What About Critiques??

[Nate]

For the most part, I feel we have a wonderful group of writers who love helping other's poetry develop as much as developing their own. But with the recent influx of new members to the board, I wanted to make a suggestion that we all try our best to critique as many poems as we post (as I said, for the most part, this is not a problem) as to keep this community of writers flowing as a give-and-take forum.

I'm continually looking forward to seeing more of your writing, as well as reading your critiques of others work (and critiquing myself)...

Thanks to you all. In hopes of progress...

Nate

[Agnes]

[quote="Nate"]For the most part, I feel we have a wonderful group of writers who love helping other's poetry develop as much as developing their own. But with the recent influx of new members to the board, I wanted to make a suggestion that we all try our best to critique as many poems as we post (as I said, for the most part, this is not a problem) as to keep this community of writers flowing as a give-and-take forum.

I'm continually looking forward to seeing more of your writing, as well as reading your critiques of others work (and critiquing myself)...

Thanks to you all. In hopes of progress...

Nate[/quote]

It's been a bit quiet, but I don't want anyone to feel pressured to critique my poems. If you feel like you have something you'd like to say about one of my poems, that's great. If you have nothing to say about any of my poems, that's fine too. If you're gonna "give," I'd rather you give because you want to, not because you feel obligated. I'll comment and offer suggestions where I can. Some might even be helpful.


Agnes

[Nate]

I guess maybe I should've added "critique or comment". Comments are good, because sometimes we just don't know what to say or add. Good point, Agnes, comments are acceptible...

Nate

[poetjo]

Hi Nate and Agnes:

I know that as a newcomer to writing forums, I sometimes will look at a poem and not quite know what to say or to add so it was good to read here in the discussion section that comments are just as valuable. Comments I can do!!
Occassionally, when I read some of the crits, I feel totally inadequate to the task at hand so I just tend to read, read and then read some more hoping, at some point, that I can crit as well as others I see here.
I may not be able to critique a poem line by line in terms of all of the mechanics of poetry but I can comment on how a poem hits me, on a gut level - which hopefully, can help the writer in some way.

thanks for opening this topic up to discussion!
jo

[Cat Sith]

What Jo said! That's me too.

[Agnes]

[quote="WordSith"]What Jo said! That's me too. [/quote]

Heh. Yeah. Like poetry, critique is a many-legged beast. You won't find complete agreement on what literary critique looks like or what it's supposed to do or which way it should go. Every leg has its own opinion. Perhaps critique is a spider...with multiple personality disorder.

Sorry. Couldn't help myself.

If interested, you can find articles and essays and suggested reading lists for books that address the subject of literary criticism. I think one of the books I've heard of is called "How to Read Poetry" or something like that. Here are the urls to a couple online sites. The first gives an idea of just how complex a beastie criticism can be. The second two offer specific suggestions on how to critique poetry.

http://www.literatureclassics.com/ancie ... l#purposes

http://www.blehert.com/essays/critique.html

http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewart ... 8&id=16980

I also stumbled across a site where writers offer their ideas/opinions about writing. This url will take you to Walt McDonald's comments, but other authors are listed on the left of the page:
http://www.etext.org/Zines/Critique/wri ... onald.html

The magazine itself looks like it might be interesting to wander through.

Take what ya need. Leave the rest.

Agnes

[Cat Sith]

Agnes,

Thanks for these links. I need to go back and read them more thoroughly, time permitting, but at first glance the thing that jumped out at me was the one article about critiquing new writers. Since I have not written much, that tells me that I need to be somewhat careful about what I put out there. I guess that also explains why I have not shared what I consider to be my better work here, only the ones that trouble me (of my past writing, the new stuff I just toss out there... I'm not attached to it yet )

I admit that I *do* get afraid to write because I still haven't really figured out what it is about the previous things that are wrong. I haven't found a "voice" yet. I am still just trying to get the words and feelings down and sort them out at this point.

That article is particularly helpful to me in the sense that it tells me to go ahead and write and make my mistakes. And for now maybe my job is to just ponder what others have shared about my writing and write again. So rather than just focus backwards and try to rewrite, I need to also really focus on moving forwards with my new found information and write, write and write some more.

Some of the other things that I saw make me realize why Okie(Shaun) also specifically asked that people only comment on her poems strengths for things she had just started. Not sure where she went but hopefully she'll pop back in here sometime.

Well those are my thoughts on that and nothing to do with what I originally intended to post, so I guess I'll start another.

Kim

[Cat Sith]

Nate,

When I first joined, someone (you? Gary? someone else?) told me that board etiquette for this forum is to post at least two crits for every one poem that is submitted for critique.

That seems fair and I've been trying to abide by that since I got here. Even with my limited experience, I was told that my opinion and reaction to someone's poem counted and to just go with that.

Hope that helps anyone out there wondering...

Kim

[Nate]

Even with my limited experience, I was told that my opinion and reaction to someone's poem counted and to just go with that.

I think critiques are really more for the critic than they are the poet. I think we learn more about our own craft by digging into the poems of others. I personally think it's good sometimes to approach a poem from your gut. Instinct is crucial to the poet and it's nice to read how poems work (or don't) from those who are not "formally" trained. But any level of comment or critique are helpful. I think you would benefit from the latter, but feel free to approach a poem as you please...

Nate

[joanmarie]

Hi everyone,
I know critiquing can be a sensitive subject, but I feel it's just as essential and worth while to a writers' growth as writing is. It's part of our 'work out', makes us more aware of the strong and weak points in writing. I think everyone want some feedback on their writing, and it doesn't have to be lengthy, just an honest observation from the reader. As artists, we want to be acknowledged, and we want to reach people on an emotional level. If we don't receive comments/critiques, how will we know if our writing is effective?

I do not excell in the art of critiquing, but I try my best to let the writer know how and what their piece made me feel, or how the rhytym/rhyme sounds, or maybe suggest some punctuation.

So I think along with reading, which is so important, critiquing is just as essential to us 'artists'. It's a gauge, it's not personal, and I welcome any and all critiquies to my work. Even if you don't like it, or don't get it, I would rather know that so I can improve.

Ok I'll be quiet now. Good subject of discussion.

Be well,

Joan

[Szandara]

Hi,

I just joined...I have been looking for a poetry group and given my time constraints an online one seemed the best solution. I looked in here and people seem to take both poetry and each other seriously.

My impression is that it's considered rude to only post one's onw poems and not offer critiques, so I've done a few before actually offering any of my own work...I hope that's okay.

[Zefuyn]

I'll 2nd what you say Zha, I just hope we get some new posts to critique soon!

[therealcoyboy]

Aye! ((((((PEACE))))))coyboy

[lars2]

I've posted a few comments here on poems I found interesting.

I must say I find critiqing very difficult. To me, poems are a like it, don't like it, proposition.

I can see mistakes in mechanics (I make enough of them myself to be an expert) I think that to be competent as a poet you must have good mechanics. I am not referring to forms here, but to basic skills.

I also agree with postings I've seen here stating a poet shouldn't have to explain what a piece is about. Mechanics and form should be mastered to drive understanding.

Good poems are like knives. They cut deep with one stroke. Like knives they need constant sharpening. A good poem may never be finished, unless perhaps the poet dies.

Why then do we post? We are generally our own worst critics and taskmasters. Perhaps it is only that foolish joy we feel when a child of ours is born. We think this child better than all others. Later we learn the truth.