Getting that crucial audience feedback is how to determine the true success of each poem. Yes, you might be the hit of the poetry board where everyone says, “Great job!” But poets are a limited audience, and you need to test your skills and poems against a wider and more diverse audience.

Does the audience laugh where they should? Do they cry where they should? If not, it’s back to the computer to revise the poems. The more you perform, the more honest feedback you get.