How to write words that whisper

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Photo: David Casco Photography

Why Let Your Words Whisper?

This is the first question, of course. And an important one.

Why not yell? Why not laugh? Why not hoot and holler all the way to the last stanza?

Of course, all of those things are totally permissible in a poem. You likely read poems every day that do one of those or a combination.

But a whisper poem is special. It’s delicate and requires some care. A little tending-to. Why do we whisper? When do we whisper?

I whispered the name of my grandfather minutes after he passed. I’ve whispered my Chick-fil-A order to my fiancee in the drive-through. I’ve whispered when it wasn’t safe to speak, and I’ve whispered when I was a millisecond from totalling my car.

Sometimes, a poem wants to whisper. There’s a special magic that happens when the sounds of your words align with the mood you're trying to create in a poem.

Here's how to do it with ease and grace:

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1. Use Words That *Actually* Whisper

Instead of simply describing a sound:

Example:
"Every time the windmill turned, it whistled."

Try using words that embody the sound. That *actually* whistle.

Better:
"The windmill hissed between turns."

The word "hissed" mimics the sound you're describing, creating a more vivid and sensory experience for the reader.

Say it out loud. Feel the air slip through your teeth. You have no choice but to rise to the story.

Your body becomes a part of the poem.

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2. Subtle Sound Repetition Inside Words

Instead of relying exclusively on alliteration (sound repetition at the beginning of the words):

Example:
"As the sacred silence filled the room, we softly slept."

Use sound repetition within the word to create a more textured auditory effect:

Better:
"In the silver night, the silence murkied the yellow stars."

Here, the repetition of softer sounds occurs naturally within the sentence, making the language feel more organic and less forced, softening the overall music of the poem.

The “l” sounds also mimic a lullaby, almost drifting you into the night sky’s poem.

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3. Experiment With Imperfect Rhymes

Instead of using perfect rhymes:

Example:
"The polar bear’s knees caved in like a tree.
What was behind him, I couldn't see."

Try imperfect rhymes to soften the effect:

Better:
"The polar bear’s knees caved in.
Nobody knew these dreams would be the end of us."

Imperfect rhymes feel more conversational and less predictable, giving the poem a more complex, nuanced tone. This one is also an internal rhyme, meaning it happens within the lines, not at the end. For a poem that wants to whisper, the more delicate our rhymes, the softer our reader will sink into it.