Never Write Poetry Using All Capital Letters

Posted by Team Poetrysoup on 8/1/2025 1:17:27 PM

Whether it is poetry or any other type of writing, it is essential not to write in all capital letters (all caps). Writing in all caps makes it extremely difficult to read. For this reason, PoetrySoup will never feature a poem on its home page if it is written this way. Additionally, in today's social media age, writing in all caps is associated with yelling. If it is your intent to indicate yelling at specific points in your poem, then it may be acceptable. Aside from that, writing in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS is frowned upon and will lessen the interaction with your post. Never write poetry using all capital letters. 


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Comment by Brian Strand on 8/6/2025 3:12:42 AM

I would agree TPS ..they are sometimes entered in ALL CAPITALS in my contests & are poetically visually difficult to read & so I immediately N/A without further ado.Poetry to me is firstly a recitative art so being able to read is a given.. though on our side of the pond TITLES in headings are capitalised .Your article https://www.poetrysoup.com/grammar/capital_letters covers this topic & in which item 4 says 'Every line of poetry begins with a capital' ...this is is only a TRADITION & except in rhyme stilts the poetics ...for my taste creating a 'unnatural pause'/hesitation/emphasis at that point which interrupts the 'flow' visually & recitatively' & is therefore for me a 'no-no (.With similar consequences if entered in my contests).... Poetry is these digital days is an art form imho with very few' rules' but ALL CAPITALS therein is indeed one of the DO NOT DO

Comment by Michael E. Harris on 8/4/2025 11:51:12 PM

If one were to look back in history, they would see at one point and time before lower case characters and punctuation EVERYTHINGLOOKEDTHISWAY. Fortunately for some and Unfortunately for others Barriers were constructed to restrict unwanted written words of could have been wisdom. The fact that 10 people can read the same poem and have different interpretations is a sign of independent thinking. Conformity leads to lost visions of a author writer poet and storytellers. There is clear reason why we can't understand Hieroglyphics cave writings and ancient civilizations words of wisdom. Personally I prefer all CAPS... for me personally it's easier to see and read. Just BECAUSE a so called expert ... professor... OR LITERARY GENIUS tries to shoved their literary religion down my throat does not mean I must become compliant or face expulsion from THE GROUP OR SOCIETY. THE PHRASE POLITICÀLLY CORRECT comes to mind and we can easily see the results. If one has A MELTDOWN OVER SEEING ALL CAPS IT'S BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN MANIPULATED INTO BELIEVING IT A FORM OF WRITING NOT EXCEPTED BY THOSE WHO LAUGH AT THOSE WHO BEND A KNEE TO CONFORMITY AND GO ALONG JUST TO GET ALONG GIVING UP THEIR LITERARY SOVEREIGNTY. I do hope you take the time digest and regurgitate this point of view and come to the understanding that Poetry is a art form , a painting of words bringing to life what was once was a thought , feeling , or a storm of imagination. In the future try telling ARTIFICIAL INNTELLIGENCE Poets they are not welcome.

Comment by Andrew John on 8/3/2025 10:58:31 PM

I seem to remember that it was usually religious poems that had all-caps decorations. Incidentally, I like to see italics rather than caps to indicate an emphasis - italics for titles, as well, of course. It's not a question of decoration: it's guidance.

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