Poetry Discussion Circle

[Lauren Hynde]

This is just a reminder that a Poetry Discussion Circle exists and is in need of some life. As you - or most of you - know, the Poetry Discussion Circle is a venue devoted entirely to focused critique and discussion of specific poems, where poets can offer their poems up for intense examination and critique, free from ego-stroking and distractions. Readers can offer their comments, insights and honest opinions on the selected poems, and engage in open discussion that should ultimately benefit all of us. It hasn't had much activity, lately, and it's a shame.

The latest poem to have been put up for discussion was miss_mystery's "Rideau Canal", but it has only received one comments so far. Another poem has already been added to the queue, but I'd hate to have to put it up with the previous one having received so little feedback. If you have any free time, please hop on over and add your own view!

 

[LadynStFreknBed]

Ok, I put my 2 cents in..
I'm a little shy when it comes to critiquing poetry, but I'll try to remember to check out the thread and comment when I feel the need. Reading critiques on other poems isn't a bad way for me to learn more about poetry as a whole.
Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Try to make your critique as specific and substantial as possible. Read the first post of the Welcome thread there. It can serve as a very useful set of guidelines when critiquing a poem.

 

[twelveoone]

This is just a reminder that a Poetry Discussion Circle exists and is in need of some life. As you - or most of you - know, the Poetry Discussion Circle is a venue devoted entirely to focused critique and discussion of specific poems, where poets can offer their poems up for intense examination and critique, free from ego-stroking and distractions. Readers can offer their comments, insights and honest opinions on the selected poems, and engage in open discussion that should ultimately benefit all of us. It hasn't had much activity, lately, and it's a shame.

The latest poem to have been put up for discussion was miss_mystery's "Rideau Canal", but it has only received one comments so far. Another poem has already been added to the queue, but I'd hate to have to put it up with the previous one having received so little feedback. If you have any free time, please hop on over and add your own view!

ego-stroking, here?
honest opinions, here?
open discussion...
Oh, well it is a shame...
I think the mods (all ladies of considerable talent and varied style) should weigh it a little more with their OP's. But that is just one person's OP.

Should be a pre-req before you do New Poems also.

Quote from G. Carlin
"shit, piss...) no not that one
"More people write poetry than read it"

 

[wildsweetone]

ego-stroking, here?
honest opinions, here?
open discussion...
Oh, well it is a shame...
I think the mods (all ladies of considerable talent and varied style) should weigh it a little more with their OP's. But that is just one person's OP.

Should be a pre-req before you do New Poems also.

Quote from G. Carlin
"shit, piss...) no not that one
"More people write poetry than read it"

was that an offer to do the new poems reviews?

 

[WickedEve]

was that an offer to do the new poems reviews?

1202 is going to do the new poems reviews? Oh, wow! How did you talk him into it?
I want to strip him bare, divide him and multiply him. Just my way of saying thanks.

 

[Tzara]

Should be a pre-req before you do New Poems also.

Why?

.

 

[twelveoone]

Why?

.

I assume you know the answer Tzara, you being one of the brightest people here.

To cut down on the ego stroking, to foster open discussion, and if you can't express your opinion on why something is good, than damn it, maybe you just don't know, and don't care to know, so what the fuck are you bothering to write for? So you can fool yourself that you are an interesting person with something valuble to say? Blither on. May the ghost of Randall Jarrett haunt those blighted asses.

And no, Eve, I will never do New Poems, had enough of the false praise when I did "Interact" , when I got "E"'s and certainly had enough those damned stupid comments and anonymous low scores generated because of retaliation, because I said such and such about so and so's wonderful baring of their soul. I did my time, with "Interact", with comments, and in PDC, and even did mentions in New Poems. I also don't have a set time. It is also 1201, or twelveoone (small case).

Now, WSO, I read your comment on my dawning..., one of the reasons I threw that one out here. You will do well. Should read "flailing" not "failing", what do you think?

 

[Angeline]

I assume you know the answer Tzara, you being one of the brightest people here.

