diff --git a/frontend/cmd/compile.c b/frontend/cmd/compile.c
index d6d33d7..16ddb49 100644
--- a/frontend/cmd/compile.c
+++ b/frontend/cmd/compile.c
@@ -11,15 +11,14 @@
 
 enum {
 	ARG_SOURCE_FILE = 200,
-	OPT_LEX_ONLY,
-	OPT_VERBOSE,
+	OPT_SHOW_LEX_TOKENS,
+	OPT_SHOW_AST_NODES,
 };
 
 static int compile_file(const char *path, const b_arglist *args)
 {
-	bool lex_only
-		= b_arglist_get_count(args, OPT_LEX_ONLY, B_COMMAND_INVALID_ID) > 0;
-	int verbose = b_arglist_get_count(args, OPT_VERBOSE, B_COMMAND_INVALID_ID);
+	bool show_lex = b_arglist_get_count(args, OPT_SHOW_LEX_TOKENS, B_COMMAND_INVALID_ID) > 0;
+	bool show_ast = b_arglist_get_count(args, OPT_SHOW_AST_NODES, B_COMMAND_INVALID_ID) > 0;
 
 	FILE *fp = fopen(path, "r");
 	if (!fp) {
@@ -63,15 +62,10 @@ static int compile_file(const char *path, const b_arglist *args)
 			break;
 		}
 
-		if (verbose >= 2) {
+		if (show_lex) {
 			print_lex_token(tok);
 		}
 
-		if (lex_only) {
-			ivy_token_destroy(tok);
-			continue;
-		}
-
 		status = ivy_parser_push_token(parser, tok);
 
 		if (status != IVY_OK) {
@@ -86,11 +80,10 @@ static int compile_file(const char *path, const b_arglist *args)
 	int r = (status == IVY_OK || status == IVY_ERR_EOF) ? 0 : -1;
 	ivy_file_close(src);
 
-	if (!lex_only && r == 0 && verbose >= 1) {
+	if (r == 0 && show_ast) {
 		struct ivy_ast_node *root = ivy_parser_root_node(parser);
 		struct ivy_ast_node_iterator it = {0};
 		ivy_ast_node_iterate(root, &it, print_ast_node);
-		// ivy_ast_node_print(root);
 	}
 
 	if (lex) {
@@ -133,22 +126,22 @@ B_COMMAND(CMD_COMPILE, CMD_ROOT)
 	B_COMMAND_FLAGS(B_COMMAND_SHOW_HELP_BY_DEFAULT);
 	B_COMMAND_FUNCTION(compile);
 
-	B_COMMAND_OPTION(OPT_LEX_ONLY)
+	B_COMMAND_OPTION(OPT_SHOW_LEX_TOKENS)
 	{
-		B_OPTION_LONG_NAME("lex-only");
-		B_OPTION_SHORT_NAME('L');
+		B_OPTION_LONG_NAME("show-lex");
+		B_OPTION_SHORT_NAME('l');
 		B_OPTION_DESC(
 			"print the lexical tokens generated from the input "
 			"files.");
 	}
 
-	B_COMMAND_OPTION(OPT_VERBOSE)
+	B_COMMAND_OPTION(OPT_SHOW_AST_NODES)
 	{
-		B_OPTION_LONG_NAME("verbose");
-		B_OPTION_SHORT_NAME('v');
+		B_OPTION_LONG_NAME("show-ast");
+		B_OPTION_SHORT_NAME('a');
 		B_OPTION_DESC(
-			"print detailed log output. this option can be used "
-			"multiple times to increase verbosity.");
+			"print the abstract syntax tree generated from the "
+			"input files.");
 	}
 
 	B_COMMAND_ARG(ARG_SOURCE_FILE)