8/14/2019 Poetry Revision Workshop

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Poetry Revision Workshop

1. There= place Its= somethings possessionTheir= people (possessive) Its= It isTheyre= They are

2. Then= time Whether= offers options Than= comparison Weather= climate

3. To= prepositionTwo= numberToo= also or excessively

4. Diction= No lazy/boring words!Dont use: good, bad, very, so, really, many, went, said, nice,walked, go, big, small, awesome, great, fine, wellPlus any other words that arent the right words. (glaringvs. looking!)

5. Consistent Past/Present Tense- check all verbs to see if theyare past or present tense. You cannot switch between the two.Pick one!

6. Check spelling. If youre unsure about a word, check thedictionary.

7. Check punctuation. Also check for fragments and run-onsentences (see Grammar Book p. 13-14)

8. Check line breaks- did you end each line at a natural orappropriate place. (Remember this is a poem not a short story!)

9. Check rhyme scheme- Does the poem rhyme? Is it supposed to?Dont start a rhyme and then stop. Make the rhyme scheme

consistent, whatever pattern you choose to do.

10. Does this poem make sense? Can the reader understand the poemand the purpose for writing it? If not, rewrite any portions that areunclear.

8/14/2019 Poetry Revision Workshop

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After you revise your poem, you should be proud to turn it in or to readit to someone

else. If you are not, then you need to revise it again and again until it isyour best work.

Happy Revising!