A burr may be an unexpected word, grammatical snag, tonal mismatch, or unresolved image. Unlike an accidental error, it has a purpose: it slows reading, exposes contradiction, or prevents a difficult experience from being made too neat. In a poem about trauma or social conflict, burrs can keep discomfort audible. During revision, the poet should test each roughness carefully. If it produces only confusion, remove it; if it creates thought or pressure, let it remain as a productive catch.

A burr is an intentional snag in the poem’s surface, such as an awkward syntax, abrasive sound, unresolved image, or sudden tonal shift. It should create productive friction rather than result from carelessness. A burr may slow reading and force attention toward an ethical or emotional difficulty. Test it with readers, then decide whether its resistance deepens the poem or simply obscures meaning. Related terms include dissonance, roughness, and defamiliarization.