02-01-2017, 02:27 AM
(01-31-2017, 08:22 PM)Donald Q. Wrote: Okay, let me offer a more helpful critique. If it's a case of 'preaching to the choir' and an expression of your personal feelings on the changes in your county, then I want to feel more personality coming through in the poem!The meter analysis is helpful. I wasn't sure if "Amphibrach tetrameter" would be proper, but apparently it is. I thought I got away with respectable really cleanly! Sad to hear that ya stumbled there. For the smile, I was really going back and forth on whether or not it needed another beat. Even though I know smile is technically one syllable, when I was reading it I kept pronouncing it as smi-le, which I guess is why it worked for me but not for you. I guess that's a sign to find another word! I think you're right about your guess at "left" being a stumble point.
I think addressing it all to a second person hampers the poem; it ends up feeling didactic rather than passionate. That reddit post you linked is, indeed, full of some important discussion of Trump's worrying actions. However, within the context of your poem, those details are scarce; I understand that flippant lines about black people are fully intended to be risible, but again it gives nothing to latch onto. As I was writing it, I think I was picturing it is some sort of weird future where people are actually collected in a room folding flags, and the narrator was addressing the single concerned person in the first and last stanzas, and the room for the rest of it. [b]Obviously, it probably didn't read that way since I didn't let you know any of it in the poem! With the above in mind, I think I was addressing generalities and not specific Trump actions because I don't know if Trump even really exists in the timeline that this poem does. I understand why more specificity in any regard would strengthen the message.[/b]
Your meter, for the most part, has quite a bounce to it, the tetrameter gives it a waltz like rhythm that is potentially quite pleasant, but is broken in places and also is hampered by your tone. I think that if you want to fully embrace this rhythm you could perhaps create something more satirical and cheeky, slip in more humor and go full Weimar Cabaret [Fitting, no?]. Fitting indeed, ha. That is a fair point. I certainly understand that such meter is usually used humorously, but didn't consider the fact that not using it humorously might hamper the piece because of that association.
I hope this is more helpful crit, my apologies if I seemed overly dismissive but directly political poetry is a tricky beast. [P.s when I said write about flags I obviously did not mean write a fucking poem about nice fabrics and patterns, I mean use your skills of METAPHOR to write about PEOPLE whilst using imagery beginning with FLAGS, so don't get high and mighty with me, Weiner!]
Sorry! I just got off of reading two responses that felt very flippant. I couldn't help but puff out my chest a little bit. Honestly I couldn't tell if you were suggesting I should actually write about fabrics with patterns. I don't know your mind, just your comment!
I am always happy to crit more, so don't be scared off doing a revision by my dickishness.
I appreciate it. I'm debating whether I really want to re-work this at all or leave it as a timestamp and take all of the feedback as I move forward.
Also thought I would quickly spot check the meter seeing as I was talking about it; it is only in dactyl tetrameter for the first stanza, the rest is actually in Amphibrach tetrameter. This is the reason I was drawn to suggest humor in your poem; as it is the way the meter is often used.
You use both 11 and 12 syllable lines correctly with the AT meter, but it may be worth structuring more when you use each to give shape to the whole poem.
(01-31-2017, 08:17 AM)mrweiner Wrote: Fascism? This again? Flags are in, citizen, DT
yours are right there between Finley and Finnigan, DT
fold them up, faster, for children and women, men, DT
help us ensure that the U.S. will win again. DT
You do want our country to prosper, correct? AT from here to the end
You want to keep all of your freedoms intact?
You like having money and like to expect that
you're worth more than others whose thoughts you reject?
Then listen up, now, I'll not say it once more,
you've got to speak faster to even the score,
don't think before arguments, march out your door,
go level the field 'tween our rich and their poor.
The terror is brown and the job thiefs are yellow,
your wives can hang out but they'd better stay mellow,
the black ones do drugs so we pen them in ghettos,
don't venture there, you're all respectable fellows. You just about get away with respectable
Be careful with news because as you're aware Missing a comma here, you miss your 12th beat without it
so much of it's lies that are crafted to scare,
that's why we're preparing our our state-sponsored air
at which you can smile, nod, cheer, stomp or stare. Missing a beat before stare? 'Just stare' fixes it.
Your unions are dated, they squabble unneeded,
our corporate shepards will lead you to eden
and baptize with gold all your trickle down defects,
diseases we wish weren't left so untreated. Second half of this line stumbles, because of 'left' probably
So, Facism, citizen? That claim's a fad,
the fact that you think that we're headed there's sad,
forget that you thought it, its loss ironclad,
get back to your place over there folding flags.

