The Snowflake Chronicles

Thoughts on Reviews Part 1

3 Azamat 163 B.E. – May 18 – 19, 2006 A.D.

Thoughts on Reviews Part I

I’ve been contemplating constructing templates for the reviews I do, so when I opened my mail this morning and found the new review tool I was elated. Now the question: What do I look for when I read a piece review? I thank before I create the template I need to figure out what goes into it. This is an on going effort, so I’ll start with poetry and work on each template separately.

Poetry

When I read a poem, I read the poem through silently and then I read it through aloud. I usually start a review by stating what attracted me to the poem. Normally the thing that attracts me to the poem is the title or the teaser like under the title. However, sometimes it is the author, or I will decide that I haven’t review a specific topic and look under the topic

I next look at the rhythm of the poem. Is the rhythm smooth or rough? What effect does the rhythm have on the poem, does the rhythm enhance the subject or theme of the poem, or is the rhythm distracting. Then I look at the rhyme. Do the rhymes read forced when you read the poem aloud? I have found the only way to determine if the rhymes sound forced rather than natural is to read the poem aloud.

Then I look for any obvious technical problems and typos or other. In this part of the review, I determine whether the poem follows any specific form. I find the line or lines I like best in the poem. I decide if I have any suggestion for improving the poem.

I believe that is what the template for the poetry reviews will look like. I like the idea of having a template I can access in a review tool. I especially like the idea that I can do a spell check on the review. At the end of the template I will put my review signature.

Template for Poetry Reviews

Title:
Teaser line:
Theme or Subject:
Reasons for Reviewing This Poem:
Rhythm or Flow:
Rhyme:
Technical Problems or Typos:
What I Liked Best:
Suggestions for Improvement:
Rating:
Why this Rating: