Every Poem Has a Story Behind It by Tynea Lewis

Every poem has a story behind it.

I hate analyzing poetry. I don’t want to guess what the author was trying to say. I want to know for sure. I want to know what inspired the poet to write those specific words. I want to know the person he thought about when he penned it, the pain she was trying to escape, or the location of the beautiful scenery that was captured.

I’m a journaler by nature. I’ve written or typed out an account of my life since high school. When rereading past entries, it’s the smallest details that mean the most because they’re usually the ones that get lost first as the memory fades.

As I’ve written poetry, I’ve tried to capture the moment surrounding the poem. The person I thought about while writing it, the pain I was trying to escape, or the location of the beautiful scenery.

When my memory of that exact moment fades and becomes hazy, I want to know what drove me to capture those words. That’s why I write the story behind the poem. It’s not long. Maybe a paragraph or so. Just enough to capture the backstory. Just enough for me to remember why I needed to share those words from my heart.

No one will ever have to analyze my poems. The meaning will be straightforward, and it’s yet another way to freeze time (just liking journaling).

Give it a try. Write a snippet about what has inspired you each time you write a poem.



Tynea Lewis is a former Title I teacher from Pennsylvania. She was named a 30 Under 30 honoree by the International Literacy Association in 2016 for her work with LitPick Student Book Reviews, an online reading and writing program. When she’s not busy overseeing the program or working for Family Friend Poems, she loves to spend time with her husband and young daughters, write for a variety of audiences, and escape to the quietness of the mountains. You can connect with her on Twitter and Instagram at @TyneaLewis or on her blog at tynealewis.com.