Craft & Development
Real techniques that actually work, not the fluffy craft advice that sounds nice but doesn't help your poems.
1. Read Your Poems Out Loud
Your ear catches problems that your eye misses. When you read silently, your brain automatically fixes awkward rhythms and unclear phrases. When you read aloud, you hear exactly what you've written.
2. One Image Per Poem
Beginning poets often try to cram every interesting image they can think of into a single poem. This creates confusion rather than richness. Instead, choose one strong image and develop it fully throughout the poem.
Depth beats breadth every time.
3. Cut Your First Stanza
Nine times out of ten, your poem's real beginning is in the second stanza. The first stanza is usually you warming up, circling around your subject, getting ready to say what you actually mean.