As with any piece of writing, you don’t usually want to publish the first draft of your poems. However, editing poetry isn’t as simple as it sounds. 

If you send it to a professional editor, you have to make sure they know the style (or lack thereof) you want to use, the key emotions of the poem, specific words that need to stay, if the overall message is still there, etc. 

On the other hand, editing it yourself can be a challenge because, as the author, you may be unable to shake your initial bias and pull the good bits from the bad. 

So, let’s fix that! 

How to Edit Poetry

When editing your poetry, there are ten things you can do to keep the process as simple and effective as possible. They are:

• Let it rest
• Review
• Read it aloud
• Line edit
• Strengthen the beginning and ending
• Review the language and tone
• Incorporate techniques 
• Check the line breaks
• Get it on paper
• Revise

It sounds like a lot, but these steps will help you polish your poem until it shines. Here’s how they work:

Let it Rest

Once you’ve completed a draft, put it aside and let it rest for a few days. Then, come back and see if it evokes the same feeling as when you first wrote it. 

Review the Whole Poem

Read the poem as a finished project. Does anything jump out at you? Maybe the wording looks wrong, or there’s a missing word. Make notes of those things and adjust them accordingly. 

Read it Aloud

When we read our work aloud, we can hear how the words work together, where the stressors are, and how the poem flows when spoken. Make a note of anything that sounds jarring or is difficult to say and see if there’s a different, easier way to express it. 

Line Edit

Now, go through the poem line by line and check for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and other basic editing problems. 

Strengthen the Beginning and End

If your first line doesn’t grab your reader’s attention, you may need to make it more powerful. Similiarly, if your ending doesn’t leave an impression and make the reader want more, it may also need to be more powerful. 

Review the Language and Tone

Unless you’re trying to make a statement, your tone and language should generally match the message or visuals used within the poem. 

Incorporate Poetic Techniques

Play around with alliteration, metaphors, similies, rhyme, meter, allusions, and more to boost your creativity and give your poem the “oomph” it needs to grow. 

Check the Line Breaks

Does your line form a complete thought and end with a period? Then it’s known as End-Stopped. However, if the idea keeps going into the next line without punctuation, it’s an Enjambment. Which one works best with your poem?

Get it on Paper

Now, print your poem and see what it looks like. Does it meet the desired aesthetic? Is there too much white space around the poem? Did it line up correctly? How are the stanza breaks and overall layouts? 

Revise

After going through steps 1-9, take everything you’ve noted and revise your poem. I suggest using a copy for the revision- that way, you have a backup of the original in case things don’t go as planned. 

Final Thoughts

These ten steps will help you polish your rough draft into a diamond while also helping you maintain the poem’s integrity. However, poetry is a subjective art, and it is okay to break the rules when needed. 

Just remember that if you plan on publishing it for others to enjoy, they have to be able to read and understand it.