Critique Tips & Hints
In order for critique to work:


    1. It must be honest and objective -- comment on the poem NOT the poet.

    2. It must be offered in an open, non-judgmental atmosphere. Use 'I' statements, e.g., "I didn't understand" versus "you were not clear." Tell the author what you liked about the poem in addition to what you did not like.

    3. It must be received in an open, non-judgmental atmosphere. Thank the poets who took the time to read and respond to your work. You will not agree with every critique you receive. Please keep in mind these are other people's opinions. If they do not match your vision of the piece, you do not have to incorporate them. Still, it is polite to acknowledge someone's response gratefully.


    Specific Critique Guidelines:


    Overview
    • Did you enjoy the read?
    • Did the poem engage you emotionally AND intellectually?
    • Do you understand what the poem is about?
    Structure
    • Is the poem free verse or a specific form?
    • Does the form enhance the poem or limit it?
    • Does the poet engage in written contortions to get end rhymes to work?
    • Is the shape of the poem on the page visually pleasing?
    Imagery
    • Does the poem show versus tell or explain?
    • Does the poem engage the senses?
    • Does the poet use multiple senses?
    • Are the images fresh?
    • Do the images make unusual comparisons, or compare usual images in an unusual way?
    Language
    • Does the poet use sound to enhance the poem?
    •     *alliteration
    •     *assonance
    •     *consonance
    •     *rhyme/near rhyme
    •     *onomatopoeia
    • Is the language fresh?
    • Is the grammar appropriate?
    • Does the poet use verbs to move the poem forward?
    • Is the poem adjective heavy?
    • Does the poet use metaphor? Simile?
    Rhythm
    • Does the poem use meter/rhythm well?
    • Are line breaks used appropriately?
    •     *to pace the poem
    •     *to move the reader forward
    •     *to heighten suspense/anticipation
    •     *to highlight unusual word pairings
    • Are the stanza breaks working?
    Voice
    • Is the voice believable? Authentic?
    • Is the voice consistent?
    • Does the voice match the content?




    Web Critique resources:


      Critiquing your Own and Other's Poems by Jennifer Bosveld
      http://www.puddinghouse.com/critiquing.htm



      Examples of Valuable Critiques:


        These comments are pulled from longer critiques. They are only brief examples of the kind of language appropriate in a critique. They model "I" statements and respectful language. These are not the only way to critique -- use your own words and be specific to the poem you are commenting on. It is also helpful to quote specifics from the poem to illustrate what worked and did not work for you as a reader.

        • "The story is compelling, but some of the language and the short lines get in its way. Longer lines would smooth the read, I think."
        • "This is a gripping moment you have written. Because the scene you describe is so intense, I think you would do well to pare it down even more. There are several lines that I think you don't need and that may distract from the intensity of the images."
        • "I'm not sure the third person works well for this one. I wonder what this would feel like in second person -- as if you were addressing her directly. It feels too expository, somehow. Perhaps add something of your experience of the story when you were a child?"
        • "The archaic language of this just does not work for me. If you strip away the 'thees' etc, and write it in modern language, there isn't enough solid imagery here to hold the reader."
        • "As it is written now, this may be more suited to prose than poetry. My personal style runs to the more streamlined, allowing space for the reader to absorb each image before moving to the next."
        • "I think you could add power with some pruning -- (with an eye to show rather than tell) and attention to the line breaks. Don't tell me, show me. This language gives away the power of the poem before it has begun. Show me something particular about this man and this woman that is different from any generic relationship breaking up."

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Last updated: July 2, 2005