Writing a Critique

I would like other Teachers here to express thier views on critigue, along with the students.



Why critique a poem?

To help the poet!

In commenting on a poem you are trying to help the writer decide whether he/she has succeeded in what he/she set out to do in the poem.

It's therefore important not only to say whether you like or dislike something but also to say specifically WHY.

However, sometimes its not always easy for people doing their first critiques to identify precisely WHY they like or dislike a poem, so below are some elements of poems that you might like to think about together with suggestions that you should follow for your first few critiques:

1 Read the poem aloud several times, at least three, and try and focus on what you think the overall message or meaning is. Write this down as your "Poem Summary"

2 Dont just type your message straight into the reply window. Preferably print out the poem and carry it with you for a few hours (or even days!), making annotations as ideas about it come to you. In other words - DON'T RUSH!

3 Now, bearing in mind your "Poem Summary", work through the poem starting to try to identify the individual elements of the piece that stand out for you. You could think about:

a. Sound, Syntax and Diction - In reading the poem aloud hopefully you will have formed some idea of whether you like the way it sounds: how easily it trips off the tongue, or if it has meter and rhyme, how well these work in the poem (sound). Are the sentences awkwardly or elegantly constructed (syntax)? Do the individual words used (diction) seem to "fit"?

b. Voice - Quite often poems have a specific speaker or "voice". It may be an old man from Burma or a child or no specific person, just a genderless voice, yet still one which is important to the poem. Listen for the "voice" and see if you think it is convincing in the context of your Poem Summary.

c. Action - Think about the action in the poem. Is it clear to you what's happening, and how it's happening.

d. Things! - This may seem like an odd heading, but poems can often be a bit like paintings. It's quite a rare poem that is successful by being vague, so look for clear descriptions of objects and people. Look for clear IMAGES. Beware abstract concepts. If someone says in a poem, "I loved him", look to see if the poet is showing you a PARTICULAR KIND of "love". If he/she isn't, then ask yourself if that's good enough for you in the context of the poem.

e. Metaphors and similes - See if you can identify any places where a poet is saying such and such is "like" something else e.g. "She was like a beautiful swan" or "He's tall as a beanstalk". Those are similes. Tell the poet if they work for you or not. Metaphor can be an even stronger way to show characteristics; the poet transfers the actual identity of something on to something else, as in: "The surface of the water was slate". Obviously the water isn't real slate, but by stating it like that the poet immediately transfers a picture of the water to the reader. Does that work for you? Let the poet know.

f. Lines - Look at the way the poet has arranged the lines of the poem. Short lines usually slow up reading speed, long lines often speed it up. Is that working? What about the places that the lines break onto the next line. You may think that lines that keep ending on "weak" words like "a" and "but" disrupt the poem, but then again there may be good reasons for it. Think about it in context.

g. Conciseness - Poems often benefit from cutting down the word count. If there are lots of "filler" words such as "the", "a", and "because "for example it may be that some can be removed with no loss of meaning. Look out for this.

h. Cliches - You will often hear people saying that a poem is no good because it contains cliches. Cliches are phrases or words which have been used so often that there is a danger that they have lost their original force or meaning. There are of course times when it's appropriate to use a well known phrase, and probably, unless the poem is overwhelmed with cliches, you'll be able to find more interesting, but perhaps less obvious, problems with the poem. Remember, anyone can spot a cliche, but it takes a close and observant reader to pick out the more subtle problems with a poem.

4 Now write out your critique starting with your Poem Summary - what you think the poem is about.

Go on to say whether you think that the poet has succeeded in your opinion in achieving what you think he/she set out to do.

Then the important part: say WHY you liked or disliked it, or part of it, and pick out at least one or two of the headings (a-h) above to comment on or support your statements.

If you don't understand bits of the poem then ASK the poet what was intended.

5 ABOVE ALL be absolutely honest. People in this forum want the truth about their poems. If you like something, say so, but equally, if you find an aspect that really doesn't work for you, you should point this out too. It is not helpful to be harsh or cruel, but saying you don't like something will assist a poet in improving a poem just as much as making positive comments.

