statement like “she cried”, does not have the same effect on the reader as “her tears fell like rain”. By addressing the depth of her pain, you have put the reader in her shoes; Therefore, the reader has no choice but to feel the pain also.

Metaphors are a good way to add life to a poem. If you were to write a poem about a senior citizen, you could write about driftwood, or perhaps sands in an hour glass. Using those things to describe the life of an ageless beauty. Or perhaps writing a poem about a vampire may be a dark poem, but could also be about the one who broke your heart. Metaphoric writes make good reading for people who want to dive a little deeper in the well and see what may lay beneath the surface.

When someone tells you that your poem had good imagery, it means that you made your write so well worded, that the person who was reading it got lost in its content. They could see the picture you were describing unfold before their very eyes. To have this kind of compliment is what we, as writers, strive to accomplish with every word we pen.

In summary, I have just a few words to add. Although I have listed several ways to give your poem body and depth, you must remember that too many descriptions can be just as lethal to a poem as too few. You must take the words and make them your own.

By Twisted Heart
http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/

The ability to write comes from your ability to think clearly. Intelligence (in a poetic society) can be defined in several different ways, but one of the best to my knowledge and in my own opinion. Intelligence defines the moments without thought or question. The moments in life where you’re looking at something and life goes completely blank. Neither a thought nor question is racing through your mind. And, for that one moment you just know it’s there because it’s meant to be there. It is because it was and will always be. Poetry is a talent, an expression of free speech and freedom. Martin Luther King Jr is a good example, his words didn’t rhyme, but they were poetic and had a big impact on today’s society. The poetic spirit keeps us going. Society would be worse off if it weren’t for poets and others who voice themselves. We redefine society and reality in poetic forms. We make even the most evil of things beautiful. We along with the media, find the so-called ‘truth’ and expose it to the world, but as follows; “the truth behind the truth is always a lie”-The Commenter.

Claiming that a poem must rhyme to be considered a poem is like saying that in order for a rain drop to be considered a rain drop, it must fall equally and consistently to the ground. Some of the greatest poets have written poetry without rhyming. Saying that without rhyming it isn’t poetry would restructure 47 percent of all poetry forms that aren’t constructed by rhyme, but syllables. Words flow, they don’t always have to rhyme. I, too, have questioned and pondered the “To Rhyme or Not To Rhyme” theory. I’ve come to the conclusion that rhyming isn’t everything.

There are so many different types of poetry that aren’t constructed of rhyme.

Haiku, Ballad, Cinquain and Villanelle are just a few styles of poetry they are based on syllables. Another thought is that many, many free verse poems do not consist of a set meter or rhyme scheme. I personally enjoy rhyme, but feel that it’s not necessarily important. It doesn’t define the meter, structure, consistency of a poetic form. It describes flow. This brings up the case of difference. Society (in any case) wants whatever they find the easiest. If they have to work at something to find meaning then it’s labeled different and normally cast out. A large percentage of society doesn’t like to be challenged whether itâ��s grammatically, poetically, ethically, athletically or any other way.

Reading, writing, and structuring poetry isn’t an easy art. It takes years to learn and even then, there is always room for improvement. On one hand, I believe rhyme stands out in poetry, when in all actuality it’s cliche. Rhymes clash and theyâ��re repetitive. Think on this next statement; Rhymes technically never ‘rhyme’ all the way around. It’s separated nouns, pronouns, adverbs and so on. They sound similar, but never technically ‘rhyme’. They never follow the same pattern, beat or melody. We use our eyes to visualize, we use our minds to create the patterns, melodies, beat and so on. As followed with our hearing.

Example: AB-AB…..ABCD say it to yourself and see if you hear the rhythm, but when in all actuality there is no rhyme. You may hear rhythm in vowels, but the words themselves never rhyme. So, how does it define rhyme?

When you hear the word rhyme, what is your first thought? Nursery rhymes? Mother Goose, Jack and Jill, Hey Diddle Diddle, Humpty Dumpty, Sing a Song of Sixpence and so on. I’m sure not one to think of rhyme in form, tone, meter, structure and what not. I’m opened to all types (forms) of poetry. And on that note; to call yourself a true ‘poet’, but frown upon poetry with no rhyme scheme, is a false claim. ‘Poets’ are open-minded; they take life for what it is. They find the negative and make something positive out of it. They never rule out forms of poetry, thought and/or feelings. ‘Poets’ express themselves in every way, shape and form.

Most would say that the rhyme scheme is what stands out in lyrics. However, I personally believe that’s false. The chorus is what brings the lyrics alive for me. The majority of poets are probably unknown. I’m sure there is a larger society of poets than what we see. But, the majority of poets on this site write to expose the wounded, depressed, feeble minded and inexperienced to what lies ahead in the world. “Cry for me one tear, without words involved and I will write for you a million words of pain and sorrow”-The Commenter

Example: Non-rhyming

“Cry for me just one tear
Without words involved
And I will write for you
A million words of pain and sorrow”

Example: Rhyming

“Cry for me just one tear
With silence in your voice
A million words of pain and sorrow I’ll write
Leaving you with a choice.”

