One Question

[twelveoone]

Why do you bother?
Directed at two people.
One whom, I've never seen a favourable comment on anybodies work.
Another who hands out comments like a pat on the head.
Just thought I'd ask, since I seem to be the only person here that owns up the fact that I am wrong half of the time.
Neither one of you have done little more than scratch the surface of what is known as poetry, nobody has.
Neither one of you seems to have that one vital component that is essential for poetry, a sense of awe.
I know we all like to play that little game of oneupsmanship, we all do it.

However, it is not in your best interest to lose sight of the fact, that sometimes, someone, may be doing something that you can learn something from. It may be my one saving grace, that I am in awe, remain in awe. I've seen things here, I won't find elsewhere.
Thank you
annaswirls, WickedEve, fridayam, for starters.
Thank you
Angeline, jd4george and the whole host of others I've picked up little tricks from.
Thank you, those that have passed
Rybka, YDD You remain more alive, than those with their eyes closed, except when they look in the mirror, singing "how great I art"

Here's a couple smiley faces to lighten up the mood.

 

[bronzeage]

There are some internet poetry forums where there is a culture of negative critique. It's the "if you have something nice to say, shut the fuck up," principle of literature. Sites such as these attract formal education students, who are delighted to find a place to reuse the red ink comments they find on returned papers.

For myself, I do not like to leave negative comments in public posts. If asked by the writer, I will read and after consideration will give honest and frank critique, in private. I get requests from writers of Lit stories quite often, but I do not remember being asked to review a poem.

 

[Angeline]

There are some internet poetry forums where there is a culture of negative critique. It's the "if you have something nice to say, shut the fuck up," principle of literature. Sites such as these attract formal education students, who are delighted to find a place to reuse the red ink comments they find on returned papers.

For myself, I do not like to leave negative comments in public posts. If asked by the writer, I will read and after consideration will give honest and frank critique, in private. I get requests from writers of Lit stories quite often, but I do not remember being asked to review a poem.

I have a scale of how honest I'm willing to be, depending on how well I know the writer (as well as you can know anyone here) and their ability to see critique as someone else's opinion and not a personal attack. Also I do not comment on a poem if I think it isn't very good to begin with, so anything less than "I love it" is meant in the context of "here are possible ways it could be even better." Well sometimes I don't comment because I don't have time or don't feel I have anything helpful to add. Especially these days when there are so many interesting poems showing up here daily it's hard to find a balance of feedback and finding time to work on my own poems.

 

[bronzeage]

I have a scale of how honest I'm willing to be, depending on how well I know the writer (as well as you can know anyone here) and their ability to see critique as someone else's opinion and not a personal attack. Also I do not comment on a poem if I think it isn't very good to begin with, so anything less than "I love it" is meant in the context of "here are possible ways it could be even better." Well sometimes I don't comment because I don't have time or don't feel I have anything helpful to add. Especially these days when there are so many interesting poems showing up here daily it's hard to find a balance of feedback and finding time to work on my own poems.

Although it may not show in the comments, I spend a lot time on them. The poem may stay open as a window in the background for a day or more before I am ready to comment. I want to read it several times, with breaks between readings. Often I do not comment at all because I have not had time to compose something useful.

Right now, I am working on a novel and new poems come as they will.

 

[Angeline]

Although it may not show in the comments, I spend a lot time on them. The poem may stay open as a window in the background for a day or more before I am ready to comment. I want to read it several times, with breaks between readings. Often I do not comment at all because I have not had time to compose something useful.

Right now, I am working on a novel and new poems come as they will.

I understand this. When I submit poems here they're not first drafts--sometimes they're things I've worked on over and over--but they are still drafts. I may not punctuate or do other kinds of polishing things I would were I trying to get them published somewhere that doesn't take a poem from me simply because I've submitted it. This is a proving ground for me to see if I'm on the right track: and that's why comments that say why someone did or didn't like it are so valuable to me. But some people here, especially the ones new to Lit, may feel like they're putting their heart and soul out there with the poem and I have no desire to hurt anyone's feelings.

