10 hours ago
Yeah I think all the norms here are badly in need of updating, frankly.
As Busker notes, it's clear there is no meaningful distinction between "Basic" and "Mild to Moderate" at this point. I can't speak to whether there was in the last, but those categories are doing literally nothing in current praxis. I kind of flip a coin as to which to post in.
Also the default seems to be in-line notes with little or no broader discussion. Also some people will just be like "cut this" or "add more here" without offering any explanation. This is mostly not very helpful.
IMO, the best crit involves:
-what worked and didn't, and where possible, why
-a loose prosaic reading of the poem's apparent intentions (subject/occasion/conceit)
-discussion of the poems relationship to the poetic tradition (if possible)
-thoughts on the relationship between content and form
As Todd says what's really most valuable is understanding, at a granular level, which lines people respond to and which are forgettable or distracting. I don't need your suggestions about how to fix it nearly as much as I need to know what, to your eye and ear, needs fixed. I'm sure many of us feel the same way.
As Busker notes, it's clear there is no meaningful distinction between "Basic" and "Mild to Moderate" at this point. I can't speak to whether there was in the last, but those categories are doing literally nothing in current praxis. I kind of flip a coin as to which to post in.
Also the default seems to be in-line notes with little or no broader discussion. Also some people will just be like "cut this" or "add more here" without offering any explanation. This is mostly not very helpful.
IMO, the best crit involves:
-what worked and didn't, and where possible, why
-a loose prosaic reading of the poem's apparent intentions (subject/occasion/conceit)
-discussion of the poems relationship to the poetic tradition (if possible)
-thoughts on the relationship between content and form
As Todd says what's really most valuable is understanding, at a granular level, which lines people respond to and which are forgettable or distracting. I don't need your suggestions about how to fix it nearly as much as I need to know what, to your eye and ear, needs fixed. I'm sure many of us feel the same way.