Comedy + Poetry - Blog by Jamal Hassan

Many people want to weave comedy and laughter into their poetry. A cleverly placed quip, joke, or pop-culture reference can ilighten a poem with a serious message. Plus, experimenting with humour is an enjoyable writing exercise that can lead to unexpected surprises.
Fellow Apples and Snakes Poetry colleague recently joined Zena Edwards for an engaging conversation about the intersection of poetry and comedy. Tune in to hear Jamal’s creative process in crafting comedic poetry and how it adds an extra layer of fun to his work.

Many people want to incorporate comedy and laughter into their poetry, which is a beautiful thing. A well-placed quip, joke or pop-culture reference can add a levity to an otherwise serious poem that actually helps get the point across more effectively. It can also be a fun writing exercise to experiment with humour as well.

Writing a funny poem, when you haven’t before, is often seen as an impossible task, but that is only because forcing yourself to be funny is like forcing a fart, you’ll most likely end up with 💩. Think of it as a type of energy fuelled by human connection and understanding…or misunderstanding. 

You can go about humour the classic way; poetry is suited to wordplay. A lot, but not all, of Comedy™ is about the setup and the punchline. Thus, a good way to begin practicing with writing humour in poetry is to play with your words. Be unapologetic, you’re always funnier when you mean it – or at least act like you mean it. 

It's all about timing! Never let a joke run too long – if you only managed to get some people to chuckle, fantastic! Now move onto the next one!

There are some exceptions to this, for instance: if you write a funny line and the line after is even funnier. And how will you know whether its funny in the first place? You share it. You submit to the mortifying ordeal of people not laughing with you. If they laugh, you now have a joke that works. If they don’t laugh, then either tweak the joke, scrap the joke or try it with a different audience for a second opinion. 

Another great way to bring humour to your poems is to exploit the one flavour of humour that British culture. Awkwardness. Think of it as the setup and punchline become one, where the laugh is fuelled by everyone’s awareness of the shared discomfort your poem has put them in. Almost as if you’re now laughing at the audience, and they’re laughing with you. To write poems with this kind of humour, it’s best to start by looking inward and to be willing to show vulnerability, whilst simultaneously not taking yourself too seriously. This balancing act is difficult, hence why most US remakes of UK sitcoms suck. There is a lot to be said about the humour of mistakes too. But above all else, the most important thing is to be self-aware, but not self-deprecating.

So, experiment with wordplay, make sure you are aware of your timing, remember that the best humour has heart, honesty, authenticity and the awareness to know that funniness is a forever changing thing, for us and our audiences. As you continue to write humour in your poems, you will soon develop your own style.

The truth is that everyone is funny, and although humour is subjective – that doesn’t mean it cannot be studied.
Jamal Hassan