01-21-2013, 12:48 PM
Hey, don't knock Pam Ayres! 
A lot of people say they don't like rhyme. I think a lot of that has to do with the horrible things people tend to do with it these days. We're on a mission to fix that and a whole host of other crimes against poetry. Not that we're perfect, of course -- but we admit that.
I've read poems that have just blown me away and the "I love it" response is tempting. I always try to back away from strong emotional responses after the first couple of readings though, and look at a poem as objectively as possible to figure out why I love it. Sometimes it's very hard to explain but there's always something that can be identified. Unfortunately, the disingenuous comment whores who praise wantonly to attract reciprocal niceties have ruined the simple compliment for the rest of us. If someone tells me they like my poem, it rather takes the shine off the compliment when I see they've said the same thing to a dozen or more other people.
A lot of people say they don't like rhyme. I think a lot of that has to do with the horrible things people tend to do with it these days. We're on a mission to fix that and a whole host of other crimes against poetry. Not that we're perfect, of course -- but we admit that.
I've read poems that have just blown me away and the "I love it" response is tempting. I always try to back away from strong emotional responses after the first couple of readings though, and look at a poem as objectively as possible to figure out why I love it. Sometimes it's very hard to explain but there's always something that can be identified. Unfortunately, the disingenuous comment whores who praise wantonly to attract reciprocal niceties have ruined the simple compliment for the rest of us. If someone tells me they like my poem, it rather takes the shine off the compliment when I see they've said the same thing to a dozen or more other people.
It could be worse