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On average how many times do you edit a poem once finished?

  1. Once or less

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  2. Two to Three times

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  3. Four to Five times

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  4. Over Five Times

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    100.0%
  1. Arcadeus

    Arcadeus Senior Member

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    Arc's Self-Governing Poetry Questions

    Discussion in 'Revision and Editing' started by Arcadeus, Mar 9, 2017.

    I say self-governing because I don't push it on anyone else. These are questions I ask myself during the poetry process. (When not just playing around)

    Initial Writing

    Question #1- What's my goal with this poem? I want to convey something with the poem. Poetry has a meaning/purpose. Even if it's just a story to tell, it usually comes with a lesson. Even just to make the reader smile/laugh. Keeping my goal in mind helps me stay focused through the writing process.

    Question #2- Formal or Informal poetry? I have been in love with formal poetry recently, so I'm going to continue the questions as though I have chosen formal.

    Question #3- Does the form fit the goal? Reading some examples can help you get a feel for the pattern of the poetry form.

    Question #4- How long do I want it? Increasing the length of a poem can take away from the impact depending on the type of poetry. Once you've reached your goal with the poem, having it continue much longer can take away from the impact. On the other hand, some poems follow a build-up or break-down type of pattern. I take into consideration everything I can when deciding how many stanzas I am going to start with, and the line lengths. (If not already decided by the form)

    This process usually goes smoothly... yet for myself, it is hardly the majority of work.

    EDITING (Imagine devil horns popping up from this word.)

    Question #1- Does it read smoothly? I read it a few times in my head, then once out loud. I come back to it after a break and read it again. Taking too short a break before re-reading can cause you to read things different from how they are actually written. Go back and fix spots where it just doesn't seem to flow well in your head or aloud. I re-read after every draft.

    Question #2- Does it make sense? Are there metaphors that don't really make sense? Do I sound like a Beck song? You want your reader to understand you. I've seen a lot of poems where I honestly have no clue what is going on. If your reader is lost, it may sound beautiful, but it will likely lack any meaning to them. This isn't a painting or a statue. Words are used to convey meaning. If no-one can understand what is going on, fix it or scrap it. I will be honest and say that I used to do this all the time. I would write random stuff because it sounded good. It's a mistake, and you can fix it. Know what you write, and know why you write it. Natural talent for rhythm and rhyme only takes you so far.

    Question #3- Are there any wasted words/syllables? There will often be sections where you have a word that is not needed, or have used a long word where a short word would have worked. I ask myself if there is a purpose to the word. This can lead back to question #1. I recently had a poem where I had "yet while" starting a line. I didn't notice this because I was reading it how I wanted it to sound, not how it was written. Luckily, it was pointed out to me that I didn't need both words and it was a waste of syllables. I changed it multiple times and was still unhappy. So I read it aloud, and realized I needed to change the punctuation. It was changed to how it was in my head with "yet... while." The dramatic delay/pause was what I was aiming for and saying with each read, just not realizing. So if there is a word that looks like it may be wasted, I know that it needs to be investigated.

    Question #4- Does it convey what I want it to convey? If it does, great. If it does not, do I want to go a different direction with it?

    Question #5- What do others think? Your understanding of your poem can be way different than someone else's. My goal is to align those as much as possible. If how others read it is different for almost every reader, it needs to be edited. This would mean that it could be a poem with beauty, but lacking any real substance. Let others read your poetry, and listen to their advice. You don't have to fix everything they don't like, but at least listen and try to understand their point of view. Don't argue with them. Personally, I change what they didn't like, and I compare the versions. If I still like my original better I will keep it that way. Sometimes changing something can give me inspiration to change other things and create something far better than the original product.


    These are the common questions I ask myself when writing/editing poetry.

    If they help you, I am glad to share them.
     
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2017
  2. Solar

    Solar Banned Contributor

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    You say, 'Once finished.' But that's the point: it's not finished till it's finished.
     
    Arcadeus likes this.
  3. Arcadeus

    Arcadeus Senior Member

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    I had meant once finished with the initial draft. I wrote this after finishing a 12 hour shift at work.
     

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