The first thing I look for in a good poet is that they know their “p’s” and “q’s”--something the blogging world doesn’t seem to be concerned about.  And I just ended that sentence in a preposition, see?  But at least KNOW I did….that is the difference.  Education. 

The second thing I look for is interesting material.  Wording needs to be original and not riddled with clichés and trite observations.  The reason behind even having poetry is to make use of great minds to sculpt the language…a real poet works to expand meaning through combinations of words.  It is very similar to computer programming that way, in that a programmer will build on and expand the uses of a program and sharpen its directive.  The greater the number of programs, the more use you can make of the computer.  And so, the more combinations of wording we develop, the more in depth meaning we acquire and our language moves forward in its ability to establish good communication.

If you are using clichés for your descriptions, you are NOT a poet.  Because those clichés were already written by the ORIGINAL inventor of that wording.  It is not yours.

The third thing I look for in writing is heart.  That is the hardest element to describe, but tends to go hand in hand with an ability for flow--the workings of cadence that make for a pleasurable and heart touching read.  This third element is more of a gift, and you either have it or don’t. 

People treat the term “poet” too lightly in my opinion.  You don’t dub yourself a poet just because you throw some verses together.  It is not something you do, it is a title.  And that title is EARNED.