Good luck with the novel, Bronze.

 

[theognis]

If there are authors on this site who don't like receiving comments from their readers, especially comments of encouragement, I don't know who they would be.

 

[Maria2394]

Why do you bother?
Directed at two people.
One whom, I've never seen a favourable comment on anybodies work.
Another who hands out comments like a pat on the head.
Just thought I'd ask, since I seem to be the only person here that owns up the fact that I am wrong half of the time.
Neither one of you have done little more than scratch the surface of what is known as poetry, nobody has.
Neither one of you seems to have that one vital component that is essential for poetry, a sense of awe.
I know we all like to play that little game of oneupsmanship, we all do it.

However, it is not in your best interest to lose sight of the fact, that sometimes, someone, may be doing something that you can learn something from. It may be my one saving grace, that I am in awe, remain in awe. I've seen things here, I won't find elsewhere.
Thank you
annaswirls, WickedEve, fridayam, for starters.
Thank you
Angeline, jd4george and the whole host of others I've picked up little tricks from.
Thank you, those that have passed
Rybka, YDD You remain more alive, than those with their eyes closed, except when they look in the mirror, singing "how great I art"

Here's a couple smiley faces to lighten up the mood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Howdy do, twelveoone-
Some of those odd voices that once resided inside my head took it upon themselves to read what amounted to tripe at times and at others, what they thought was "pretty damned decent " poetry. and they even took the time to make suggestions and leave praise. But they stopped because regardless of what was said, good or bad, it was never or should I say, rarely, taken in the spirit intended, which was fellowship and teaching. Some of those beings enjoyed many of the poems posted here, and some of those poems were eventually passed via anus as the turds that they were...( burp)

Someone, perhaps more than just one someone, once said that reviewing the poems was a thankless job. Indeed, it is a job that one must paint a target upon one's arse and face before undertaking said task because "poets" and those who wish to be, often skip ahead and read what they want to read, interpret what was written as slight and slander and hatred of their work.

There have been many dedicated reviewers who have eventually run screaming from their self-assigned duties because of the drama, because someone misread what what was said, because some just cannot take a suggestion in the spirit intended, which is helping and teaching.

I was lucky in the sense that a few very talented poets here took the time to teach me and I was wise enough to listen and try to learn. I am still attempting to learn, but the words that once flowed have been piling up like so much cow shit in a bottle-necked creek. It stinks. I want to write but nothing comes.

Your initial post is curious, I always wonder to whom you are referring when you post like that. It is cryptic, puzzling and at times, humorous. There were many times I would leave kind comments on poems only to get back a "fuck you" or a what do YOU know, and all I said was, good work, or I liked this one.... so you know how it goes, a dog may beg for scraps every day for a year, and get kicked every day for a year, but eventually learns to beg and then scurry away before that foot connects with the dog's ass. I quit commenting. I am sure you know this, unless of course, the poem is so good I cannot restrain myself and that is rare these days, in this forum.

And then, there are days when this dog longs to be kicked in the ass just for the memories of days gone by. I am attempting to be long winded in this post, have I succeeded? If I should comment on one of your poems, would you lick me just for fun? Damn, I meant KICK, not lick....

Your post reminds me of the days when it was commonplace for a poem to get several comments and even constructive criticism but then a generation of babies arrived who have no concept of learning through constructive crit, all they see or hear is criticism, regardless of how sugar coated it may be and in reality, all they want is blind praise even when the poem is crap which has obviously had little or no effort put into its construction, in any and all aspects of what a poem should or should not be ( consist of).. What it boils down to is I do not have it in me to blather on and on about how great a poem is just because a friend wrote it, when in reality, it sucks. What some people do not realize is that a true friend will tell you when your ass looks big in that little black dress..... . I won't lower my own standards to like so many others have just to make friends with lazy pseudo-poets who are seeking not to better his or her craft, but are merely seeking a 5 vote or a pat on the back and a boost of their already overinflated ego.