To cut down on the ego stroking, to foster open discussion, and if you can't express your opinion on why something is good, than damn it, maybe you just don't know, and don't care to know, so what the fuck are you bothering to write for? So you can fool yourself that you are an interesting person with something valuble to say? Blither on. May the ghost of Randall Jarrett haunt those blighted asses.

And no, Eve, I will never do New Poems, had enough of the false praise when I did "Interact" , when I got "E"'s and certainly had enough those damned stupid comments and anonymous low scores generated because of retaliation, because I said such and such about so and so's wonderful baring of their soul. I did my time, with "Interact", with comments, and in PDC, and even did mentions in New Poems. I also don't have a set time. It is also 1201, or twelveoone (small case).

Now, WSO, I read your comment on my dawning..., one of the reasons I threw that one out here. You will do well. Should read "flailing" not "failing", what do you think?

Reviewing poems is as much (or more) beneficial to the reviewer as the reader(s). I agree with you: if you can't articulate why you think writing is good, what can you learn and transfer to your own writing? Not that new poem reviewing gives much of an opportunity for that--though it does, sometimes. And after 5+ years here I'm still waiting for the ego-stroking to stop and the honest discussion to begin. It happens, but more in pm than posts, methinks.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

After the Storm, by unapologetic, is now up for discussion in the Poetry Discussion Circle.

Remember, the purpose of the Poetry Discussion Circle is to subject poems to intense scrutiny. Try to make your critique as substantial and honest as possible.

 

[Tzara]

To cut down on the ego stroking, to foster open discussion, and if you can't express your opinion on why something is good, than damn it, maybe you just don't know, and don't care to know, so what the fuck are you bothering to write for? So you can fool yourself that you are an interesting person with something valuble to say? Blither on. May the ghost of Randall Jarrett haunt those blighted asses.

I interpreted your original comment as being about someone being required to post comments or analysis prior to submitting something to New Poems. If you meant that it should be a requirement before they are allowed to review New Poems, then I still disagree with you, but not so harshly.

I don't happen to see anything wrong with someone wanting to write poems or stories or whatever regardless of their motive or aspirations or skill level. That most of the people posting poems aren't very good (in my opinion, anyway) and seem to mainly want people to tell them good things about their writing (your poem was so moving/sexy/painful/true/funny) doesn't bother me. That they like getting 5s and Hs and wail when someone criticizes their work doesn't bother me.

Why should it? I don't have to read them or comment on them.

Granted, when they start threads complaining about how some "troll" knocked them off some list with a "low vote" and a comment that suggests their poem was trite and uninteresting, then I think we are in agreement. You turn on votes and comments, you get votes and comments. Not all may be to your liking. Stop whining.

But to hold people in contempt because they are not very skilled and apparently uninterested in getting better seems pointless. It's like saying karaoke is evil.

Oh, wait. It is.

OK, bad analogy.

 

[Angeline]

I interpreted your original comment as being about someone being required to post comments or analysis prior to submitting something to New Poems. If you meant that it should be a requirement before they are allowed to review New Poems, then I still disagree with you, but not so harshly.

I don't happen to see anything wrong with someone wanting to write poems or stories or whatever regardless of their motive or aspirations or skill level. That most of the people posting poems aren't very good (in my opinion, anyway) and seem to mainly want people to tell them good things about their writing (your poem was so moving/sexy/painful/true/funny) doesn't bother me. That they like getting 5s and Hs and wail when someone criticizes their work doesn't bother me.

Why should it? I don't have to read them or comment on them.

Granted, when they start threads complaining about how some "troll" knocked them off some list with a "low vote" and a comment that suggests their poem was trite and uninteresting, then I think we are in agreement. You turn on votes and comments, you get votes and comments. Not all may be to your liking. Stop whining.

But to hold people in contempt because they are not very skilled and apparently uninterested in getting better seems pointless. It's like saying karaoke is evil.

Oh, wait. It is.

OK, bad analogy.

I try to give honest feedback although if I think writing is really bad, I don't say anything. I spend very little time on poems I think aren't good and can't be fixed. I try to help people if they think I can, very often via pm or email, but if someone writes here with no purpose other than sharing with their friends, lovers, whoever, that's their business.

