The purpose of The Poetry Editor website and this blog is to help you become your own best poetry editor. That might not happen right away, but if you’re serious about the work of a poet, which, yes, does involve work, you can do this! How? Study poetry. Write poetry. Read your poems aloud and listen for anything that seems “off.” Then correct that as you revise.
Getting feedback helps too. At first, most poets just want a pat on the back, but if you hope to be published, you’ll need more than cuddling or coddling. Do not, however, ask just anyone to read your poems! Select your first readers carefully from people you trust – family or friends who will give you positive criticism and be honest with you but also encouraging in their response.
You might find a poetry critique group in your area that you like too. If not, search the social networks for poetry groups that critique one another’s work. Besides receiving immediate online input, you will probably find at least one other poet whose comments you value and poems you like – someone you can relate to who’s willing to exchange a poem-in-progress with you, so you can comment on one another’s work privately.
Each of those options gives you free feedback to help you help your poems. This may be all you need to improve your poetry as you revise and also to gain confidence in submitting a batch of revised poems to one editor at a time.
But maybe you want more for yourself and your poetry. If so, enroll in a poetry class. Check out relevant ads on this blog that interest you. Order Poetry: Taking Its Course. Hire a professional poet, poetry editor, and/or poetry instructor to critique your poems, correct mistakes, and offer practical suggestions or workable solutions.
If you cannot afford to pay for the professional feedback you want, do not ask for free services. Not only is this disrespectful, but it’s very discouraging to published poets, editors, or instructors who work hard for other poets but are asked, over and over, to “make an exception” and provide professional services for no compensation whatsoever.
Although those services will not be free, the fees should be reasonably based on the amount of time, experience, and expertise involved in doing a critique or providing a writing consultation.
For most poets, a professional Critique will be the place to start. As you look through each page on The Poetry Editor website, notice the responses from other poets, editors, and poetry students. Notice the links to published poems. Notice the tips, resources, and services intended to help you research, study, write, revise, and eventually become your own best poetry editor.
The Poetry Editor
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Getting your poems ready for publication is like being on Dancing with the Stars
If you’ve been watching the popular television show “Dancing with the Stars,” you know that celebrities work very hard for many weeks for a chance at a trophy that only one person will take home. It’s a little like being a poet who works for weeks on one poem in hopes of getting paid with publication and a free writer’s copy of a prized journal.
Prizes change from one competition to the next. People have natural talent or they do not. Motivations vary. Nevertheless, some basic steps toward success seem to stay in place.
Whether you’re a poet or a dancer, a move toward triumph typically includes talent, determination, and these traits:
Musicality matters in poetry and in dance.
People with little ability can compensate with study, practice, and hard work.
Individuals who consistently show persistence, commitment, and an eagerness to learn from their masters will often amaze themselves and other people too.
Gorgeous costumes and patterns can add pizazz or trip you up, getting in the way of what you want to say.
Academic, athletic, social, financial, political, popular, or poetic connections can initially be useful in opening doors for you but ultimately do not matter unless you yourself connect with people, who then welcome you into their homes and want you to stay awhile.
Practice, practice, practice makes “winners” whether you win the prize or not.
If a dance routine or a route to publication does not work well, other options can be considered and choreographed to fit you.
Say, for instance, that people do not respond well to your cerebral poems. You don’t have to “dummy down,” but you do need to choreograph a connection between yourself and your readers as you revise. This might mean toning down intellectual wit and wordplays or adding a touch of humor that lightly pokes fun at yourself. Or maybe you can find a common expression that’s just short of a cliché to work into a poem as you revise.
If humor happens to be your strong suit, play it up in style. Quick! Step into the iambic and trochaic foot patterns needed to dance your way into a limerick, lively sonnet, or obsessive villanelle. Don’t look at your feet though. Look at your audience. Enjoy their enjoyment of you! Then go for a repeat performance by finding out what you do that entertains them well.
Yes, at first the expectations of your audience and the heightened awareness of your work and yourself might make you feel self-conscious or uptight, but don’t worry about it. Keep on practicing, and do not be afraid to learn!
