In our minds we may have a clear vision of what we want to say but sometimes the thoughts don’t fully translate on paper. We may not be able to convey the verbal or written message in that perfect way.
As Writers we are perfectionists. We want to put out our best work because we are also our worst critics. Something just doesn’t “feel right” or “sound the way it should”. So we agonize over the lines and try to figure out how to fix it.
That is what we call editing. Going over our words to try to find the perfect meaning and the right way to say what we want others to hear.
To edit, you must feel and see. It’s almost like a tangible feeling when you read your poem and try to get it to flow naturally. And stop at each line trying to see how it flows into the next line.
A good way to edit is to read your poem aloud after writing it. Read it slowly and with meaning and the authority of someone who has something to say. Take it line by line and pay careful attention to how the words sound. Is the line or sentence too lengthy? Do any of the words look, sound or feel wrong somehow? It’s okay to mess around with the structure of a sentence so that it flows better. After all, it is your work. You decide what is needed.
After making any alterations, read your poem again. Does it sound better now? That’s good. Take as much time as needed to make the poem reflect your mood, tone, mindset or whatever influenced the poem.
Does the poem speak to your creative mind and describe the mood or tone you wanted to show? If so and you are satisfied then the next step is to have another person read it. I would suggest at least 2 people. One person that you are close with and if you feel comfortable sharing your work then the other person can be someone you don’t know very well or a near stranger. Someone that can read it in an unbiased, objective way.
If you are satisfied with the final poem then the last step is to do whatever makes you happy. Whether it’s to add it to your personal poetry collection or post and publish it. You decide.
Poetic Blueprint 