Poetry
This week: Reviewing Reviews Edited by: Fyn More Newsletters By This Editor
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For a poet to depict a poet in poetry is a hazardous experiment; in regarding one's own trade a sense of humour and a little wholesome cynicism are not amiss. ~~Edward Dowden
Poetry is that sentiment of the soul, or faculty of the mind, which enables its possessor to appreciate and realize the heights and depths of human experience. It is the power to feel pleasure or suffer pain in all its exquisiteness and intensity. ~~Orson F. Whitney
To feel most beautifully alive means to be reading something beautiful, ready always to apprehend in the flow of language the sudden flash of poetry. ~~John Holmes
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Recently, I've written newsletters on considering your audience when writing, as well as considering your 'audience' when you choose to show pieces to family and friends. When we write a review, we also have an audience: the author. What constitutes a helpful review? DRSmith sent me an email about reviewing. In part, his email read:
... with your skills at conveying metaphorical language with teaching skill, you might want to do another article on "REVIEWING"... as so many in here seem to think it means, "finding fault", trying to find something to justify the "review". As you can see, I've had those whose sole purpose was to offer some form of correction lest they feel 'inadequate" in their review. Sometimes the shortest reviews can be the best... ie: immensely powerful, superbly written, riveting read, and so on. At least the author knows he's achieved the most important thing in writing... reaching and retaining an audience to the point they were entertained, left satisfied, and/or having evoked some form of emotional response. It's not about topic either, as I've slammed for same. as well, but about the skill in delivery no matter the theme or topic. I've been asked to read and review items that were of no interest to me, or actually repulsed by them for content... but recognized the skill of the author in delivering the piece.
So, okay. Here we go. He makes some excellent points in his email. Receiving the following in a review:' I loved it! It was great!' is basically useless. Sure, we are happy they liked the piece, but, far more important is the WHY!!! Did we reach them? Did we connect on some level, be it emotional, cognitive or simply a shared interest in common? Did we touch a chord? or did they simply appreciate HOW we put our words to use? How did we connect? We need to know this!
When writing reviews, keeping that old maxim in mind is useful...write unto others as you would have others write to you!
Sometimes folks read a piece and go, "HUH?" Now one needs to examine the 'why' of this response. One reason is 'accessibility.' Sometimes writers delve into the esoteric or the philosophical and might leave us in their dust. Or they might be using vocabulary referring to welding or high finance and they lose us. Yet if we were familiar with high finance or used to welder-speak, it wouldn't faze us at all. This doesn't preclude us from being able to appreciate and recognize good writing. All poetry needn't be 100% accessible to everyone. If we, as a reader, don't understand it, doesn't mean it is terrible. It might mean we need to do a little research and broaden our horizon a bit. *smiles*
Another thing to keep in mind is our state of mind as a reader. Depending upon one's frame of mind, the reactions we have can be colored by our current state of emotional disarray or 'in-love' euphoria or 'all three kids have the flu and the baby's teething and I just got fired' moments. How we react will be colored by our impatience with 'poor pitiful me' poetry if we, ourselves are feeling that way. It may mean we totally connect or just the opposite. This goes beyond the actual poem, and we, while , of course, bring our life experiences to anything we read, need to also be sure we don't let the 'me' get in the way of the poem itself.
Personally, I know NOT to review if I'm tired, cranky, or, as is the case at the moment, sick with the flu. These times are the best, though, to go into your port and find a review stating, "I will always remember this poem," or "I wasn't sure I was going to like this poem when I first started reading, but I did, I really did," -- and then went on to tell me why. These made me smile on a day when the temp is hovering in the 101 degree zone, every muscle hurts and my head feels as if it could explode any moment and I almost wish it would because it couldn't possibly feel worse!
When writing reviews, keeping that old maxim in mind is useful...write unto others as you would have others write to you!
Oh, and before me and my box of tissues go crawl back to bed, don't forget your submissions for the
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Elfin Dragon-finally published writes: Hey! I know I'm super late in giving you a comment for your newsletter "Don't settle for Mundane". I've always loved pushing myself to writer the unusual and use my senses to describe things to readers. I also plan to use your prompt of the color to try and write a poem. It will be very interesting.
I hope you let me know when you write it!
Monty says: I always enjoy your News Letters Fyn, I look for a highlight in the words that I can say is a favorite part but I enjoy the whole of the read.
thanking you!
Elle - on hiatus comments: Interesting newsletter, Fyn. This concept is basically what brought "The Littlest Poetry Contest" to life. Rather than adults assuming what poems and poetic devices appeal to children, we made the children the judges. Sophistication and complex poetic devices are not the secret to winning this contest. I find it quite fascinating to see which poems win.
Fascinating!
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