Is It Time To Appoint An Unofficial Steemit Poetry Critic To Tame The Scourge Of Bad Poetry On Steemit?
For some unknown reason, a lot of Steemers ask me to critique their poetry.
A recent example was @cathi-xx who asked me to review her recent poem: 'Wife':
https://steemit.com/poetry/@cathi-xx/wife
Here was the comment I left her:
Good imagery - minimal use of words - sparse - I love the line: 'and link with another in perpetual motion?' - radical improvement being shown since Steemit debut - there is an irreconcilable tension between the poetry’s potential and its actualization, between what it dreams of doing and what it actually can do. Worthy of $'s - 9/10.
@cathi-xx was over the moon with her review.
Now, this got me thinking. For every 1 good poem I read on Steemit, there are 10 bad ones.
Wouldn't it be great if we could appoint an unofficial Steemit poetry critic to tame the scourge of bad poetry on Steemit??
99% of Steemit poets on here are just fusing words to images and thinking it's poetry and receiving monetary value. This is not art in any shape or form. I would love to name names on here, but I won't. Some high reputational poetry on here is very, very bad!
I hereby lobby for poetic reform on Steemit through critical analysis of the best poetry that we can find on here.
At the end of the day, do we want chicken salad or chicken shit for our Steemit poetry world on here?
Right, thats all my poetic licence used up for the day.
Something about this post gives me the urge to start sharing my own bad poetry. As apparently that is something that pays around here. ;-)
I relish the review that awaits thee ;) The old art vs money argument is rising I feel!
I'd get a review too!? This is sounding better by the minute ;-)
Give it your best shot now. No weak imagery or else!
Here you go, but it's going to be a hard one:
https://steemit.com/poetry/@ottodv/loneliness
Return to poetry school immediately! I nearly gave it 0/10!!
You just need to travel back in time 30 years to tell my younger self that.
Good thinking for not using 0/10, you should reserve the 0/10 for some other poems I have, maybe even consider negative grades.
Will you take a look at this poem?
https://steemit.com/poetry/@gonzo/condom-an-original-poem
I really like what you are doing.
I am a bad poet that is trying to get better and I would like to have faith that my peers are poets that I can learn from.
Very few every attempt to become a better poet on here - its just the same ole' uncreative drivel day after day after day....ad infinitum.
I think your post touched a nerve with folk :)
There is always time for good poetry.
I don't see any point in writing them if I am not learning something, I was asking for advice from some of the poets that receive tons of upvotes, but then began posting obviously bad stuff and it made me rethink my entire strategy. I am afraid if I continue this path I will learn how to write poetry that receives upvotes here while being a joke to real poets.
My friend, work backwards. Know what bad poetry is first, then do everything you can to avoid it. Listen to no poet on here. Read the book 'The Hatred of Poetry' by Ben Lerner away from Steemit. Then, you may have a chance to improve your prose, style, imagery etc. Good luck.
Thank You
I look forward to reading your future work :)
P.S. Since I love your attempt at poetic improvement @gonzo, please post any of your future poetic links here for a @mindhunter review if you so wish.
You are welcome to critique the poems I have written, even harshly if you must. I have just started writing poetry a month ago, so I can't assume that they are very good and I have read your insightful critiques on others, so it would be appreciated to find out what I am doing wrong from someone who knows what they are talking about. When I look back at my poems all I see is the fault in them and I don't even know how judge poetry.
Good poetry is like pornography - you know it when you see it, but it's very difficult to describe to someone who has no knowledge of it ;) I won't look at any of your earlier work, but do send me a link of your NEXT poem and I will look at it honestly for you :)
btw There are a group of mentors that meet up at https://steemit.chat/channel/steemprentice
I try to help people out the best I can on there and I am honest that I have only been writing poetry for a month, but if you ever have any free time I know many of the poets could learn a lot from you.
Thank you for that information.
Thank You!