Finally, remember that your comments are just your opinion. Not one of us here knows everything - we are all here to help each other learn.

Reading and commenting on other people's poetry can help you write better too, so have fun and good luck!

Writing a Critique with Appreciations

One of the greatest storytellers in the world, Jay O'Callahan, travels with his stories and runs a series of storytelling workshops to help aspiring storytellers (and experienced masters) hone their craft. Jay is also a pioneer of Appreciations, a technique to improve the skills of storytellers without any demoralizing consequences. "Appreciations" are a unique form of feedback that help creative professionals focus on developing their strengths.

Time Magazine describes O'Callahan as "a man of elegance, wit, and poetry." The Washington Post cites his one-man stories as "first rate theater." O'Callahan is a master of his craft. As he develops his own stories and those of others, he insists on a method known as "sharing appreciations."

Here's the concept behind appreciations: Having just shared a story (or, in other contexts, a presentation, idea, etc...), you would go around and ask people to comment on the elements they appreciate. After hearing the aspects of your story that people appreciate most, you are likely to emphasize those components more (and thus de-emphasize the other components that are not appreciated).

It is clear that O'Callahan's approach spans beyond storytelling. O'Callahan explains, "It is strange that, in our culture, we are trained to look for weaknesses. When I work with people, they are often surprised when I point out the wonderful crucial details - the parts that are alive." O'Callahan goes on to suggest that, "if our eyes are always looking for weakness, we begin to lose the intuition to notice the beauty."


“Sometimes someone will say, 'I just want to know how to improve, not what is good.' People think that pointing out faults is the only way to improve.”


Of course, the contrarian view to Jay O'Callahan's approach is that more direct feedback and criticism might help one "cut to the chase." One member of the team attended a workshop and explained some initial frustrations, "I tend to like hearing 'this is what you did well, and this is what didn't work.' At first, I was frustrated as I tried to figure out, from the appreciations that I received, what was noticeably missing in my stories. However, toward the end, I noticed the appreciations molding my stories."

O'Callahan would likely argue the merits of appreciation-based-feedback in all creative realms. "People need to relax to be able to disover. Our unconscious won't come forward and help us see things when we are too logical and focused on criticism. ...Sometimes someone will say, 'I just want to know how to improve, not what is good.' People think that pointing out faults is the only way to improve. This is an ancient way of thinking! Appreciations are not about being polite. They are about pointing out what is alive. The recipient must take it in, incorporate it."

Appreciations may be more difficult to give than constructive criticism. "Everyone thinks they can tell you what is good. But, no, it takes years to be able to say, 'that phrase is fresh, that was a lovely image, sheets on the bed like snow covered mountains, lovely.' ...It is hard to get people to pay attention to that skill."

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RE: Writing a Critique

Critiquing is hard, so if it’s part of the big leagues
Then I am triple A,
Olan01 from here on OP says,
A Poet is Only Good as Their Last Poem.

I say, lol
Poetry/Baseball Analogy:

Time is the pitcher.
We are the batter.
Homeruns are to those who try harder.
We are in the game because we love to play.
Coaches/Teachers are those who love the game enough
to take there own time to teach us.
These teachers here deserve more than what we give them credit for..
It's a win win situation no matter if you enter in the contest or not.
I had 900 poems before posting here.
It took my 465 times at bat to get a home run with my poem
The Grid of the Heart.
I have two little sluggers to guide in this life.
How can I let them down, doing what I love to do.
I’ll take a loss, to win, I have bills to pay.
I'll take a a critique, I prefer a professional one more over.
And the appreciations technique is like wood to the fire.
Love it.
It’s a great big internet out there, with many many ball parks,
but we should be grateful, and motivated here for the reasons
in the article below.


The Poetry Feminaissance
This is a very great article a must read.

It will show you why we are blessed to have

originalpoetry.com



This article contains questions like this.



Do you think it's a good time to be a female poet in America?



Do you think the traditional publishing industry still dictates what poetry does (and does not) get read?



How do you think the means of publication for poetry and poetry itself are related?



