What makes a good poet

 A good poet listens more, than he writes. It may sound absurd, because a poet is rewarded by its results, but those results are like the proverbial Iceberg. Listening; Meditating; Mulling over words; Expressions and Feelings, are the colour palette, the poet uses to paint his canvases, to frame his stories and imageries.

Not always dost, the poet know all the figures of speech, thus his must travel far and close; to and through. to keep learning and relearning the same language, multiple languages. Jumbling it up to its building blocks and finding new ways, how to make words and expressions connect to each-other. 

The point is not to make the best and greatest poem, what wins awards. That would be, like entrenching the canvas in neon colours, maybe it will draw attention once; twice; thrice -- eventually it will dull the senses, because you're too much invested inside. 

Those who breathe in, also must master breathing out. After a long day, there is a night. There are so much more aspects to life than success-stories. Sometimes, the defeat stories are far more compelling, because, they forced the poet, to outsource and go forth to exit his comfort zone. He couldn't stay with his straight and narrow to find a new pathway back to his old home in a different time. 

Silence is very important, in writing poetry -- both in finding a space to write, but allowing space to listen. If you add picture over picture over picture, most people get overwhelmed and don't know, what should they digest first, standing in front of the pastry wall stretching far and whide -- up and below. Always mind about the audiences ability to grasp, what you are refering to. Because you're not writing to yourself, although that can be sometimes also refreshing. You're on a mission, and that must be accomplished, with as little effort as possible. 

The best poets give ideas to others and then vanish into the shadows, letting others have their encore and debut on the stage. Giving inspiration and insight is far more rewarding, than using it yourself. Seeing, how someone else run with it, and made it his own, in ways, you might have not even fathomed. That is the true spirit and genius of Poetry. To be the medium between madness and Wisdom. The Holy Fool, who steps into the ravine, to go from mountaintop to mountaintop. 

Don't pursue greatness on your own, let Greatness pursue you, as you do your thing. Greatness is like a spoiled courtier -- she's impervious to your flatteries and gifts and you can never possess her love, but you can gain her faint smile every now and then, if you're determined to go your way unabated. Temperance and Dicsipline are keys. Then you lack Discipline, make it yours. Take no prisoners and no's for an answer...btw. learn to break the rules and get out of the box. If you see, that something, what you're taught, dost not work and you can fuck it better, then go for it. Godspeed.