Poetry is impactful. Whether it’s performed or printed, the best poetry moves people because it carries something real. It could be grief, defiance, celebration, or love, but it always comes with a pulse. So, what are the essential elements that give poetry this power?
We looked at the emotionally rich, visually evocative style found in Red Ink is What I Think by Mikaela Kasiala. While stylistically different, all poetry works share a common foundation: voice, rhythm, clarity, and purpose.
Let’s break down the elements that consistently show up in poetry that leave a mark.
1. Voice: The Unmistakable Identity
Every poet writes with a voice, but not every voice feels alive. The poems we studied are marked by an unmistakable confidence rooted in pain, pride, or perspective. The speaker isn’t writing for applause. They’re writing because they have to.
This element is equally present in Red Ink is What I Think, where the voice is intimate and reflective, guiding readers through a landscape of emotional honesty. Voice makes a poem personal, even when it speaks on universal themes.
2. Rhythm That Drives Meaning
Rhythm doesn’t mean every line has to rhyme. It means there’s movement. It’s what gives the spoken word its power and makes a written line feel like it’s pulsing beneath the page.
\Red Ink is What I Think plays more with quiet rhythm—measured pauses, soft emphasis, and emotional pacing that mirrors reflection.
3. Imagery That’s Visceral, Not Vague
Good poetry stays close to reality. It paints pictures that are textured and specific. The urban-inspired poems bring gritty realism to the page—cars, concrete, adrenaline, faith, and competition. Kasiala’s work offers something different but just as grounded: symbolic color, emotional shifts, and visual metaphors that linger.
The lesson? Whether stark or subtle, imagery has to feel earned. The more it appeals to our senses, the more it resonates.
4. Message and Meaning
Poetry has always been a way to say what can’t be said plainly. But that doesn’t mean the message should be buried. Poems don’t shy away from delivering meaning head-on—speaking on ambition, spiritual battles, loss, identity, and survival.
Red Ink is What I Think does the same but in a more layered way. The message builds slowly, using reflective language to uncover deeper emotional truths. Both styles prove that poetry doesn’t have to choose between artistic and meaningful. It can—and should—be both.
5. Flow That Mirrors Emotion
A great poem moves with intention, whether it’s explosive or understated. Flow isn’t just about line breaks or stanzas. It’s about the emotional pace. A poem about anger might erupt line by line. A poem about grief might unfold slowly, even hesitantly. The flow must match the feeling.
6. Technique that Enhances, Not Distracts
It’s tempting to use big words or complex metaphors to show off. But the strongest poems use technique to serve the idea, not overshadow it. Whether it’s repetition, rhyme, internal rhythm, or alliteration, the technique is meant to amplify—not confuse.
Poetry Is Built on Purpose
At the end of the day, every unforgettable poem has something to say—and says it with intention.
Mikaela Kasiala’s Red Ink is What I Think offers great poetry that doesn’t try to impress. It just shows up and speaks the truth.
Grab your copy today.
