Poetry Forum - How To Use The Pig Pen

Please do not argue in the poetry threads

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 22:15:56 +0000

Hello all members,

Please remember that you should not make your arguments in the poetry threads. It only ever makes things escalate and that distracts from the poem. If you want to argue about or discuss comments, other members, or anything else, please remember to take it to the arse or sewer so that it won't be my problem. Even if you feel you have justice and reason on your side, please prove that outside the poetry threads. The threads should only be for discussing the poem, not for discussing critique or other members. Please do not comment on the critique, no matter how unflattering or illegible or unhelpful it may be. If you don't like it, just walk away or please use the "comments you would like to have made" thread (or whatever that was called). Please don't stress me out up here.

Thank you ever so much,
--Quix

Please do not post poems in this section

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 03:03:33 +0000

Please do not post poems in this forum. This part of the pen is for information. It is not one of our poetry forums. Please only post poetry in the poetry forums.

Thank you
--Quix

New to Critique? Read this:

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 15:17:06 +0000

Hello to any and all newbies. Welcome!

We’ve had several new members join recently. If you are also new to poetry and critique, this site has lots of helpful things you can read. I’ll post links to all our help and how-to pages below (written by those who were much more learned than I). It’s ok to make mistakes, this site is for learning (especially in the basic forum.) However, it is not ok to not try at all. Please make sure all comments contain an attempt at critique. A simple “I like this” or any facsimile of that is not permitted in the workshops and will be deleted. If you have questions, please ask, we are always happy to help.

Happy writing!
—Quix

First, if you haven’t yet, please take a moment to read over our site rules:
Click here for rules.

If you are new to critique, try these links:
About the Pigpen

Giving and getting feedback a must read

Giving and getting feedback.

Why should I edit?

Where should I post my poems?

Useful phrases for your critique

Basic rubric for judging poetry

New to giving critique? Please read these tips

Five common mistakes that novice poets make

A discussion on critique and feedback

Commenting on comments

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 23:53:53 +0000

When you are in a poetry thread, please comment only on the poem. Please do not comment on other comments or rate them or criticize their usefulness or accuracy. Please keep all comments focused on the poem. If you have anything else to say, please say it in the sewer, that is the purpose for which it was made. If you think a comment is trolling or breaks our rules, then please report the comment or pm a moderator. Please do not leave a reply for the purpose of baiting a member into some sort of battle or to troll them. You can literally have a poetry battle in the arse or duke it out in the sewer. If you do it in the poetry threads it becomes my problem and then it is bothersome. This site is like a mullet: be professional in all forums above the arseline. You can let loose in the forums below the arseline. (Note: Members only poetry is subject to the other poetry forum rules. It is only in the arse to keep it out of search engines.)

Please, be professional and courteous in the poetry threads.

Thank you.

Quix

Spoiler button

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 21:48:47 +0000

What is the code to create a Spoiler button?

Is it possible to upload an image into a post?

Fri, 02 Jul 2021 15:36:53 +0000

And if so, how do you do it?

Feedback

Mon, 26 Aug 2019 13:08:23 +0000

To some of our newer members, please read the rules on how to give feedback for each of our three critique forums. While you will get some leeway, it will be only a short period of grace. After said grace you will be excommunicated

We have one main rule

Sun, 25 Jun 2017 04:57:43 +0000

Feedback. Give it.

It's so important we put it at the top of the page so you can't miss it. We don't care how massive your back catalogue is: this is not a showcase. If you want that, try tumblr.

This is a workshop, and we expect interaction from our members. Not the bare minimum to allow you to get away with posting heaps more poems, either. Genuine interaction showing that you genuinely give a damn about poetry, and haven't just turned up to dump your poems and pray for adoration.

Ignoring the feedback requirement will not endear you to our members, and it will very quickly see you banned, so if that's your intention it's best to move on now.

April is National Poetry Month

Sat, 01 Apr 2017 11:01:04 +0000

NaPM is here.