Here are my last three which will probably give you an idea of where I am at.
https://steemit.com/poetry/@gonzo/factory-girl-an-original-poem
https://steemit.com/poetry/@gonzo/shovel-an-original-poem
https://steemit.com/poetry/@gonzo/attraction-an-original-poem
Will you take a look at this one and see if it is better or worse than the last?
https://steemit.com/poetry/@gonzo/the-calm-and-chaotic-universes-an-original-poem
OK @gonzo - on my way - brace yourself!
Oh, this doesn't sound good :D
Don't worry - your safe :)
Thank you, but honestly I think one of my best poems was one of my first called Prophet, but my quality of writing drops and then goes up and then repeats with each poem, for instance my next poem will not be as good as the last.
Ahhhh...the @gonzo poet self doubt creeps in at last. Let others decide the mystery of your work - don't try to fathom it out for others - you'll fail. That is why we need critics. The very last poem you wrote was your best - but you might not naturally think that yourself. Keep composing and tuning away. You'll be fine :)
Thank You for the kind words :D
Agreed @mindhunter Some poetry on here makes my cat vomit!
It's OK - I have 2 cats - it can get very messy, very quick!!
P.S. Perhaps I should sell my HONEST poetic reviews at $5 SBD a pop! Ha ha!
You could just review daily say the top 3 trending poems and I mean really analyse them! Some people will vote you up and maybe the need for critique will catch on.
Btw I realised what EVW meant when he wrote the oxymoron, "Happiness is an empty rush hour train"-making a fortune from mediocre poetry should have been impossible so if the rush hour train is seen as allegorical for Steemit, then he is indeed sitting on an empty rush hour train and boy is he happy. It's always rush hour on Steemit and he's smiling, eyes closed while everyone else stands at the station waiting for the conductor to pull the emergency brake. We are the graffiti covered shops- everyone on this platform is selling "graffiti" but to EVW the majority of other poets are merely a blur as he rides past-untouchable.
He even tells us why his poetry is bad, “please spare me from obscurity” lets us know that he is in love with the idea of being a writer for the fame, rather than loving the process of creating something special through writing. As a result, in the outside world he was failing as a writer, "Happiness is an empty rush hour train the pause I prayed for spared me from being life’s prey". He was just coming to accept the idea that his writing is average when Steemit happened and now he knows that he's a writing genius, born to write. He's saved from the illusion of failure, "sweet muse diffuses the illusions, and I return to the conclusion that I spell out the meaning of my existence, one word at a time.
After decoding Rush Hour Train I realise that it is actually half decent because it's his only work that comes from real truth. I say half because, "stains of a crushed cheeto", really? stain? Rather than, "crumbs" or "dust". He clearly picks the first word that pops into his head and lacks either the artistic integrity or skill required to make his poetry actually good and why should he? He's paid handsomely either way.
Poets are soldiers that liberate words from the steadfast and mundane. Do we choose to train more Steemit soldiers via your suggestion, or start poetry clinics for the 0.01% that we can REALLY HELP change??!
P.S. Perhaps $10 SBD per review for serious poets ONLY ;) The top 3 trending poems are usually ALWAYS crap!
Poetic shit-ness is rising! Meet the cure: @mindhunter
BLEACH THE PLACE WILL YA!
I've never been compared to bleach before. Thanks.
P.S. 'Poetic shit-ness is rising!' - an honest visceral poetic line there @thecentreofitall - I like it. 7/10.
Thanks for your link to this on my post!
*oh no! I've just merged imagery to poetry I hope it's not complete shit. LOL
btw - I totally agree that some very high profile poetry is better off in the litter box, but I'm not one to tear anyone down. No names will come forth from me.
HEEEY mindfucker, glad to see you livin' the dream @ 0.22$.
Do you have a favourite Wordsworth poem? I like Wordsworth! If you don't have a fave from him please choose one now
I don't like any another poets! Hell is other poets!!
I don't know the difference between bad poetry or the good stuff, post some links I can use to educate myself so I can curate effectively pretty please.
There are no links to good poetry. All you can do is work backwards from bad poetry. Try reading 'The Hatred of Poetry' by Ben Lerner first ;)
The only poetry I like is Thoreau, after reading his work everyone else pales in comparassion...My life has been the poem I would have writ,
But I could not both live and utter it.
Precious words well said @reddust