1. You’re at Risk for Metromania
Metromania, otherwise known as an obsessional enthusiasm for writing poetry, be careful when fostering a deep love for poetry. One minute you’re writing a few verses down, and then the next minute, it’s 4am, and you’re hunched over your desk trying to find a metaphor for the subway. Not a good look. We all want to develop our craft, but make sure you keep up on your hygiene and have other passions outside of poetry. Maybe go for a walk outside and get some fresh air? Read a book? Go bird watching? Whatever floats your boat.
2. You May Suddenly Come to the End of the Sidewalk
It turns out the cracks on the sidewalk aren’t the only thing you should be worried about when you’re walking around. There is said to be a place where the sidewalk ends. Most children know where it is, but make sure you keep your eyes open for where the chalk-white arrows go. Imagine, one day, you’re walking back home from the library and local farmer’s market, your nose stuck in Wuthering Heights expecting the next step to carry you home, but instead, you’re tumbling into the abyss. It could be just like Alice falling down the rabbit hole, or it could be worse. Your mother will blame it on technology, saying, “Those kids never look away from their damn phones.”
Shel Silverstein’s “Where the Sidewalk Ends”: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/shel_silverstein/poems/14836
3. You’re at Risk for Developing a Deep Fear of Ravens
One night in bleak December, there is a chance you may be grieving for your late wife Lenore, but instead, a raven will come tapping on your chamber door. At first, you may think that it’s wind and nothing more, but you will find it perched on the bust of Pallas. While it’s hard getting over a loved one, having an omen of death in your study may not be the ideal house guest. Furthermore, poetry, while full of rainbows and puppies (while objectively cute), is also full of darkness and mysticism, so be wary. And don’t forget, “Nevermore.”
Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven”: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48860/the-raven
4. You May Want to Live Alone
Maybe it’s in your room on the second floor of your house? Emily Dickinson wrote poetry in her room for the last twenty years of her life apart from society! Or maybe it’s in the woods recording Transcendentalist interpretations of nature like Henry David Thoreau? Writing poetry is something that is typically done alone, and there are many great poems about solitude. However, be warned, one too many days away from society can make anyone a little loopy. At least give your mom a call via carrier pigeon, so she doesn’t worry.
5. You May Have to Choose Between Two Roads
Don’t get me wrong, it’s easy to get lost in the woods and find yourself trampling through the woods trying to find a way out. It happens to the best of us. However, alarmingly many people immersed in poetry find themselves divided between two roads diverged in a yellow wood. And who’s to say which one is the best one to take? The way that most people follow or the road less traveled? Ultimately, you’ll have to decide which beaten path to follow.
Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44272/the-road-not-taken
6. Occasionally You’ll Come Face to Face with Death
You might start seeing visions of phoenixes or have death stop for you on the side of the road in a carriage. Death may occasionally strike a bargain with you or knock on your door. Either way, in the world of poetry, death will most likely have some sort of presence in your life. Don’t worry, having a relationship with death can be a powerful force in a poet’s life. Rumor has it that Sylvia Plath was even able to rise from ash!
Sylvia Plath’s “Lady Lazarus” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49000/lady-lazarus
Emily Dickinson’s “Because I could not Stop for Death”: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47652/because-i-could-not-stop-for-death-479
7. You Will Start Comparing Your Lovers to a Summer’s Day
Forget babe, honey, or sweetie, all those ways you’ve been addressing your significant loved one will go out the door once you’re involved in poetry. The new best way to show love to your partner will be to compare them to a summer’s day. Truthfully, their eternal beauty will never fade, so why not state the obvious attributes of your lover. However, you’ll have to get crafty with the metaphors and similes before you run out of time.
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18: https://poets.org/poem/shall-i-compare-thee-summers-day-sonnet-18
8. You Might Have a Strange Descent Into Your Elderly Years
Hang onto your youth while you still have it. One minute you’re running around and living out your childhood. Then you’re spending your money on brandy and summer gloves, and suddenly life has flashed before your eyes. Your eating habits will shift into the ability to eat three pounds of sausages or only bread and pickle for a week! The good news is that you won’t have to buy any more clothes since you’ll be wearing purple for the rest of your life!
Jenny Joseph’s “Warning”: https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/warning/