Our challenge is to write 30 poems in 30 days. All registered members are invited to go to Milo's Forum and post on the prompt-a-day threads.

The threads remain open so if you miss one, or two or three, you can go back and fill them in.

All skill levels are welcomed, it's crit-free and the torture of the writing is rewarded with the great reading.

Jump on in and have fun with it.

new formatting code for hiding original

Wed, 14 Sep 2016 02:29:41 +0000

this is the new formatting code for hiding original poems and previous edits.
these instructions can also be found in the help section.

Code:
[pre verse] original poem and previous edits here between the pre verse tags [/pre verse]

this is your latest edit.

Result

this is the new formatting code for post scripts or add on at the end of a post.

Code:
[P.S.] Place your Post script between the P.S. tags. [/P.S.]

this is your visible post.

Result

Thank you, you wonderful members of the Pen

Fri, 03 Jun 2016 10:33:19 +0000

IRL, I am old enough to have learned how to (mostly) surround myself with people who have long left the drama behind and just want to enjoy the ride, and to just ignore the grumps.

Modding an internet site has burst my bubble. It amazes how many people cannot maneuver calmly through three moderated posts. I used to PM to explain deleted posts but the majority of responses were either nasty or nonexistent, it made me question the civility of people in general, so I stopped.

So I just want you to understand how special you all are, people who can work so long and hard to create something interesting and then invite fellow members to poke it till it bleeds, knowing the result will be increased confidence in the work, edited or not.

Thank you for thinking about what others have to say and responding in a civil and friendly manner. Thank you for your keen sense of humor and your ability to let the little shit slide. Thank you for the way you welcome new members, giving them the same time and effort as people who've hung around here for years and given their time and effort to you. Thank you for understanding that our mods and admin are humans, imperfect but with the health of this precious site at the heart of our actions.

You are a wonderful bunch who keep me interested in what you express and how you do it, and keep me smiling.
><

To anyone who would like to join in, register and read around the site a while, it's not that hard to jump in and all you need to do if you need help is to ask for it.

One thread per poem, please

Thu, 02 Jun 2016 19:59:44 +0000

Hey, my fellow members of the Pig Pen, there seems to be a minor rash of double threads for the same poem. If you'd like to have a thread moved to a different forum just PM a mod or admin and we'll be happy to oblige. If you're posting a revision just click edit on the OP and put it above the original, labeling both.

It just gets too confusing when there are multiple threads open for the same poem and we'd prefer not to have a bunch of locked threads on the boards. Thanks for your cooperation.

Accessing the Pig Pen

Tue, 03 May 2016 13:44:32 +0000

So now that the site is fully passworded all that is visible if you haven't logged on is this How To Use The Pen forum, not even the hello and info. So now, even though the site has had at least a hundred new threads posted in the last few months with multiple replies on each, when not logged in it looks like the last post was in 2015.

So now, my suggestion is that any member who would like to might start a simple fun thread here so at least we don't look like we're dead and dismembered.

Or, you are welcome to muck up this one.

a request for a tut

Thu, 15 May 2014 00:30:23 +0000

on how to use the site's pm system explaining.

how to empty the in, out, trash box etc

with pics if possible. thanks.
here is where you can read our FAQ about other stuff.

This is a Poetry Workshop

Fri, 11 Apr 2014 22:26:43 +0000

No fly-tipping allowed!

The Pig Pen is not a showcase for you to dump poems and beg for constructive criticism while giving nothing in return. If this is what you want, I humbly suggest that you take your precious poetry to tumblr or Facebook and do not waste our time.

The Newly Registered forum is subject to the same rules of valid critique as any other. Any worthless critiques in this forum will result in a warning and, if it continues, a temporary -- then permanent -- ban.

Any poems posted here that are not accompanied by valid critiques elsewhere will be deleted within two weeks of posting. If you are new to commenting on poetry, you will find several useful threads around the site to help you, such as this one.

Anyone who finds these rules too harsh or feels that they are unable to commit to a valuable exchange of criticism and ideas, please feel free to ask us to delete any of your poems immediately.