How does book distribution and online publication tie into a project like Poets for Living Waters?



Link HERE"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/travis-nichols/the-poetry-feminaissance_b_607561.html

Last edited by WordSlinger 08-03-2010 at 06:15:44 PM

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RE: Writing a Critique

The following is a modern day fable by the great James Thurber, from Fables For Our Time. This is dedicated poets between those who seek honest feedback and all those who are already convinced of their own literary "greatness" and are merely attempting to amass favorable comments and to be "discovered".....

A large spider in an old house built a beautiful web in which to catch flies. Every time a fly landed on the web and was entangled in it, the spider devoured him, so that when another fly came along, he would think that the web was a safe and quiet place in which to rest. One day a fairly intelligent fly buzzed around above the web so long without lighting that the spider appeared and said "Come on down." But the fly was too clever for him and said, "I will never land where I don't see other flies and I don't see any other flies in your house." So he flew away until he came to a place where he saw a great many other flies. He was about to fly there and settle himself down among them when a bee buzzed up and said, "Hold on, stupid, that's flypaper!. All those other flies that you see are trapped." But the fly replied, "Don't be silly, they're all having a good time dancing." So the fly settled on the flypaper and became stuck along with all the other flies.
Moral: There is really no safety in numbers, or anything else for that matter.

RE: Writing a Critique

Poetry: How to Critique poetry
By Rose DesRochers
http://www.todayswriting.com/article310.html

The act of writing poetry is something that is very personal to us poets, and sharing it for the first time can be a very frightening experience. The first experience of having your work criticized can boggle your mind and set you back a step in your writing. However, critique is essential in any writer’s career. Accepting criticism is something that we all must face, even if we don't like it.


When I received my first harsh critique, it was on an Ezboard workshop, and right then I wanted to give up writing. My critics were arrogant and, in my opinion, very mean. It was a most painful experience. After running an online writing community for several years, I have met a few arrogant and mean people, just like the one on Ezboard. I think that some of these poets have gone to workshops, and have been critiqued in this manner, so now they think this is how one critiques. Wrong!

How to give a critique:

Short reviews like: "good poem," "I like this," and "awesome," are not useful to any poet. When giving a critique, remember that poets are looking for an in-depth critique. As writers, we thrive on and grow as writers by getting both positive and negative comments on our work. At all times keep your responses respectful. You don't have to take a critical, lengthy review approach, when commenting on others’ poetry. You might just want to comment on the way the poem struck you, what you liked about a poem, or what threw you off about a poem. Maybe you can quote part of the poem and tell why you liked that verse. You don't have to write a book; just a few comments can really help someone know what works and what doesn't. Remember to be tactful, and never disrespect the writer. Poets are sensitive souls, and they take their poetry to heart. There is a wrong way, and a right way to say everything. You can offer constructive criticism, where the poet is going to learn from it without being disrespectful; never mock your fellow poet.

Here is an example: You just read a poem and all you can find are reasons you disliked it. Maybe it had a number of spelling/grammar mistakes, and run on sentences. Instead of commenting on just the bad parts of the poem, start out by pointing out the good things. For instance, you could say,” I think you've done a really fine job expressing your emotions. However, I believe that your poem could use some work on the structure to make it complete. I noticed a few spelling and grammar mistakes. I really think this is a good attempt and, if you are looking for a more in-depth critique, I would be happy to work with you to tighten up the poem.”

How not to give a critique:

Never critique the author; critique the poem. Never change the poem, and put it in your own words. When you do this, it is no longer the poet’s thoughts. Never think that you are an expert in your field. All poets have room for improvement. Never look at another poet as a failure. Instead, keep in mind, just as in movies, not every poem will appeal to you. Don't point out every line in the poem that needs work. You should save that for a more in-depth critique, if the poet desires it. Don't come off as an arrogant critic, which is not the way to help people, or win friends in the writing business.

Critique is important to all poets. However, if you feel that you are an expert on poetry with no room for improvement yourself, then maybe you should stay away from critique groups. Instead, turn your creative energy toward your own work to see how you might improve it."