Free Grammar Checker for Poems
The grammar and punctuation checker for poetry is an AI-based tool that helps you proofread a poem before performing, publishing, or sharing it.
It checks for the most common mistakes such as trailing full stops/periods at the end of lines, double spaces after periods (etc.), incorrect use of apostrophes (‘), missing hyphens, spelling, sentence structure, and many others.
There’s nothing like finding a typo/grammatical mistake in an article that you’ve read, and it makes your blood boil.
But alas! You can’t go around telling the author of that particular article off for making such an error; after all, we’re all human and prone to mistakes.
However, if you write poetry, an entirely different ball game applies. Yes, your poetry may be art and expression of the soul, but words are what make up a poem; if they’re not written correctly (not to mention spelled correctly), then how can it possibly be good?
Shakespeare said, “The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose,” so that should give you an idea of how crucial correct grammar is in poetry.
A poem is a piece of original work with an overall theme, form, or pattern. Poems often have rhymes, but this is not always the case; even when rhyming poems are written, many different ways of writing them to exist.
This software is designed to help you find mistakes within a large piece of poem text, especially when you are exhausted and can’t read it carefully.
Follow These Essential Tips to Avoid Making Mistakes in Your Poems:
Do not use capitals at the beginning of each line as this is not grammatically correct; it interrupts the natural flow of poetry and can be confused with stanza breaks.
- For long poems, consider breaking them up into smaller sections that make sense by themselves.
- If you are writing in American English, do not use double spaces after periods (punctuation).
- Avoid trailing full stops/periods at the end of a line.
- Use ‘it’s’ when you mean ‘it is and vice versa, otherwise use its.
- Do not leave any extra spaces after paragraphs, scene breaks, page breaks, or stanza breaks.
- Do not leave a space between the last word and full stop (period) unless you add emphasis.
- Avoid beginning sentences with conjunctions like ‘and’ & ‘but’; keep them for linking thoughts within a sentence, ensuring there are no comma splices.
- While punctuating the poem, pay close attention to sentence structure and apostrophes; for example, it can be helpful to replace the letter’ i’ with an apostrophe if it occurs at the end of a line or word.
Guidelines to Follow When Writing Poetry:
- Avoid using old clichés: simply put, these are phrases you’ve heard before. They have been used many times in poems and songs, so their individuality is lost. Some of the most commonly clichéd phrases include “the grass is always greener,” “a rainy day,” “strangers in the night.”
- Don’t use general themes: some common themes include love, loss, nature, or nature’s effect on the world and humanity.
- Avoiding using these themes will allow you to avoid being generic when writing poems. Include something in your poem that makes it stand out from other poems about similar topics, like including a dream or vision into a poem about nature. Example: “I saw her standing there by the lake yesterday / Her eyes and death.
- For your poem to be different in content and style, you can include details that will make readers feel like they are there with you. Using other metaphors: using the same metaphors over and over again is considered outdated by many poets.
- Some commonly used metaphors today are “a cage of love,” “pearls of wisdom,” or “the earth.” Using these same metaphors in your poem will not allow you to stand out from other poets. Avoiding using these metaphors, along with clichés, will maintain individuality and uniqueness in your poetry.
Online Grammar and Punctuation Tools
- Grammarly : An online tool that checks grammar in all types of writing.
The most comprehensive free tool is the accessible version of Grammarly, which is a web-based application. This tool is ideal for poems as it will also highlight the correct use of poetic devices such as metaphors, similes, and personification.
The tool checks for 15 different types of mistakes in sentences, including run-on sentences, sentence fragments, and comma splices. It also checks for correct verb tenses, passive voice, and common spelling errors.
This particular site uses Ai to generate poems based on the prompt you give, it supports multiple types of poems and length selection. You can also download the poem once it’s generated