How To Revise Your Poems

For most poets, one sense will be more likely than the others to help you begin a poem., so another sense can help you to revise.

• If, for instance, you have a “poetic ear,” your poems will express that natural sense of musicality or rhythmic beat.

• If you have an “artistic eye,” your poems may paint visual lines.

• If you’re a keen observer or have an analytical mind, you might find fresh comparisons in a simile, metaphor or other figure of speech.

• If your feelings provide your dominant sense, your expressive poems may speak to and for readers, saying what they cannot express well themselves.

Regardless which sense prevails, go with it! Let each poem flow to you with its new thought, musical phrase, sudden insight, fresh comparison, or whatever catches your poetic attention. Without censoring yourself, get your poem onto paper, then let it sit while something else occupies your mind. When you return to the poem, use another sensory connection -- preferably one that’s opposite the original. For instance, if you’ve fluently expressed feelings, let your mind do most of the work on the revision as you analyze the connotations, sounds, and subtle nuances of each word in your poem. If your ear has been doing most of the poetic work, train your eyes to see what visual aids you might include.

By using one poetically attuned sense as you write a poem and another as you revise, your poetry can reach a new level of professionalism. More importantly, you may discover you connect with your readers in ways you had not imagined, for instance with humor, wordplays, sounds, insights or images that your readers will also be blessed to see and feel and hear.
 

Are you having trouble revising your poems or other manuscript? If so, try these solutions:

Read each poem or poetic text aloud.

Listen for anything that hinders the flow of sound or sense.

As you identify a problem, you’ll usually be able to identify a solution too.

Correct any flaws, even if that means finding a new rhyme scheme for a traditional poem or recasting the lines in free verse.

Read aloud each revision.

If you’re still unsure how to revise or if your poems keep coming back with a “no” from editors:

Ask another poet with a similar level of experience to do a manuscript exchange, so you can provide each other with free feedback.

Consider getting a professional critique of your poems. Why? Objective feedback and the one-on-one response of a pro will not only help you to improve your work at hand, it can help you to take your poetry writing to the next level. The fees may be more reasonable than you think, too, but to find out, check the Poetry Critique page. If you’re serious about writing publishable poetry, you might be very glad you did.