Learn about poetry. Learn what you like and dislike. Learn about yourself.
If, for instance, you happen to be naturally good-hearted, graceful, and gorgeous in your dance, go with that lyric flow. Trust yourself to move well, but find out where your weaknesses are so you can strengthen those areas and keep your balance as you float along the stage or page.
Remember that your dance toward a published poem is not just about you and the professional editor or poetry publisher with whom you partner. The revising, the editing, the hard work of poetry is also about your audience – your readers who root for you, stay with you, and really want to see you give the performance of a life.
[If you would like professional guidance for your poetic performance with down-to-earth suggestions for improvement, see The Poetry Editor website for fees and information.]
(c) 2010, Mary Harwell Sayler. All rights reserved.
Do not use without her permission.
Prizes change from one competition to the next. People have natural talent or they do not. Motivations vary. Nevertheless, some basic steps toward success seem to stay in place.
Whether you’re a poet or a dancer, a move toward triumph typically includes talent, determination, and these traits:
Musicality matters in poetry and in dance.
People with little ability can compensate with study, practice, and hard work.
Individuals who consistently show persistence, commitment, and an eagerness to learn from their masters will often amaze themselves and other people too.
Gorgeous costumes and patterns can add pizazz or trip you up, getting in the way of what you want to say.
Academic, athletic, social, financial, political, popular, or poetic connections can initially be useful in opening doors for you but ultimately do not matter unless you yourself connect with people, who then welcome you into their homes and want you to stay awhile.
Practice, practice, practice makes “winners” whether you win the prize or not.
If a dance routine or a route to publication does not work well, other options can be considered and choreographed to fit you.
Say, for instance, that people do not respond well to your cerebral poems. You don’t have to “dummy down,” but you do need to choreograph a connection between yourself and your readers as you revise. This might mean toning down intellectual wit and wordplays or adding a touch of humor that lightly pokes fun at yourself. Or maybe you can find a common expression that’s just short of a cliché to work into a poem as you revise.
If humor happens to be your strong suit, play it up in style. Quick! Step into the iambic and trochaic foot patterns needed to dance your way into a limerick, lively sonnet, or obsessive villanelle. Don’t look at your feet though. Look at your audience. Enjoy their enjoyment of you! Then go for a repeat performance by finding out what you do that entertains them well.
Yes, at first the expectations of your audience and the heightened awareness of your work and yourself might make you feel self-conscious or uptight, but don’t worry about it. Keep on practicing, and do not be afraid to learn!
Learn about poetry. Learn what you like and dislike. Learn about yourself.
If, for instance, you happen to be naturally good-hearted, graceful, and gorgeous in your dance, go with that lyric flow. Trust yourself to move well, but find out where your weaknesses are so you can strengthen those areas and keep your balance as you float along the stage or page.
Remember that your dance toward a published poem is not just about you and the professional editor or poetry publisher with whom you partner. The revising, the editing, the hard work of poetry is also about your audience – your readers who root for you, stay with you, and really want to see you give the performance of a life.
[If you would like professional guidance for your poetic performance with down-to-earth suggestions for improvement, see The Poetry Editor website for fees and information.]
(c) 2010, Mary Harwell Sayler. All rights reserved.
