Elements of Successful Poetry

As conceived by the students in English 100P
Summer 2011

• Each element of a successful poem has a purpose
• A successful poem has integrity; that is, it coheres
• A successful poem contains imagery, and offers a purposeful balance or abstract and concrete
• A successful poem rewards multiple interpretations
• A successful poem “gives you the chills”; that is, it resonates emotionally in a reader
• A successful poem contains focus
• A successful poem contains apt and appropriately specific descriptions
• A successful poem contains precise diction
• A successful poem conveys proper understanding of language (and perhaps its history)
• A successful poem rewards close reading
• A successful poem contains a lurking surprise (for the author as well as the reader)