Writer’s Mail
Tuesdays with Story
March 11, 2016
“The courage of the poet is to keep ajar the door that leads into madness.” – Christopher Morley
How to Critique poetry – Sent by Eva Mays – Thanks!!
by Chanti Niven
To kick this off, I put forward a few ideas and suggestions that will help you in the critique process. I chose the letter ‘I’ to do this to remind us all that poetry is subjective and so is a critique. What one person may love may leave another cold. I have posted a poem in a few different poetry forums and received rave reviews in some and have had my work ripped to shreds in others. Remember when you critique the work of others, always be constructive and positive. Rather than say something offensive and hurtful, say nothing at all. When you express how you feel about a person’s work, be careful to state ‘I feel…’ and ‘I think…’ rather than to say ‘This poem is…’ etc. When you do make these statements, always substantiate your words e.g. ‘I felt that this poem could have been more effectively rendered by…’ or ‘I would suggest that you…’ Always ask yourself the question ‘How have I added value with this critique?’ Critique should always add value. Your intention should never be to hurt the feelings of the poet. It should be to encourage, to educate and to inspire.
When you examine a poem you could use this checklist to help you to critique and provide constructive feedback. (more…)
Tuesdays with Story 