Poetry Journey #5

Setting Goals for My Poetry Development

What Success Looks Like for Me

Before I start analysing individual poems, I want to set clear goals for this journey. Not publication (yet), but genuine improvement.

My 6-Month Goals:

1. Eliminate unconscious clichés - catch them before they hit the page

2. Develop consistent voice - sound like myself, not like "poetry"

3. Master line breaks - understand why each line ends where it does

4. Write with specificity - ground abstract emotions in concrete imagery

5. Read contemporary poetry regularly - stay current with what's being published

My Measurement System:

• Can I read my poems aloud without cringing?

• Would I be proud to show them to a poet I admire?

• Do they sound like me or like someone trying to be a poet?

• Are they specific enough that only I could have written them?

What I Won't Compromise:

• Genuine emotion (even if I need to express it more skilfully)

• Writing about love and intimacy (my authentic subject matter)

• Accessibility (I don't want to write only for other poets)

My Weekly Process:

• Post one poem with honest self-critique

• Identify specific craft issues

• Ask for reader feedback

• Research how published poets handle similar themes

• Revise based on what I learn

Questions for Readers:

• What are your poetry development goals?

• How do you measure improvement in your own work?

• What would you want to see me focus on in these weekly analyses?

Starting next week, we dive into the poems themselves. I'm nervous and excited to see what we discover together.