Measuring Poetry

[ICSoria]

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.

I agree with your entire summary and this particular point I debated ad nauseam. You will find generic comments on that site's Open Poetry forums, filled with all manner of writers looking for a daily ego stroke. The forums in turn are moderated by poets expecting their very presence to elicit awe. Yet, if you read the posts of these same venerated mods, you notice that after 10,000 posts, they have shown no growth. I would submit that newbies who jump right into the mix and start critiquing and attempting to learn from established critics and critiques they offer, will grow more quickly in their craft than those mods who hide in the Open Forums because they consider anything beyond a fluff-critique, to smack of personal attack.

Thank you all for allowing me to vent.

Sid