Personally, I think that the non-rhyming example sums it up in detail apart from the rhyming example. Granted, the rhyming slides off your tongue, but the non-rhyming, is blunt, poetic and very meaningful. I’d argue the non-rhyming has a stronger structure and a more definite meaning. The question you have to ask yourself is; does structure and significance come before rhyme? I, myself, would say yes, structure and significance comes before rhyme.

Another good example:

“Give me liberty or give me justice.”

^That is one of the most poetic phrases ever used. Short, simple and very powerful.^

“People sometimes say they are nostalgic for the days when all poems rhymed, or say darkly that “modern poetry is just prose.” Never mind that Milton and Wordsworth wrote their long ambitious poems without end-rhyme. Nor was rhyme used by ancient Greek or Latin poets (except for occasional comic effectâ��a deliberate grotesquerie). You could argue that the most serious writers of Shakespeare’s time considered rhyme a bit low or less than seriousâ��a folk-art technique.”-Robert Pinsky

The line: “Nor was rhyme used by ancient Greek” stands out in this piece. “Calliope-The muse of epic poetry” daughter of Zeus.

To judge a poetic form for its rhyme scheme or non-rhyming scheme is hypocritical. It’s to say you love life, but you hate it. You enjoy the rain, but it’s too wet. You get where I’m going. Society doesn’t need more judgmental people, it needs more helpful people. We frown upon those who judge society for religion, nationality, sexuality and so on. Letâ��s not judge the poetic society for their way of writing. True poetry comes not only from your mind, but your heart. It’s a passion. Some do it of out respect for society, some negativity and some because they have a passion for it. There are as many reasons people write poetry, as there are reasons they choose the forms of poetry they write. At the end of the day, all that really matters is that there are those who express themselves, those that stand up for what they believe in and those who just let the rest of the world know that there is always hope.

“To Rhyme or Not to Rhyme?” That is the question, no longer.

In closing, poetry is poetry. It is because it was and will always be.

By TheCommenter
http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/

Here are a few steps for poets on how to cure the fatal illness:

1. Get a pen and write down something, ANYTHING, to make sure your hand still works.

2. DO NOT ATTEMPT THE TYPE OF WRITING YOU ARE BLOCKED FROM.

3. Instead, write down something completely unrelated to what you are blocked from, this may be a diary type entry, some random words, the last insult you were told, the worst joke you’ve ever heard, the last instruction you recieved, a shopping list! ANYTHING at all. Make sure to fill about a page.

4. Get a highlighter and systematically highlight some of the words you have written. Perhaps every fourth word, all words starting with the letter T, all words that appeal to you etc…

5. Write these words down a page leaving spaces in between.

6. Turn on some music, and while listening to it write down phrases and words that appeal to you between, amongst and around the words you already have.

7. Listen to some more music, add words to the words you have already, relate two different types of music.

8. Take your list of words and somehow seperate it into four lists of equal amounts.

9. Play join the dots, starting with the first word on your list choose a word from each list (you can throw in the’s and her’s) and construct several lines until you have drained your lists.

10. Arrange the sentences you have made into some logical order. Throw in a few more, and you have a poem, or some inspiration for a poem. Hopefully the giant list of words and sentence combinations should trigger your failing hands back into action, and if not keep trying!

Make up some awful poems, try to write the worst poem in the history of all literature, try to combine two or three of your other works, make your homework into a poem, try it all. And if these suggestions do nothing for you sufferers, my utmost apologies. But keep trying! We need poets in this world! And remember, you can’t let the disease win!

By Lenny
http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/

In the white space there is a list of different types of poems. When you click on one of these links it will then take you to the poems in that particular category. Are you in the mood for humor? If so, then select fun, humor. Are you looking to read a love poem? Then check out the love and romance. Each category is pretty self explanatory and will help you find just what you are looking through without reading every poem on the site. The explicit section, however, requires a member to be at least 18 years of age before entering and contains cursing as well as sexual poems.

When on the main page the first link in the community section is members. This link will provide you with every member registered at PnQ. As of now there are at least 40,693 members registered. You can search for members by rating, alphabet, or poems. If you know the name of a particular member you can enter it in the search box located above the members list and do a fast and easy search.

The second link in the community section is moderators. This link will show you who the moderators are and allow you to easily access their profile so you can send them an email if needed. Currently there are 7 moderators (Aken Sol, Ann Marie, Bob Shank, Joe (Italian Stallion), Kevin Murray, Sean Allen, and Sherry Lynn), an administrator (Dainz), and the site owner (Janis).

Poetry clubs is next on the list. By clicking on this link it will take you to all the different clubs that have been started here. Once you are in the section of clubs you can begin to read about each club and click on their links to join. By joining a club you are expanding your resources to grow as a writer and to get help when needed. Most of the clubs here will take part in different activities and writing competitions that you will benefit from.

