Hello. Welcome to the first foundational lesson in our journey into poetry. We begin today with one of the most powerful and widely cited principles in all of creative writing, one that forms the bedrock of vivid poetry: the concept of "showing versus telling."
In this lesson, we will unpack what this phrase truly means. We'll explore why "showing" is so effective at creating an immersive experience for the reader, and how it differs from simply "telling" them information. By the end of our session, you'll be able to explain this crucial concept and recognize it in action, setting the stage for you to begin crafting your own compelling poetic images.
The Core Principle: Painting a Picture vs. Stating a Fact
At its heart, the distinction between showing and telling is about the difference between creating an experience and reporting a fact. "Telling" gives the reader information directly. "Showing" provides the sensory details and actions that allow the reader to arrive at that information on their own.
Your background in design and user experience involves a similar principle: you don't just tell stakeholders that a user is frustrated; you show them the usability test where the user sighs, clicks aimlessly, and mutters under their breath. The latter is far more persuasive and empathetic. Writing works the same way.
Let's start with a clear visual summary of this idea.
As you can see from the chart, "telling" is direct and can feel quick, but it often remains flat. "The violinist ran her bow across the violin" is a fact.
"Showing," in contrast, "paints a picture with words." It uses actions, senses, and specific details to help the reader experience the moment. The example, "With her eyes closed and her arm held in the familiar upright position, the violinist began to run her bow across the taut strings of her instrument to fill the air with note after note of gentle harmony," doesn't just tell us she's playing the violin. It puts us in the room with her, letting us infer her focus, the sound, and the atmosphere.
To ground this further, let's look at a few more examples from a short article on the topic.
How to Use the 'Show, Don't Tell' Technique in Poetry - Read Poetry
This article from Read Poetry gives a concise explanation with clear before-and-after examples.
Please read the beginning of the article, focusing on the section that defines the difference and provides examples. Pay attention to the three "Telling" vs. "Showing" pairs, starting with the detailed comparison. Notice how the "showing" sentences use concrete details related to senses (touch, sight, smell) to convey the information.
Why It Works: Claims and Evidence
So, why is showing so much more effective? It's because you're providing your reader with evidence, not just a claim. A statement like "He was sad" is a claim. Your reader might believe you, but they don't feel it. They have no reason to be invested. To make your writing persuasive, you need to provide the evidence that proves your claim.
A fantastic video from the "Writing with Andrew" channel explores this analogy in depth.
Show, Don't Tell: Why it Works
This video explains why "showing" is more persuasive by comparing it to the use of claims and evidence in an argument.
Please watch the following segments: First, starting around a minute in, watch the introduction, which sets up the core difference with a clear example. Next, watch the section covering the shift from experience to sadness. The creator contrasts a "telly" poem with a "showy" one. Notice how the second poem uses details—the gray sky, wet flyers, the idea of being "stuck in half a lease"—to evoke a feeling of melancholy without ever using the word "sad." Finally, and most importantly, watch the analogy that explains the "claim vs. evidence" framework. This is the key to understanding the psychology behind this technique.
This idea of providing evidence is the engine of good poetry. The poet's job isn't to tell the reader what to feel, but to create a scenario—an arrangement of images and actions—that makes the reader feel it themselves.
From Telling Ideas to Showing Images
Poetry, in particular, thrives on this principle. The famous poet William Carlos Williams wrote, "No ideas but in things." This is a poetic way of saying "show, don't tell." Instead of writing about an abstract idea like "grief," you write about the "things" that embody grief: an unmade bed, a cold cup of coffee, the silence in a house.
This brings us to a closely related concept: the difference between abstract and concrete language.
- Telling often relies on abstract words: love, sadness, anger, beauty, fear. These name qualities and concepts that we can't perceive with our five senses.
- Showing is built from concrete words: rain, cobblestone, shadow, cinnamon, whisper. These refer to things we can see, hear, taste, touch, and smell.
By using concrete, sensory language, you create images. And it is through images that you communicate an experience to the reader, rather than just an idea.
On Writing Poetry, Part I: Abstract & Concrete Images
This article directly links the concepts of abstract and concrete imagery to showing and telling.
Read the two short paragraphs that define and discuss abstract and concrete imagery. First, read the paragraph defining abstract images. Notice how it says abstract language "tells you how to respond." Then, read the paragraph defining concrete imagery. It highlights how concrete images allow the reader to sense an emotion like loneliness without it being explicitly stated.
Finding the Balance: Show AND Tell
While "show, don't tell" is excellent advice, it's not an absolute rule. The most skillful writers understand that telling has its place. Sometimes, a single line of "telling" can act as a frame, giving context to a series of "showing" images. It can be the claim that all your evidence supports.
Think of it as a design system. Your components (the showing images) are powerful and flexible, but they are guided by overarching principles and layouts (the telling statements) that ensure the final composition is coherent and communicates the intended message. A jumble of images without a guiding purpose can be as confusing as a claim without evidence.
The "Writing with Andrew" video makes this point exceptionally well.
Show, Don't Tell: Why it Works
Let's return to the same video to understand the more nuanced "Show and Tell" approach.
Please watch the final parts of the video: At about five and a half minutes in, start with the section from the balanced approach, where the creator argues that telling can help readers interpret the evidence you've shown them. Conclude with the main takeaway from the final summary. The key is not to choose one over the other, but to know how to use both effectively.
The goal isn't to eliminate telling from your writing, but to become intentional about it. The default mode for powerful poetry is showing. When you choose to tell, it should be a conscious, strategic choice.
Conclusion
Let's summarize what we've covered. "Showing versus telling" is a fundamental principle of effective writing that distinguishes between creating an experience and simply stating information.
- Telling states facts, emotions, and ideas directly using abstract language ("she was sad").
- Showing uses concrete sensory details and actions to let the reader infer those facts and emotions ("she watched the rain trace paths down the windowpane").
- Showing works because it provides evidence for your claims. It allows the reader to experience the poem's world and emotions firsthand, making the writing more immersive and persuasive.
- The most effective writing often involves a strategic balance of both showing and telling, where telling can provide context for the images you show.
You now have a solid understanding of why we prioritize showing in poetry. In our next lesson, we will focus on how to do it. We will dive into the building blocks of showing: concrete language and sensory details, the very tools you'll use to paint pictures with your words.
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