Simplicity in Poetry

[milo]

A lot of poems may seem to use more words than necessary, often able to summarized in a brief sentence or two (see Leanne's example). 

Glad you see you changed your mind about that one!

I might have had to break you.

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1. Always identify your audience.
2. Always write to your audience.
3. Always.

I heartily disagree with this.
Just write a great poem, the audience is of no consequence .

Respectfully (please don't beat me ), isn't this the same as saying that your ultimate audience is yourself? I don't mean that in a bad way, it just sounds like you've identified your audience. If you're not writing for anyone else, you're writing for yourself. I think this is noble, but I'm far too egotistical to not want accolades from the masses (said 75% tongue in cheek)!

I feel like it's kind of a tree falling in the forest and no one hearing it situation -- how do you know it's a great poem if no one else reads it?

I also heartily disagree with this. You write to create a poem. From there what happens, happens.
You would deliberately make a poem worse to pander to an audience?
Anyway, if you write a great poem the audience will find it.