One thing to note is that the editing process will go much smoother if you have a longer poem. All of your first drafts for your poems should be at least half a page long, maybe even a page. If it's shorter than that, you won't have much to work with and will most likely need to focus your efforts on expanding the poem before you focus on strengthening it.
Now that we've covered many of the elements that make a poem strong, it's time to move on to the next step: editing. I recommend setting the poem aside for a week, then come back to it. This will allow you to have a fresh perspective when you come back to it.
1) Imagery
The first thing you'll want to look at when editing your poem is imagery. Identify the places where imagery is lacking, then add in some more imagery. Some places where a lack of imagery may occur are instances where you're telling instead of showing the reader (see the "imagery: show don't tell" chapter.) Aim for at least one concrete noun per line.
2) Unnecessary words
Other things to look for when editing are unnecessary words. You'll want to cut any words that don't contribute much to the poem. These words may include, but are not limited to, "like," "as," "then," "but," "and," "while," "meanwhile," etc. When you cut these words, there will most likely be a stronger focus on the imagery throughout the poem, and your poem will most likely read smoother.
3) Pacing
You'll want to take another look at the pacing of the poem (see the previous chapters for reference) to ensure the pacing fits well with your poem. As you revise the poem for imagery, your pacing may unintentionally change if you've added in longer lines or more line breaks, so you'll want to double-check that the pacing still matches your original vision for the poem.
