Poetics

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Poetics

Jeanette Oestermyer

Rest to Rewrite

You have just finished writing a poem, and you cannot wait to send it out to an editor. Slow down, let us back up a little. When that poem is finished, the first thing you should do is put it in a file labeled Drafts. Do not look at it for at least two days, or a week and possibly two weeks or a month if you have no deadline to meet.

When the waiting time has expired, read the poem through with a critical eye. Mark in red, anything that does not sound right or does not show exactly what you want to convey. Then read the poem aloud; in this exercise, be sure to listen to the words and the flow or rhythm of the lines. This might be done by recording the poem on tape, so you can hear the piece without reading and listening at the same time. If you have a writing buddy, consider asking her/him to read your poem and give you an opinion.

One important thing to look and listen for in your poem is a cliché, those overworked words or phrases that often find their way into a first draft. Some clichéd phrases may be: "red as a beet," "dropped like a hot potato" and "time will tell," but there are many more. If the word or phrase sounds too familiar, it probably is a cliché.

Consider looking for the repetition of identical words, especially those in close proximity. This is where your thesaurus comes in handy. Check there for another word that will deliver the same meaning, and yet not interrupt the rhythm or flow of text. Be sure that the word[s] you select do not clash with your personal style of writing or with the mood of surrounding text.

Some other questions to consider: Have you used the various poetic devices for the best effect? Such devices may include metaphor, simile, alliteration and personification, to name a few. A caution here, do not use these devices to the extreme unless you are using only one or two, and that is your intention throughout the poem. In listening to the poem, do you hear the musicality of the lines?

What is the poem about? This is known as the theme. Is the poem accessible, or easily understood by the reader on an intellectual or intuitive level? There can be a fine line in this respect, which is that it is not necessary to explain everything. Give your reader credit for understanding, but only if you feel the main idea of the piece is not overly vague. As you write more poetry, you will gain a sense of what is too vague, and what may merely leave something for the reader to consider.

One more vital question to ask yourself: Are the line and stanza breaks the best they can be?

When you decide to type your first revised version, be sure to save the original verbatim. Next, save the revised poem as a different title, possibly something like "First Draft Revision 1."

Again, read and listen to your revised work, and if you are not one hundred percent satisfied with what you see and hear, repeat the procedure again. Begin by letting it rest as before, and repeat all the steps.

There may come a time in this writing, critiquing, revision cycle when you just cannot seem to get that poem to flow correctly, nor to send the message you think it should. When, and if that happens, make up a file titled something like, "Saved Poems." Sometime in the future, you may want a specific type of poem, or a poem about a certain theme for a contest or to submit for publication. That is when you can pull out the "Saved-Poems" file; and just maybe, you will find a gem exactly matched to the guidelines you are working to meet.

Of greatest importance is to keep writing poetry, working to improve, and who knows where it may take you? Enjoy the journey.

About the Author:

Jeanette Oestermyer is a native of Indiana who now lives in New Mexico. She retired in 1993, and furthered her writing career in earnest. Currently, Jeanette is President of the New Mexico State Poetry Society (NMSPS), which is an affiliate of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS). She is also a member of the Haiku Society of America. She has taught a C.E. class in poetry at the Adult Center in Roswell.