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For poets who want unrestricted constructive criticism. This is NOT a vanity workshop. If you do not want your poem seriously critiqued, do not post here. Constructive criticism only. PLEASE Only Post One Poem a Day!!!

5/19/2017 6:51:22 AM Elle Meadow Posts: 15	When you invite critique on your work, you are saying "please help me make this better", or "please help me be a better writer". The motivation of the person who responds to that request is to help. Now sometimes that help might be more in depth than others. Some will be more useful than others, but make no mistake, the intent is to help to the best ability of the person critiquing. So what should your response be? #1 Do NOT ARGUE with the person who offered critique .Nor should you try to justify your choices no matter how wrong the criitique may seem to you. Many workshops / critique groups have strict rules about not responding to any critique except to say thank you. #2 No matter how much you may disagree with a critique, wait until your emotions subside and read it again quietly. Try to evaluate the critique unemotionally. #3 Evaluate the criticique. Was there anything useful in it? Does it teach you anything? Does it suggest a new way of looking at your work. You may not like the exact ideas put forward, but do they make you think differently than you did before? Is there anything at all you can take from it and use to make your poem better? #4 Understand that the critiquer's perspective on the poem is that of an outsider. Things that are obvious to you, the writer, are not obvious to them. Even if they ask what seems to be a silly question, understand that the question arose because something in your writing was not clear. The way they receive your words is that of a reader coming to the work cold. They do not know you, they do not know what you know about the work. And they can't know. If you feel compelled to explain what they don't know, but which you know, then there is a problem with the writing. You aren't sitting on the shoulder of every reader waiting at the ready to explain what you meant by a certain word of phrase and 'oh wait, that actually means ..' EVERY question or bit the critiquer doesn't understand is because you didn't write it well enough. #5 Critique is not a personal attack. Yes your work is your baby that you shed blood, sweat and tears to get on the page, but you also knew that it might not be as perfect as it can be, so you asked for help. Someone took the time and made the effort to attempt to help. They aren't maliciously attempting to attack you personally. Try to remember that. And if you do get upset - see #1.
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5/19/2017 2:22:25 PM Darren White Posts: 31	I like this, and I agree. I personally welcome critique on my writing. I welcome it on the 'normal' and I would welcome it here. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.# Your point #4 I would like to add or argue that some poems are deliberately kept vague, not everything should have to be explained, some ambiguity is attractive. If it is needed to be able to give decent critique, yes then I agree edited by dWite on 5/19/2017
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5/19/2017 2:46:46 PM Elle Meadow Posts: 15	dWite wrote: I like this, and I agree. I personally welcome critique on my writing. I welcome it on the 'normal' and I would welcome it here. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.# Your point #4 I would like to add or argue that some poems are deliberately kept vague, not everything should have to be explained, some ambiguity is attractive. If it is needed to be able to give decent critique, yes then I agree edited by dWite on 5/19/2017 I know this is going to sound like an oxymoron, but even if it is 'vague' in one sense, it should still be clear what the author is aiming to express.
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