I rarely set out to write a poem with a specific message or just to "express my emotions". Poetry for me is a craft, an attempt to shape words to create something beautiful. It is a labour of love. That means, obviously, there's a certain amount of work involved.
When I sit down to write, I usually do not write a whole poem. I write whatever strikes my fancy at the moment. I write lines, combinations of words, individual words and thoughts of interest to me. Then a kind of vague free association begins, where I write more related thoughts words, phrases, metaphors, allusions and so forth. Sometimes, I also write down what I observe, and try to do it in the most original way possible, and it will remind me of something else or some other idea. These observations become metaphors for my unconscious thoughts and feelings. I also like to write words that rhyme or have a similar sound, e.g. gamble, rumble, nimble and see if I can make intellectual connections between them and the main thrust of the poem.
Once I have what is I feel is a satisfactory amount of material, I write a first draft, if I do not have one already. I try to find the poem among the material. I look at it and try to string it together by a common idea. I note those lines and words that contribute to that idea, and leave out what doesn't, no matter how enticing the line or word. I save it for a future poem. If it doesn't serve the logic of the poem, it does not deserve to be there.
I re-write the material I want to use and try to put it in the most effective order possible. I will re-arrange the lines and stanzas many times over. Once I have the basic order in place, I start honing line by line. During all this, I may add a line here, or cut a word there. Occasionally I will add new lines. There is no official order as to how you do this; you just do what needs to be done. Sometimes, the uneven rhythm of some lines may force me to re-write them completely, trying to find new rhymes or new ways of saying what I want to say.
This work takes place over the course of several drafts. I re-read every draft and ask myself:
* Is this the most succinct and effective way of saying what I have to say?
* Have I eliminated as many boring, redundant and ineffective words as possible?
* Can it be said with more pizzazz?
* Is it as musical as it can be?
* Is the sequencing logical?
* Will the reader perceive contradictory ideas?
* Are there mixed or mismatched metaphors?
* Does the rhythm move smoothly?
Sometimes, I will finish a poem in four or five drafts. If I think a poem is really great, I can write dozens of drafts, re-arranging the words around to see which produces the most desirable effect. The number of drafts I write is roughly proportional to the potential and quality of the poem.
There's nothing formulaic about writing a poem. The point I would like to get across is that good writing is not purely inspirational or genius. It's work. It's trying see what is good in what one has written, and eliminate the bad and the useless.
When it comes to man-made things, rarely does beauty happen on its own.