weirdelf
By weirdelf, 3 December, 2011
the_fool

the biggest problem i've been having with critiquing, as i imagine a lot of on-line poets have been having, is that i have literally no experience or training on the subject. i hesitate giving an opinion beyond 'like-or-dislike' for fear of others noticing that i missed the point. i'm the guy that didn't know lincoln was my captain. i also have to look up the word alliteration any time i see it on a critique. please don't hold it against me, i'm the forevernoob.
but i can say that this piece stops short of any poetry or prose and seems to be more of a blog entry. :)

weirdelf

It's cool, fool. It takes a wee while to get into the swing of critique. Kelesey has posted some great blogs and forums on it in the past, if we're lucky she may re-post them.

Mostly I suggest as a start, read poems aloud to listen for stumbling meter, watch out for cliches and don't be afraid to critique content if it strikes you as trite, sentimental, ignorant or even hate-based.

the_fool

yes, i do have a great sense of humor and try to be funny whenever a perfect opportunity presents itself (notice the smiley face at the end of the post). and yes, i do notice which posts are blogs, poems or the others i forget the names of at the moment. just couldn't help giving a poetry critique on a blog piece about poetry critiquing. you should read my critique on the test poem by neopoet. i had a good laugh with that one.

Maybe i am.
and why?
In four years at Neopoet I have learned more about the writing of poetry, and the reading of it, than in the fourty years before that. That was a direct result of writing exactly as I thought of each poem. And being prepared to accept poo flung back.

Almost all the great poets we know grew their poetry in an immediate community of poets. We are trying to do it online. Where of course, we can edit so much before speech.

So we need to say it true and now.