SHOW, don’t tell. Describe the scene! Example (tell): Josie was happy. Example (show): Josie jumped up from the couch and fist bumped her brother, her face flushed with excitement.
LESS is more! While this might seem like a contradiction of the first point, it is not. Poetry is a tiny package with a big punch! Make every word count. “Fluff” words will only drag your poem down.
Use a THESAURUS (and that’s not a dinosaur). There are billions of cool, exciting words in the English language just rusting away because writers often forget they are there! Try melancholy instead of sad. Try exuberant instead of happy.
Use IMAGERY. Pull out those incredible metaphors and similes. Make readers see, touch, taste, hear, and FEEL your poetry.
Use punctuation and be mindful of line breaks. This might be the hardest concept to grasp, as we often tend to write with the continual flow of thoughts in our brain. Stop. Take a breath. Where do you want your readers to pause? What type of punctuation will make the biggest impact? Do you need a comma for a soft pause? Do you need a dash for a hard pause? Do you need to indent a line for a stunning visual effect?