Do not use without her permission.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Poetry Resources to help you study, write, revise, and market your poems
American Academy of Poets – Searchable archives on poets and poetry
American Verse Project – A to Z listing of poets with hotlinks to classical poems to read aloud and study
Children’s Poetry – Famous poems and poets of interest to children
Christian Writers’ Market Guide – Links to Protestant, Catholic, and interdenominational publishers interested in well-written, spiritual poetry
Copyright information – Directly from the U.S. Copyright Office
Duotrope’s Digest – Numerous poetry markets open to your poems
Electronic Poetry Center – Archives of international poets
EnglishVerse.com – Archives of classical English poetry with bios of the poets
Guide to Grammar & Writing – Interactive articles, definitions, parts of speech, and English grammar guides
International Writing Contest – Annual competition for poetry (which I’ve judged for over 10 years) and all genres of writing
Library of Congress – Poetry page
Nobel Prize in Literature – Prestigious poetry prize
Online Resources for Writers – Articles, hotlinks, and full texts for classical works on writing
Poetry Daily – Featuring a poem, poet, and journal each day
Poetry Editor – Professional critique service, writing consultation, editing
Poetry Foundation – Articles, biographies of poets, poems, and other resources on poets and poetry
Poetry Foundation, Children’s Poetry – Resources for poets and poems of interest to children
Poetry.org – Resources for poets, terminology about poetry
Poetry Resource Page – Links to a variety of poetry-related resources
Poetry Society of America – Articles and awards
Poetry Society of America, Poetry for Children – Links to resources
Poets House – National poetry center and library
Poets & Writers – Archives and articles on all aspects of poetry
Poets & Writers – Classified ads from journals, e-zines, anthologies
Poets & Writers – Grants, Awards, and Contests
Poets & Writers – List of literary publications open to poetry
Poets & Writers – Small book publishers of poetry
Publishers Weekly – Updates on all genres in the publishing industry
Pulitzer Prize – List of previous winners of this highly prestigious award in poetry, which also gives you an immediate list of poets to study
Rhyme Zone – Rhymes, synonyms, and word search
American Verse Project – A to Z listing of poets with hotlinks to classical poems to read aloud and study
Children’s Poetry – Famous poems and poets of interest to children
Christian Writers’ Market Guide – Links to Protestant, Catholic, and interdenominational publishers interested in well-written, spiritual poetry
Copyright information – Directly from the U.S. Copyright Office
Duotrope’s Digest – Numerous poetry markets open to your poems
Electronic Poetry Center – Archives of international poets
EnglishVerse.com – Archives of classical English poetry with bios of the poets
Guide to Grammar & Writing – Interactive articles, definitions, parts of speech, and English grammar guides
International Writing Contest – Annual competition for poetry (which I’ve judged for over 10 years) and all genres of writing
Library of Congress – Poetry page
Nobel Prize in Literature – Prestigious poetry prize
Online Resources for Writers – Articles, hotlinks, and full texts for classical works on writing
Poetry Daily – Featuring a poem, poet, and journal each day
Poetry Editor – Professional critique service, writing consultation, editing
Poetry Foundation – Articles, biographies of poets, poems, and other resources on poets and poetry
Poetry Foundation, Children’s Poetry – Resources for poets and poems of interest to children
Poetry.org – Resources for poets, terminology about poetry
Poetry Resource Page – Links to a variety of poetry-related resources
Poetry Society of America – Articles and awards
Poetry Society of America, Poetry for Children – Links to resources
Poets House – National poetry center and library
Poets & Writers – Archives and articles on all aspects of poetry
Poets & Writers – Classified ads from journals, e-zines, anthologies
Poets & Writers – Grants, Awards, and Contests
Poets & Writers – List of literary publications open to poetry
Poets & Writers – Small book publishers of poetry
Publishers Weekly – Updates on all genres in the publishing industry
Pulitzer Prize – List of previous winners of this highly prestigious award in poetry, which also gives you an immediate list of poets to study
Rhyme Zone – Rhymes, synonyms, and word search
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Poetry Critique of “Pretentious” with notes on metaphor, simile, and compression
Every poem differs, of course, so each offers us an opportunity to look at one of the many choices we have in revising before submitting our work to a traditional print journal or e-zine.
This poem, for example, shows signs of simile ready to ripen with each “as” or “like.”
Pretentious
by Celestine McMullen Allen
Pretend is the game we play
When we want to hide within ourselves
The games are fantasy
A world not visible to all
Play like, fooling the self
Actions of life are like playing tag
We envision the world as a tea cup
Porcelain dolls and rugby brutes
Most people will identify with this poem and the pretend games people play, which gives the poem strong reader identification. The poem then deepens that observation with an insight, “When we want to hide within ourselves” – a line that establishes the poet’s credibility and, again, connects with readers.
