I Rediscovered My Love for Poetry on Medium

Summary

The author rediscovered their passion for poetry through writing on Medium, leading to the publication of old and new poems.

Abstract

The author's journey with poetry began in high school, with early success in publication but a lack of confidence. After years of not submitting poems, the author revisited their old work after starting to write on Medium, finding pieces that could be shared or needed revision. This experience reignited their love for poetry, reminding them of the joy they once felt in expressing emotions and ideas through verse. The author emphasizes the value of Medium as a platform for exploring different writing genres and encourages other writers to embrace new challenges to grow in their craft.

Opinions

The author initially lacked confidence in their poetic abilities despite early publishing success.
Reviewing old poems led to a renewed excitement and a desire to share their work on Medium.
Writing on Medium has been instrumental in the author's rediscovery of their love for poetry.
The author finds writing poetry both frightening and thrilling, indicating a mix of vulnerability and enthusiasm.
They encourage other writers to use Medium as a space to experiment with different forms of writing, suggesting that stepping out of one's comfort zone is beneficial for growth.
The author shares a personal connection to one of their new poems, "I am a Sunflower — Always Seeking Sunlight," implying it holds special significance.
They reference a statistic from the National Endowment for the Arts to highlight the popularity of poetry, perhaps to encourage more people to engage with the genre.

Writing poems again after years of a poetry drought

The first time I started writing poetry was years ago when I was in high school. One of my poems got published in a magazine and another one was published in a poetry anthology. Even though I had two poems published, I didn’t feel very confident as a poet.

I kept writing poems, but never submitted them again for publication — not until three months ago when I started writing on Medium.

I don’t know exactly what made me look at my box of poems I’d written years ago, but I started reviewing them and found a few that I thought I could use on Medium. Some were publish-ready, and others needed reworking, but I was so excited.

Writing on Medium helped me rediscover my love of poetry

I remember how I used to love putting pen to paper and venting my feelings about so many facets of life like relationships, my faith, and motivation. Penning poetry was my first foray into writing before I started composing short stories, then novellas, and novels.

Then I moved on from poetry and never looked back — until I learned about Medium.

Now, that I have reconnected with my previously written poems and started writing new ones, I want to keep writing poetry. That is scary, but exciting at the same time.

One of my favorite new poems I wrote is I am a Sunflower — Always Seeking Sunlight

Takeaway

According to the National Endowment for the Arts, approximately 28 million adults read poetry each year. Maybe you’re one of those people. Maybe you’re not.

The lesson I learned is that Medium is a great place to try different things and explore new genres in your writing career. You might want to try writing poetry or short stories. You could write articles that are outside your comfort zone, in an effort to grow as a writer.

Embrace the possibilities of writing on Medium and enjoy the journey.

I Rediscovered My Love for Poetry on Medium

Writing poems again after years of a poetry drought

Writing on Medium helped me rediscover my love of poetry

I am a Sunflower

Always seeking sunlight

Takeaway