How to use it
- Add a title and the poet if you like, then paste the poem: one verse per line, a blank line between stanzas.
- Choose the conventions: a capital letter at the start of each line, smart typography (curly quotes, apostrophes, em dashes, ellipses), how to group stanzas, and how to indent.
- Read the analysis: syllables and rhyme letter for each line, the rhyme scheme (ABAB CDCD…), and the form when it is recognised — sonnet, villanelle, haiku, quatrains, pentameter…
- Choose where it goes and tap Copy formatted poem.
English poetry conventions
- Line capitals: traditional verse starts every line with a capital letter, whatever the punctuation. Free verse often doesn’t — untick the option to keep your own casing.
- Stanzas are separated by one blank line: couplets (2 lines), tercets (3), quatrains (4). A Shakespearean sonnet is three quatrains and a closing couplet (4-4-4-2); a Petrarchan sonnet is an octave and a sestet (4-4-3-3).
- Indents traditionally mark rhyme: in a ballad, the second and fourth lines of each quatrain are indented.
- Typography: “curly” quotes and apostrophes (’), an em dash (—) without spaces for a break, and an ellipsis (…) as one character.
- Attribution: the poet’s name goes on its own line after the poem, after an em dash.
Fix Instagram poem spacing
Facebook and Instagram delete empty lines and spaces at the start of a line, so stanzas run together. This poem line break fixer fills them with an invisible blank character the apps keep. For KDP and Word, indents use non-breaking spaces that survive pasting into Kindle Create.
Syllable counts are estimates: English spelling and stress vary, so check lines that matter by ear.
Worked example
The first two quatrains of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 give the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD, about ten syllables per line, and “quatrains in pentameter”.
Frequently asked questions
How do I fix Instagram poem spacing?
Choose “Facebook / Insta” and copy. Empty lines and indents are filled with an invisible blank character that Instagram and Facebook keep, so your stanzas stay apart.
How should I format poetry for KDP?
Choose “KDP / Word”. Keep one verse per line, one blank line between stanzas, align left (not justified), and keep indents as non-breaking spaces. Start each poem on a new page in your manuscript.
Does every line of a poem start with a capital letter?
In traditional English verse, yes. Many modern and free-verse poets use normal sentence capitals instead. Both are correct; the option lets you choose.
How accurate is the syllable count?
It is a good estimate for most words, but English spelling does not always match pronunciation (“fire”, “every”, “heaven” can be one or two syllables). Use it as a guide for metre.
What rhyme scheme letters mean
Lines that rhyme share a letter: ABAB means lines 1 and 3 rhyme, and lines 2 and 4 rhyme. A new letter starts each new rhyme sound.