Once you’ve written a poem, give it a bit of time before you go back to it, and see it with fresh eyes.

Then, once you do go back to revise it, read it out aloud. Don’t try to make it sound impressive, or fancy. It needs to be authentic, to sound uniquely you – THAT is when it creates the magic!

Use small details to create clear images – colours, sounds, textures… be specific rather than general.

And, take out abstract or vague adjectives – words like ‘beautiful’, ‘great’, ‘lovely’, don’t help your meaning really. Check that all your adjectives are working hard – and throw them out if they aren’t helping to create the picture you want

Avoid mixed metaphors. That is when you are comparing something to too many different things. Eg ‘I am locked in love, and you have thrown away the key. I am in a ditch of sadness.’ – Here you are comparing yourself to being locked in a room, and then in a ditch.. These two images don’t fit together.

Avoid cliches – these are phrases (usually metaphors and similes) that have become popular because they were so vivid and clear, but have now become over-used and tired. These include phrases such as ‘stabbed in the back’ ‘heart of gold’ ‘cloud with a silver lining’. Think of your own comparisons.

Check your adverbs – do you really need them? (These are words that describe the verbs, such as usually, or sadly – they often end in -ly). Verbs are often more powerful on their own. (Remember too, that these are suggestions, and if you have an adverb that you think works well then leave it in – it’s your poem! These ideas are just here to make you reflect and evaluate…)

Use simple active verbs rather than those ending in -ing. ‘She walks away’ sounds more powerful than ‘She’s walking away’, for example.

Check your first line. Is it more an introduction than a vital part of your poem that draws the reader in? Can your poem live without it? Is there a better line to start with? In fact, check the order of all your poem to check that it flows. Check that your last line is necessary – are you over-explaining? Would your poem sound better without it? Avoid ‘preaching’ to the audience..!

And finally – sit back and enjoy your poem. It’s your creation.

(Some of these suggestions were adapted from the marvellous Kate Clanchy book How to grow your own poem published by Picador, 2020)