Anyone can comment in the new poems thread. That's the way it was set up, and I think it's a good way. And some people are better reviewers than writers. Some reviewers (like the late YDD, who really was a nice person albeit a very honest reviewer) aren't interested in writing here. Doesn't matter to me. I just hope that people, even newbies, recognize that the new poems thread is only a bunch of opinions. Some people get really bent out of shape if they are ignored or not praised to their liking. If you post poems here, you may get comments and they often won't be praise. That's a fair trade-off for people reading one's poetry, imo.

Some people (like the much-missed--by me--karmadog) love karaoke. Uh not me.

 

[wildsweetone]

I assume you know the answer Tzara, you being one of the brightest people here.

To cut down on the ego stroking, to foster open discussion, and if you can't express your opinion on why something is good, than damn it, maybe you just don't know, and don't care to know, so what the fuck are you bothering to write for? So you can fool yourself that you are an interesting person with something valuble to say? Blither on. May the ghost of Randall Jarrett haunt those blighted asses.

And no, Eve, I will never do New Poems, had enough of the false praise when I did "Interact" , when I got "E"'s and certainly had enough those damned stupid comments and anonymous low scores generated because of retaliation, because I said such and such about so and so's wonderful baring of their soul. I did my time, with "Interact", with comments, and in PDC, and even did mentions in New Poems. I also don't have a set time. It is also 1201, or twelveoone (small case).

Now, WSO, I read your comment on my dawning..., one of the reasons I threw that one out here. You will do well. Should read "flailing" not "failing", what do you think?

i think 'flailing' appeals to me greatly as a vastly improved image to 'failing'. it's more vivid. it gives an impression of reaching, trying to grasp what is slippery and not able to be grabbed, dragged close to the chest and gripped tight. 'failing' too is vivid, but somehow dampens in comparison to 'flailing'.

it depends though on whether the lyrical subject 'who' is aiming to move forward, or is yet unable to. it's at that kind of flow and ebb of a tide that has finished coming in and has yet to turn out.

i was writing to someone this morning, we can write from our hearts. it is easier to do that, than to write to the hearts of others. so we write, and somewhere in the world there might be a kindred spirit who understands our exact message, but more likely they understand the messages they can hear when their own baggage quietens enough for listening.

(and the other topic... turn off the voting. it's ridiculous here. life and concentrating on the words is so much easier once the numbers are banished. - it was a big step for me to do it, but i did and honestly don't regret one second since.)

i think the main danger of reviewing the new poems is the incredible amount of time it takes me to read the poems and to write the reviews. i am afraid that one day i will miss a beautiful insight into a poem because i have been rushed with the reading.

 

[champagne1982]

Hello PDC mods. I put a poem in the queue.

 

[ghost_girl]

.......

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Hello PDC mods. I put a poem in the queue.

And now, it's up for discussion!

 

[twelveoone]

things look a little dead, I thought I'd do a pastoral

 

[wildsweetone]

things look a little dead, I thought I'd do a pastoral

chomping at the bit.



one day i saw it was up and the next it wasn't. is it still a happening thing twelveoone?

 

[champagne1982]

chomping at the bit.



one day i saw it was up and the next it wasn't. is it still a happening thing twelveoone?

I'm going to take a liberty and say that 1201's poem has been pulled out of the queue. He made a reply to the critique thread that he wasn't sure if he could respond to the critiques he may recieve on it, in a reasonable time period. I'm sure he'll welcome your views on it in pm or email though WSO. Maybe you could give it a shot anyway.

 

[wildsweetone]

I'm going to take a liberty and say that 1201's poem has been pulled out of the queue. He made a reply to the critique thread that he wasn't sure if he could respond to the critiques he may recieve on it, in a reasonable time period. I'm sure he'll welcome your views on it in pm or email though WSO. Maybe you could give it a shot anyway.

thanks. i once tried PMing him a while ago but it didn't work. i assumed he still had it turned off.

i don't mind if he doesn't get back to it for a while. heck, poems can take years to work on.

 

[WickedEve]

The Poetry Discussion Circle has a new poem ready to discuss.
Defiant by Naamplao