Many of us enjoy dabbling in the fine art of poetry because it can express our true, pent-up emotions that have been eating away at our souls for so long. Since tenth grade, I have been learning the basics of poetry, and most importantly, how to improve it for publication. Through the following poem I wrote in ninth grade, I want to present ways to properly revise poetry.

This is a poem I wrote in ninth grade. I can already spot a grand number of problems. The main problem I see with this poem is my diction, also known as word choice. Throughout this poem, I used the words “flames” and “fire” too many times. This can be improved by using a thesaurus to find different variations of the word.

Another problem I see with this poem is the repetitive nature within each stanza. While this might not be an issue for all poems (heck, it might work very well with some), it does not properly fit in with this poem. Through reconstruction of the phrases, I can form new lines that can properly create a new meaning for the poem all together.

A final problem I would like to discuss about this poem is its lack of meaning. Sure, while this poem has the basic outline of what I am feeling, I feel that this poem can go much deeper into my heart. As a sophomore in college, I know I am capable of adding more heart to this poem. When I was a freshman in high school, I was scared of my own emotions, but now I am able to be honest with myself through my poetry.

To improve your poetry, it is very simple: diction, structure, and heart.