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[billy]

I never start writing a poem unless I already know what I'm writing.

I know people say they use a dictionary or thesaurus, and it's a writer's best friend. But I think it's best not to use words unless I already know what they mean.

What do you think about it?

that's more or less along the lines of what bukowski said he did with his stuff.
i always have a rhyming dictionary on hand for that sort of poem and they can also be good for internal rhymes. i use the dictionary for words i think i know and a thesaurus if i can't think up a substitute when i want to use the same word twice in a poem. using these tools also help expand the vocabulary. in the main no one uses words they don't know, they just use words they think they know and make mistakes (sometimes)