From the Vault: Eight Tips for Revising Your Poetry
by Sara Letourneau
originally published April 2021 we’ve pulled this one out for the last few days of National Poetry Month
Poems are rarely publication-ready after we first write them. Like novels, short stories, and other forms of literature, these rhythmic, language-focused pieces require their own revision process that can be challenging yet rewarding in unique ways. In honor of National Poetry Month, here are eight tips for revising your poetry based on tried-and-true techniques as well as my personal experiences with my own work.
1. Set aside the poem for a few days
Ever heard the advice of letting a novel or short story sit for a short period before revising it? This works for poetry as well. Each time you finish a draft of a poem, set it aside for a few days to give yourself time and headspace away from it. That way, when you return to that poem, you’ll do so with a fresh perspective, which will help you be more objective about your revisions.
2. Read the poem out loud
This technique allows you to actually hear when the pacing, phrasing, or other aspects of a poem may be off. The next time you revise a poem, speak the poem as you read it on your computer screen or from a printed copy. As you do this, pay attention to awkward wording you stumble over or whether any lines feel long and verbose or rushed and brief. This is why I consider open mic performances as part of my poetry-revision process: Reading my work out loud allows me to listen to my poems and find new ways of improving on each one.
3. Write a mission statement
If your vision for a poem is unclear after a second or third draft, try freewriting one or two paragraphs about the poem itself. Start your first sentence with the phrase “I want to write a poem about . . .” and then complete the thought by describing your intentions for the poem. What ideas or themes do you want to explore? What perspective or tone do you want to use? What images or emotions do you want to convey? Then see if your mission statement clarifies the approach you should take the next time you revise the poem.
4. Ensure the first line catches the reader’s attention
Several years ago, I wrote a poem after learning that one of my high school English teachers had been arrested on child pornography charges. I even used the newspaper headline as a line in the poem, originally placing it toward the end. When another writer read an early draft of the poem, he said, “You should move that headline to the beginning. It’s so shocking, and it will grab the reader’s attention much more than the current first line.” So I did—and I saw how much that one change strengthen the poem.
Consider the first line of the poem you’re revising. Does it catch your attention in a way that fits the overall tone and main idea? Does it persuade you to keep reading? If not, what other existing lines—or even a brand new one—would be more compelling?
5. Review your word choices
A well-crafted poem thrives on precision. So as you revise your poems, determine if your word choices are as clear and effective as possible. For example, are your verbs strong and active? Should any forms of “to be” (e.g., was, is, am) be replaced with more vivid verbs? Also, does each word fit based on its denotation (aka dictionary definition) and connotations (aka implied ideas or feelings)? When you read the poem out loud, does each word sound as if it belongs? If not, which words or phrases would be better choices?
6. Get feedback
Yes, it may be scary to ask for feedback on your work from other poets or readers of poetry. But these critique partners will often share insights on how to improve your poems in ways you haven’t seen before. So before you ask for it, consider what kind of input you’re looking for with each poem. Do you need big-picture feedback, especially if a certain poem has been rejected several times? Or are you looking for a line-by-line edit to give you more confidence about the quality of your prose and word choices?
7. Change the perspective
If you’re struggling with a poem that’s written from your perspective, try rewriting it from the viewpoint of another “speaker.” This can be another person who appears in the poem or—as shown in “self-portrait” poems, which are told from the perspective of a poem’s subject—an animal species or inanimate object. (Aimee Nezhukumatathil has written some fantastic self-portrait poems, such as “Self-Portrait as C-Section Scar” and “Self-Portrait as Scallop.”) Making this switch can help you dig deeper into your poem’s themes through stronger word choices and imagery and create the right tone for the piece.
8. Modify the line breaks
It’s surprising how much this tip can transform a poem. The key is deciding how the line breaks contribute to the poem’s shape and whether they’re used purposefully. Do they highlight key words and phrases that deserve the reader’s attention? Do any lines feel too short or too long? Play around with the breaks to see what works naturally for the poem without getting too clever. My poem “How to Color a Mandala” was originally formatted with line breaks that helped it resemble the shape of lotus blossoms (which often appear in mandalas). After the poem was rejected a few times, I changed its line breaks to simplify the format and make it easier to read. The next time I submitted “Mandala” to a journal, it was accepted—and I’m sure the “re-breaking” made that possible.
What techniques do you use when revising your poetry? Have you tried any of these suggestions? If not, which ones might be helpful in the future? What other tips would you add to this list?
Note from Acts of Revision: Read one of Sara’s Letourneau’s poems, and see our picks for all things poetry here.
