I work with a number of critiquing groups and they usually have constructive advice about wording or layout. Poorly judged criticism can be so destructive, especially to beginner poets who lacks confidence in their work.
The idea of critiquing is hard to get used to. You have to develop a bit of a thick skin to put your poems out there and ask other people what they think. When I first started going to poetry workshops I came away bruised once or twice.
I remember taking a poem to a workshop early in my writing career and having it dismissed in two words: Too long. No opinion about whether the poem worked, the rhythms and images were convincing, the atmosphere was well developed, or even if the layout was appropriate. Too long has lived with me since as a model of poor critiquing. But I wanted to improve, so I carried on, and critiquing has helped make my poetry better. Listening to other people’s opinions of your work is the best way to become a better writer.
One of the things that makes poetry special is that it engages the emotions in a way that is different from other art forms. Writing poetry is often deeply personal and all of us become protective of our work. Finding the right way to give and receive criticism is always difficult.
Critiquing should always be seen as a positive. It’s difficult to look at our own poetry objectively. Critiquing helps a poet look at his or her work with an outsider’s eye and look at parts of the poem that might benefit from being reconsidered.
So let’s look at the two aspects of critiquing.
First, giving a critique. It is good practice to look for the positive in a poem when you’re reviewing it. If the poet. has done things well, make sure you say so. Give examples of what you think has been done well and explain why you think it is good. Always start and finish on a positive note. If there are things that you think would benefit from revision, say so in a constructive way. Don’t say this line doesn’t work. Do say I wonder if you’ve thought about improving this line and then, if it’s appropriate, make a positive suggestion. It doesn’t help anybody if the critiquing sessions just become meaningless praise.
Second, receiving criticism. If we are to develop as poets, we need to learn to accept criticism. It can be difficult, especially if the poem in question is very personal or one that we are very proud of. I think it’s important that the listener in the critiquing session really listens. One poetry group that I belong to lets the poet read his poem. They are not allowed to introduce it or say anything about it. They just read the poem, then sit and listens to the critique from the other group members in silence. They are not allowed to comment until everybody has finished. Then they are asked if they want to say anything about the critique they have received. I think this works very well. Accepting criticism can be difficult, but is a vital part of improving our work.
So, writing poetry is difficult. If you are giving criticism, remember the golden rule First, do no harm. Be kind, be constructive, look for the good things and be gentle when pointing out things that could do with improvement.
Listening to and accepting criticism is also difficult. You put yourself on the line when you read your poetry to other people and ask them to comment. If you don’t want other people’s comments, don’t put your poems out there. If you want to improve, take that gamble and listen to what other people have to say. Listen to the criticism and reflect on it, even if, in the end, you don’t accept it. I try to end every critiquing session with ‘It’s your poem’.
I think any poetry critiquing group needs to be characterised by kindness and an understanding of how difficult poetry is to write, coupled with a willingness to learn from each other about how we can all become better poets.
the zebra's eye. 