Making a Poem "Tight"

So you've written a poem but it still needs some revision...why don't you try these steps:

* Show don't tell. You have probably heard this before and will hear it again. Good poets "show" you something, they don't just tell you about it.

* Does the poem use any of the five senses? When you read a good poem you should be able to see the object, taste it, smell it, feel it.

* Are you using concrete words or abstract word? Circle all words that might be vague or unclear and replace them with stronger concrete words.

* Remove all unnecessary words. Don't overwhelm your reader with nine adjectives, instead use one strong adjective. Get rid of all "the", "a", "of", "his" that aren't needed. Say "She sat near him" instead of "She sat near to him."

* Be creative! Good poems make you look at the world in ways you never noticed before. We've all heard love being described with clichés (burning, passionate, fiery), try something new ("You make my heart leap like salmon swimming upstream").

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