There are still some excellent poets on this site, but it seems they remain in hiding with their poems and prose which is well worth reading and this has allowed the pretenders and attention whores to run amok with garbage that one might find on Poetry.com.
and countless self-publishing sites.

I have a migraine and feel as if any moment I may begin to channel Plath and heave my dinner all over my freshly waxed 'ardwood floors. All babbling aside, I wanted to say, in my best ass-kissing type and font,, that I personally, have appreciated your teaching and have made earnest attempts at learning the craft and admit that I have miles and miles to go before I would deem myself even a beginner when it comes to being a poet or writer.

It is sad that so many expect so much when they give little more than multitudes of irrelevant posts that may even have a difficult time finding a spot on the GB to which they are relevant. Chitter chatter, blither blather, where have all the poems gone? I guess we who long for honesty in critique and quality attempts at writing new poems are alone in here.....and, I await your dismantling of my own post as I have little else to do but worm my way through the myriad of fractured lines which abound in my head, that smattering of words wishing to become a poem or story but in fact, are nothing more than spittle on the root-bound paths inside my brain.

pax vobiscum, ol buddy. say "Hi" sometime

~~~ Maria

# post script- I do beg to differ, you are not alone in being "wrong" I admit that I am wrong even more than half the time. In fact, I relish being wrong because I learn from my mistakes more than I learn from being "right". Those wrongs remain much longer as lessons whereas "rights" are a temporary smile and a minute later, forgotten. You have taught me lessons which have remained with me for years, and I am grateful, Teacher.

 

[twelveoone]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Howdy do, twelveoone-
You have taught me lessons which have remained with me for years, and I am grateful, Teacher.

Je-zus, don't call me that, I avoid that like the plague. I like you, learn.
In a poem we seek a balance, positive and negative. Half of what I suggest, probably should be ignored, of the remaining half, half of that probably will be, so I don't know, I suspect maybe a 10% will think about it, perhaps in the future. I do.
No, what I am referring too, is a attitude, that somehow they've arrived, and that they are incapable of being surprised that some so-called lesser being might have come up with something.
Everything about poetry is hotly contested, as it should be. But, when and if you reach a position where you can't budge from your own (self-imposed) pinnacle. Well, fellows there is only one place to go.
An analogy: (Expanded on yours)
We are all gifted.
That gift comes in different colours and sizes, like a shirt.
Telling me there is lint on mine, or even that is a dumb colour, I can take that.
When I (the I refers more specially to collective you) am handed a shirt with holes in it smelling of old man's smell, when I am fully dressed. Well fuck you.
100% effusive comments can get annoying, especially if it is a group fan base.
100% comments that are condescending from a person tells me something else. Either they are blind, or playing a different type of game than poetry. I am over in NP a lot.

 

[Maria2394]

Je-zus, don't call me that, I avoid that like the plague. I like you, learn.
In a poem we seek a balance, positive and negative. Half of what I suggest, probably should be ignored, of the remaining half, half of that probably will be, so I don't know, I suspect maybe a 10% will think about it, perhaps in the future. I do.
No, what I am referring too, is a attitude, that somehow they've arrived, and that they are incapable of being surprised that some so-called lesser being might have come up with something.
Everything about poetry is hotly contested, as it should be. But, when and if you reach a position where you can't budge from your own (self-imposed) pinnacle. Well, fellows there is only one place to go.
An analogy: (Expanded on yours)
We are all gifted.
That gift comes in different colours and sizes, like a shirt.
Telling me there is lint on mine, or even that is a dumb colour, I can take that.
When I (the I refers more specially to collective you) am handed a shirt with holes in it smelling of old man's smell, when I am fully dressed. Well fuck you.
100% effusive comments can get annoying, especially if it is a group fan base.
100% comments that are condescending from a person tells me something else. Either they are blind, or playing a different type of game than poetry. I am over in NP a lot.

o-kaaaaay