Standards and Best Practices for Poetry

1. Check Your Poetry Shelf Life

Ensure your poetry is fresh by checking the “Best By” date on your book or page of immortal poetry.

2. Make Sure Your Materials Are Clean

To get the most out of your poetry experience, poets recommend that you use a clean page every time.

3. Cook Your Poetry to “Sound”

Because tastes vary, always write your poetry to “sound” — and listen to the pop to know when to stop.

4. Maximize Taste

To maximize taste, shake contents of poem before pouring onto page. This will help coat the poetry with insight. To maximize epiphanies, be sure to edit the poem immediately after writing.

5. Store Your Poetry for Freshness

Store poetry in a cool place such as a bookshelf out of direct sunlight. Avoid the refrigerator. Some say the cold storage makes the poetry better, but many refrigerators contain little moisture and can dry out metaphors. Always keep your poem ideas sealed in the original black notebook until you’re ready to begin writing.