I've been blogging about how to write in a more literary fashion. The difference between a good piece of writing and a truly polished piece of writing is careful attention to the individual words. This is not something to worry about the first draft or even the second. This is what you worry about when you're on your final or almost final draft, when you've done everything else you can think to do. Consider each word, each connotation, the rhythm and rhyme of each poem and polish it some more.
One thing to consider is sounds. Consider whether assonance (similar vowel sounds often at the beginning of a word) or alliteration (same thing but with consonants) can help. In other words, are there places where the same consonant or vowel slipped into multiple places in a sentence helps its unity of sound? Take note of the alliteration in the last sentence. A lot of poets use this technique, especially with children's poetry. Children often like rhythm and rhyme in their stories, and similar sounds like this are a sort of rhyme. I'd caution that too much of this can make a line seem cheesy, especially in adult pieces. But a little can create unity and poetic beauty without the overuse of obvious rhyme, adverbs, or adjectives.
Another thing to consider is poetic use of imagery. Prose will often speak in a straightforward fashion, sometimes using adverbs or adjectives. To turn the language into something more poetic is to use metaphors, similes, and word plays. We can say, "She went into the room," and it gets the job done. We can even say, "She swept into the large chamber," and we get a better visual with a stronger verb and an occasional adjective (as long as we don't get overly purple or ornate to the point that no action happens). But if "She twirled like a dancer in her first ballet into her new bedchamber," the simile achieves several things at once, including showing insights into her character, giving the reader a powerful visual, and setting the stage just a little better. If your first draft looks like the first example, your second looks like the second example, and your third looks like the third example, you're moving in the right direction. If possible, consider using rhythm, emphasizing certain syllables as in a song or Shakespeare.
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Another thing to consider is tight language. Every word should have power and do several things at once when possible. Every verb should be potent, the adverbs minimal, and the adjectives creative and fresh. Beware of overwriting such as "She rode her old horse into the middle part of the central region of her favorite town in the world and searched the surrounding roads for the man she was targeting." This is bland and wordy. You can say the very same thing with "She clopped Rosie, her second-hand nag, through her favorite town to Main to hunt her target." Seek and destroy words that aren't necessary and search for more powerful/descriptive versions of what remains. Any repetition that remains should be intentional language play that adds to the meaning rather than increasing verbal clutter.
There is much more to poetry. Turning prose more poetic can enhance the beauty of your writing and make it more literary in so many meaningful ways.
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