Contest winners is the fourth link down in communities. Here you are able to view the past winners for each contest. To join a contest all you have to do is simply post your poem on the site for different members to read. There is no special action that needs to be taken.

Discussions is a thing all its own. By clicking on this link you are taken to the main forums. You can explore, read, and even reply to the different threads that each forum contains. To return to the main page forums once again simply click on discussions; to return to the main page then click on Poems & Quotes. It may seem overwhelming at first, but hang in there and you will soon be navigating like a pro.

The chat link is provided to take you to our chat area; that is when the chat is up and running. Janis, the owner of our wonderful site, is planning to bring that chat room back so just keep updated on the news. When chat is running we ask that every member be respectful while in there and follow the chat guidelines.

In the other websites category you will find links that will take you to each website. There is lit.org, Elite skills, Literacy escape, and Poetry Resources. These links will provide you with a bigger opportunity to learn about writing poetry.

This will conclude the three part series and I hope that each of you enjoy your time here. If you still have questions then please check out the FAQs section. If you still do not find the answer then simply post your questions in the correct forum. Many of the members on this site are happy to help if they are simply asked to.

By Sherry Lynn
http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/

To begin with we will start with your poems. This link will simply take you to the poems that you have posted and allow you to edit, delete, feature (or demote if already featured) each poem. It also shows if you have any comments written by other members. The old comments are noted in blue () after the title of each poem while the new comments are noted in red (). Simply click on the number in the () to view the comments.

Featuring a poem simply means that you want it displayed on the front of you profile so other members will see that poem before the see those on the latest poems list. This feature is nice if you have a long list of poems and you want some of your older ones to be featured. Demoting a poem will simply take it of the featured list while allowing it to remain in the latest poems.

You quotes is simply a link that will take you to any quotes you may have posted and allow you to see the ratings of that quote. It also allows you to edit or delete your quote just like your poems.

The third link is submit poem. This link will allow you to submit your poems one at a time. Simply click on this link and fill in the text required. All poems submitted must be your original work or they will be deleted and your account may be suspended.

Once you click on the link to submit your poems you will click in the box stating that the poetry is in fact written by you. After all fields are filled out then simply chose to either spell check or submit. When you click on submit if you are informed that there are spelling errors, even though you have double check and know that there are no errors, you can click on the drop down box to override the spell checker and have your poem submitted into the category that you chose.

The fourth link is submit quote. This link is pretty much the same as the submit poems, only your quotes are limited to 255 characters. Again the quotes are to be your own work and not plagiarized. Plagiarizing will get your account suspended with no questions asked.

Poetry club is the fifth link and there are other links regarding your poetry club in a small indented section below the poetry club link. The main poetry club link will take you to your club and from there if you choose to quite your club you may.

� The poems link under poetry club will take you to the poems that have been written by the members of your club. This feature is nice to have if you do not want to scroll through each member individually.

� The members link will simply take you to a list of all the members in your club and from there you can click on each members name to view their profile and poems.

� Discussions will take you to all the discussions held in your club. It is highly recommended that you keep your discussions confidential, even if you choose to later leave the club. If you are having problems with a particular in your club then please take it to your club manager or the assistants and not out on the public forums.

Add/change profile. This feature allows you to create your profile, change your password, and even delete your own account. If you have created your profile and later want to change it you can through this little yet important gizmo.

Add/change photo. Here you can upload a photo of your choice, not a sexually explicit one; to be shown on your profile and with any comments you leave on the forums. Images should be in JPG or GIF format and not bigger than 130×150 pixels and 20Kb. If your photo is too large there are a few places on the internet that you may go to in order to resize them easily and effortlessly. The first website is http://www.shrinkpictures.com/create-avatar/resize.php and from there you select the size to be either 120 or 100. The second site is http://www11.blibs.com/editor/ and you can make the changes you want from there. You can also use Miscrosoft Office 2007 if you already have it. If not then the websites above are free to the public.

After photos you then have favorites. Here you can simply view everyone that you have placed on you favorites and see if they have any new poems. If they have posted a new poem then the number of new poems posted will show in blue in the second set of ()s. To add an author to your favorites simply go to their profile by clicking on their name then click the link saying add to favorites. From there enjoy each new poem they write.

The ninth main link on your right panel is contest nominations. Here you can view the most recent nominations and the top rated contest nominations. Once you have become a senior member you can then vote on poems yourself. A senior member has a minimum of 100 poems submitted or at least 20 members have selected to place you on their favorite�s lists.

When you are ready to log out all you have to do is simply click on the last link provided to you in the right panel. Once you have done this then you must sign back in, even if you do not close your internet browser.

In part three we will discuss the different links and their contents. Again, I encourage you to read the FAQs if your questions have not been answered in either of these articles. If you still find that your question remains unanswered then please post it in the correct forum so other members may answer you as soon as possible.

By Sherry Lynn
http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/