Measuring Poetry

[Leanne]

In critiquing most poems on any forum, even newbies are capable of offering more than a gratuitous, “Wow, that’s great, dude! or This touched me deep down!”, if they make a half-hearted attempt. It can involve a simple correction of typos or syntax, or at least attempting to explain what line worked for them and what didn’t, without fear of someone saying they’re wrong. It is after all subjective reasoning and anyone’s opinion can be held to scrutiny.

Sid, I agree with pretty much every word of what you've written, but this in particular begs more discussion. I often hear the excuse from people new to poetry that they're "not qualified to comment on other people's poems". This is nonsense. If you think you can write it, you can most definitely read it. Every poem should evoke some kind of response and learning to articulate that is just as important as learning any other aspect of the craft, since poets are in the word business. Some of the most valuable criticism often comes from the "unprofessional" critics; things like "I really don't understand what you mean by this line" don't always indicate a bad reader, they may well mean that the writer has used too obscure a device that doesn't link properly with the rest of the poem. "Professional" readers often miss things that fresh eyes will notice. Just as important are the comments that say "I really like the idea in this line because..." -- a reason is very valuable. I don't mind how short or non-technical a comment is, as long as it's clear that the poem has been read -- generic compliments are far worse than harsh, insulting criticism in my book.

I often say, and will keep on saying, that I don't write for academics or professional poets -- so while I never discount their response and consider every critique vital to my growth as a writer, the feedback from the non-poet or new has just as much weight for me. This is another measure, of course -- how well your poetry works for those who are new to it.