I predicate this, by saying that this was about a nice little four line poem, that was posted in the "Critique" section of a poetry community. Where the guidelines are laid out thusly:
"The Critique: Please submit only works in process to the Critique. Please remember to give members an idea of where you are in the process, what kind of feedback you are looking for, or ask a question about something particular in your poem you'd like a response to. "
So, I asked, "What sort of critique were you looking for?" Simply because the poem seemed really good to me, and there wasn't much of it to pick at. And the response from a particular Troll, was as you see.
Now, all who is right, and who is wrong, aside; it caused a lot of reflection on my part.
First: It reminded me of how (overly)sensitive I am to this kind of behavior. Also how fortunate I am to have 99.9% of my interactions here to have been positive ones, with positive and intelligent individuals.
Second: Who AM I to critique anyone's poetry, anyways? The answer to which, is that I'm nobody, really.
I've self-published several books of poetry, and short subjects (narratives, op-eds, etc). But that certainly doesn't make me any authority on anything other than the ability to make a decent looking product, with the assistance of some easy to use tools. That take the form of Smashwords, Kindle Publishing, Createspace, and Lulu.
My formal English/writing education ended at the conclusion of my AP writing classes, senior year in High School. So no help there.
I know how poetry makes me feel inside, and I know what is pleasing for ME to read, both aloud and silently (sometimes two different things).
I can suggest different phrasing, or word choice, based on that; if asked. And I have had the chance to do so, through helping edit someone's poetry books, whose author didn't have English as her mother tongue.
But as far as the technicalities of writing poetry....... I am quite lacking. I am no judge.
If someone says, "Write me a sonnet, about the Great Floridian Manatee", then I can do that. But only after looking up how to write a sonnet, and learning more about Manatees. Which doesn't make me so much an expert; more of a student.
Who am I to critique anyone? Nobody.
I wouldn't even have thought on this today, except someone else has asked me to participate in some poetry critique, and I am having all the feels about it.
Cheers, to being painfully inadequate.
"The Critique: Please submit only works in process to the Critique. Please remember to give members an idea of where you are in the process, what kind of feedback you are looking for, or ask a question about something particular in your poem you'd like a response to. "
So, I asked, "What sort of critique were you looking for?" Simply because the poem seemed really good to me, and there wasn't much of it to pick at. And the response from a particular Troll, was as you see.
Now, all who is right, and who is wrong, aside; it caused a lot of reflection on my part.
First: It reminded me of how (overly)sensitive I am to this kind of behavior. Also how fortunate I am to have 99.9% of my interactions here to have been positive ones, with positive and intelligent individuals.
Second: Who AM I to critique anyone's poetry, anyways? The answer to which, is that I'm nobody, really.
I've self-published several books of poetry, and short subjects (narratives, op-eds, etc). But that certainly doesn't make me any authority on anything other than the ability to make a decent looking product, with the assistance of some easy to use tools. That take the form of Smashwords, Kindle Publishing, Createspace, and Lulu.
My formal English/writing education ended at the conclusion of my AP writing classes, senior year in High School. So no help there.
I know how poetry makes me feel inside, and I know what is pleasing for ME to read, both aloud and silently (sometimes two different things).
I can suggest different phrasing, or word choice, based on that; if asked. And I have had the chance to do so, through helping edit someone's poetry books, whose author didn't have English as her mother tongue.
But as far as the technicalities of writing poetry....... I am quite lacking. I am no judge.
If someone says, "Write me a sonnet, about the Great Floridian Manatee", then I can do that. But only after looking up how to write a sonnet, and learning more about Manatees. Which doesn't make me so much an expert; more of a student.
Who am I to critique anyone? Nobody.
I wouldn't even have thought on this today, except someone else has asked me to participate in some poetry critique, and I am having all the feels about it.
Cheers, to being painfully inadequate.
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