Editing for Clarity

Keep mystery, lose confusion. These aren't the same. A poem can be allusive and symbolic without being unclear. Readers should follow your thought even if they don't understand every layer.

Edit for: redundancy, weak verbs, unclear antecedents, mixed metaphors, syntax too twisted to parse. Read aloud. Can someone else follow it? That's the test. Clarity doesn't mean simplicity; it means readers can navigate your thought.

Your beautiful metaphors should be comprehensible. Polish until every sentence sings and every image lands.