Making a connection and being credible will draw readers to your work in any genre. In addition to those desirable traits, comparing this to that with “like” or “as” is an effective poetic device poets have practiced for centuries. Here, for example, the line, “We envision the world as a tea cup,” evokes all sorts of thoughts and visual possibilities aside from the tea party that the context brings to mind. Besides that, I love the line so much, I wonder if it might become the first line of a separate poem in order to develop the thought fully.
My unease with the poem concerns the use of capital letters at the beginning of each line. Since line breaks already separate the lines, there’s no need to mark those line breaks with a capital letter, which, usually, marks the beginning of each sentence, while a period (.) clearly marks the end. So unless a particular reason exists to change the norm, normal punctuation will normally clarify meaning and guide readers in their reading.
My other concern has to do with flat statements – a problem that can be overcome in a couple of ways. For example, metaphor and simile could be developed, so each verb, noun, or modifier connects with the overall picture. This would also lessen the need for passive verbs in various forms of “to be” (i.e., is, was, were.)
Here, though, the whole poem can be considered a metaphor for life as a game, whether “pretend” games or active ones of playing tag. Therefore, I’d be more apt to find another way to overcome the feel of flat statements. For example, compression can help a sentence to sound more poetic.
Since compression removes the small words needed to be clear, a problem arises with clarity, but that can be solved by tabbing some of the lines over to the right (which Blogspot will not let me do!) Or we can use capital letters and line spacing to separate the thoughts, which also removes the need for punctuation.
Other solutions exist, so don’t lock your poems in too soon. For now, however, here’s what compressions does:
Pretend
the game we play
hiding within ourselves
Fantasy
invisible world
fooling the self
Actions of life
play tag
play rugby
play with porcelain dolls
envision
the world as a tea cup
This poem, for example, shows signs of simile ready to ripen with each “as” or “like.”
Pretentious
by Celestine McMullen Allen
Pretend is the game we play
When we want to hide within ourselves
The games are fantasy
A world not visible to all
Play like, fooling the self
Actions of life are like playing tag
We envision the world as a tea cup
Porcelain dolls and rugby brutes
Most people will identify with this poem and the pretend games people play, which gives the poem strong reader identification. The poem then deepens that observation with an insight, “When we want to hide within ourselves” – a line that establishes the poet’s credibility and, again, connects with readers.
Making a connection and being credible will draw readers to your work in any genre. In addition to those desirable traits, comparing this to that with “like” or “as” is an effective poetic device poets have practiced for centuries. Here, for example, the line, “We envision the world as a tea cup,” evokes all sorts of thoughts and visual possibilities aside from the tea party that the context brings to mind. Besides that, I love the line so much, I wonder if it might become the first line of a separate poem in order to develop the thought fully.
My unease with the poem concerns the use of capital letters at the beginning of each line. Since line breaks already separate the lines, there’s no need to mark those line breaks with a capital letter, which, usually, marks the beginning of each sentence, while a period (.) clearly marks the end. So unless a particular reason exists to change the norm, normal punctuation will normally clarify meaning and guide readers in their reading.
My other concern has to do with flat statements – a problem that can be overcome in a couple of ways. For example, metaphor and simile could be developed, so each verb, noun, or modifier connects with the overall picture. This would also lessen the need for passive verbs in various forms of “to be” (i.e., is, was, were.)
Here, though, the whole poem can be considered a metaphor for life as a game, whether “pretend” games or active ones of playing tag. Therefore, I’d be more apt to find another way to overcome the feel of flat statements. For example, compression can help a sentence to sound more poetic.
Since compression removes the small words needed to be clear, a problem arises with clarity, but that can be solved by tabbing some of the lines over to the right (which Blogspot will not let me do!) Or we can use capital letters and line spacing to separate the thoughts, which also removes the need for punctuation.
Other solutions exist, so don’t lock your poems in too soon. For now, however, here’s what compressions does:
Pretend
the game we play
hiding within ourselves
Fantasy
invisible world
fooling the self
Actions of life
play tag
play rugby
play with porcelain dolls
envision
the world as a tea cup
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