Editing poetry: my top tips

First of all, what is poetry? Well, poetry is a form of writing where the written word is given a distinctive style and rhythm. A poet will choose words that evoke an emotional response and arrange them for their meaning, sound, and rhythm.

A poem, like any piece of writing, is very personal. My job as an editor is to understand why a poet has arranged the words in a particular way. However, it is equally important for the reader to understand what the poet is trying to say.

So as you can see, editing poetry needs particular care and attention by the poet and the editor. Before sending their work to an editor, it is helpful if a poet checks every word and phrase and their positioning looking at their work from a reader’s point of view. Poems will generally undergo several revisions as well as editing*.

So, I thought I would share some tips for editing poetry… whether you’re revising or editing your poems or someone else’s.

Take a break

Don’t edit a poem as soon as you’ve written it. Put it aside and return to it with a fresh pair of eyes. By doing this you are more likely to spot mistakes.

Your break could be an hour or so, but some people take a longer time before looking at a piece again – do what suits you best, it will be trial and error.

Review your whole poem

Read the poem in full and note the first thoughts that come to you. Try to view the poem from the reader’s perspective. Will they follow your message?

Read aloud… yes really!

It makes such a difference to read aloud, especially if a poem has rhythm as reading out loud will enhance the beat and highlight when words don’t work. Even for a poem that isn’t rhythmical, reading aloud will highlight lines that don’t work well.

So read the poem aloud, and examine every line, every word, and every syllable. Question whether each word is right for the poem’s message; if you’re unsure, try others. If you make changes, read the edited aloud to ensure the revised poem is both good on paper and pleasing to the ear.

Sort the line breaks

Line breaks are important. Poems are laid out in sections or stanzas; a series of lines that form the verse of the poem generally in a recurring pattern. The stanzas in a poem are like paragraphs in prose. These verses separate ideas, give shape, and guide the reader through the poem. You can’t break lines anywhere, they need careful thought, and the lines and stanzas must end meaningfully.

So examine the structure of the poem:

• the shape of the poem on the page,

• the number and lengths of stanzas,

• the number and lengths of lines,

• the number of beats and rhythm of words in each line,

• the pattern of rhymes, if any, and

• the use of punctuation.

This might help with understanding the layout of a poem: a poem is a scene; a stanza is a moment or perspective; and a line is a thought.

So, from the above:

• read the complete poem and ask if it sets a clear scene for the reader.

• look at the stanzas and ask if they represent complete moments or perspectives.

• review the ends of lines, if a thought is complete at the end of the line it should be marked with some punctuation as a natural stopping point for the reader.

Check every line

You will probably do this many times… but remember you will have to stop eventually or you will never publish! When checking a poem line-by-line this is what you are looking for:

• spelling and grammatical errors,

• opportunities to add phonetic techniques such as alliteration and assonance,

• chances to replace common words or phrases with something more unique,

• places where you could insert a metaphor or fresh detail, and

• lines that don’t contribute enough and can be deleted or changed.

Essentially, you are looking at each line of the poem and asking if they are the best they can be. Verses should be crafted to support the poem’s meaning and reworked until it is strong and coherent. The first and last lines should be powerful with the first setting the tone and mood and the last leaving an impression.

Check every word

Each word in a poem contributes to the picture. Review every word to check they fit the theme, structure, and rhythm of the poem. There is nothing wrong with reaching for the thesaurus to find the right words!

Don’t forget poetic techniques and devices

As mentioned above writing poetry is a time to get creative with poetic devices like alliteration and assonance.

• alliteration is the use of the same sound or sounds, especially consonants, at the beginning of several words that are close together (e.g. round the rugged rocks the ragged rascal ran).

• assonance is the similarity in sound between two syllables that are close together, created by the same vowels but different consonants (e.g. back and hat), or by the same consonants and different vowels (e.g. hit and hat).

Look at your poetry on the page

Poems evoke imagery and emotions but should also be aesthetically pleasing on the page. So while the layout of poems is finalised when typeset, it should be considered when writing too.

So, consider line breaks, stanza breaks, and white space in shaping a poem and the white space around a poem and if lines could be shaped.

Finally, do everything again… and again!

Repetition is important. One edit might be enough but unlikely, and you won’t want to settle for second-best. So go over the poem again and again. Some might call this obsessive, but for a writer of poetry or prose, it is good practice.

As a poet, before you send your poems to an editor ensure that you are happy with every word and every line and that you feel your poem is complete and will be understood and enjoyed by your potential readers.

* Note: revision and editing aren’t the same – revision alters the content while editing is for correctness.

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