Writing “After Poems”
Where Do Poems Come From?
Ever wonder where people find inspiration for their poems? I often feel like I’m just sitting at my desk, staring at a blank piece of paper, waiting for my next big idea to come. When I finally do sit down to write, it is very rare that a poem is born from nothing.
The poems I write are often based on a writing prompt (check out The Monday Club for a weekly writing prompt delivered straight to your inbox!), especially when I’ve written them in a writing workshop. I also love to draw inspiration from other resources — click here for some of my favourite resources and places to find writing prompts.
When Does a Poem Become an “After Poem?”
Any time I’ve used another writer’s words or ideas in my work, I always make sure I credit them. In poetry, this can be as simple as adding their name after the title of my work, known as an “after poem.”
Giving credit to the inspiration of a poem is common in certain genres. For example, the Ekphrastic poem, where a poet will gaze at a piece of visual art and then write toward/about it specifically. In these cases, the author would always credit the original artist who inspired their work. Another example would be black-out or erasure poetry, where the original piece of writing is intentionally scratched out in certain lines to change the syntax, subject, cadence, and/or tone of the poem. The author/source of the original piece of text would always be listed somewhere on the page.
With this example, I used a line from a poem by Vievee Francis, “whenever we share sister time…” Since I used her quote directly, and because her poem so heavily inspired this poem, I wrote it “after” her
Can the same be said about a sunrise that inspires you? Or if you happen to be listening to a beautiful song when inspiration strikes?
A client recently asked me if they should credit the singer who inspired a line in their poem. They weren’t directly quoting the song but it is where the idea for their line came from.
My answer to this question is almost always a resounding: YES. If and when we can give credit to the original artist, we should. Always.
When in doubt, give credit.
If you’re unsure, give credit.
If you’re interested in building relationships and being a good literary citizen, give credit. This becomes especially important when you are using direct quotes or lines from poems, stories, essays, or songs that are written by BIPOC writers, or writers from other marginalized communities.
What Happens If I Don’t Give Credit Where Credit Is Due?
In 2018, Claudia Cortese called out Lisa Low for plagiarizing her words. In 2024, Jumi Bello had an amazing publishing contract canceled because of accusations of plagiarism. There are more examples, but here’s what I think is important: crediting your original source is good for both the original author and the writer who is utilizing it – the original author gets credit where credit is due, and the writer who drew from their work shows the world that they care about being a good literary citizen!
Simply put, if you’re drawing directly from another writer, and you don’t want to plagiarize, it is crucial to give the original writer credit. This can be done in any of the following ways:
Write an “after poem.” Simply add the original writer’s name after your title (e.g. This Poem by Yoda Olinyk, after Mary Oliver). You can do this in a different size or style of font, or italicize it. There’s no real rules, just so long as the original poet’s name is there. Think of an after poem as adding sources to an essay or article.
Add a thoughtful note at the end of the poem, crediting the original source. This is common on popular websites that might include an “About This Poem” blurb.
Dedicate the poem to the original author.
If you’re writing an entire collection of poems and publishing them, you can also thank the writers who inspired you in your acknowledgments. Yes, this may feel like overkill, but it is important and the Poet Gods will smile kindly upon you!
Re-work the original material in such a way that it is completely in your voice and has no similarities to the original text. This can be very tricky so use this tip with caution! As seen in the example of Claudia Cotrese and Lisa Low, this method can get dicey quickly so I recommend using this as an absolute last measure.
Why Is This So Important?
As Emma Lee says in this brilliant article about after poems, “If you have no intention of publishing the poem written in response to others or using cut-up, erasure or found techniques or by ghosting (basing a new poem on the structure or imagery of another), no problem arises. The new poem stays in a notebook or file never to see the light of day; like a workshop exercise to try out an unfamiliar form or experimenting with an image. The problems arise when poets seek to publish a poem that was based on another source.”
She also writes, “Poetry is about trust,” and, “Where credits have not been given, trust is broken.” This is why I tend to air on the side of caution and why my rule is: when in doubt, give credit!