Poetry Publication Tips
Topic: Publication Tips
So you?ve finally decided to make the next move, to take the next step toward published poet status. You?re ready to send in volumes of your poems to every editor you can find, and are sure that within a matter of weeks, your name and poetic genius will grace the pages of countless publications. You?re almost ready to turn in your final notice at work, right? Before you get carried away, let?s look at how this wealth and fame is to be attained.
Here is a quick summary of some of the things you should do when you get serious about being published. We?ll go into more detail as we get further along. Just remember that the amount of time and energy you spend on laying the groundwork for your submissions is directly reflected in your final product, and is clearly visible to editors, who see hundreds, if not thousands of manuscripts each year. This process is considerably more difficult and time consuming than posting a poem on a poetry website, but in the end, the work will pay off.

* A complete list of poetry publishers is available from The Poetry Library, The Writers' and Artists' Yearbook, The Writers' Handbook, and The Poet?s Market. You can get a copy of any of these from the local library. Be sure to get the latest version.

* Start out by sending your work only to established poetry magazines with reputations that won?t make you regret being published in them. Remember, if they accept you, you can use them as future references, or they can come back to haunt you. You want them to be high-quality, respectable credits that you can be proud of.

* Read. Find out what the editor wants. Target magazines that you know frequently include poetry that fits your style.

* Present your work in a professional manner. Hand-written material is unacceptable. Type on one side of the paper only, use additional sheets for each new poem or continuation of a poem. Check for typos and other mistakes before you send anything in. Don't include an explanation of your poetry - good work speaks for itself. Enclose a SASE

* Editors do not need (or want) your complete works. You need only to send a small sample.

* Don't expect an instant reply, it can take months.

* Don't expect a big payment - or any payment at all.

* Consider your earliest publications as experience, and the basis for your growing reputation.

The Manuscript
There are many common mistakes that will guarantee that your work sees nothing more than the inside of an editor?s trash can. Here are some of the standards to which you should adhere to in order to win a chance?
Typeface/Font Style: Always type your poems on a computer (or a good quality typewriter.) Use a clear typeface, Times New Roman and Courier are the best choices here. Your font size should be a consistent, easily read 10 point or 12 point. You can type your title however you prefer. Avoid using all caps, but underlined, boldface, plain text, or any combination is acceptable. Keep in mind that your job is to make the editor's job easier and thereby (hopefully) you?ll stand a better chance of acceptance.
Paper: Use plain white 8.5 x 11 inch paper. Period. No colors, textures, special weights or ornamentation, no cute little teddy bears or decorations ? plain white paper.
Page Formatting: Your pages should be uniform. Name and date in the top right (or left) corner of each page. Use the same number of spaces between this and the poem?s title, and between the title and the actual poem on each page. Most publishers are fine with single-spaced stanzas, some insist on double-spacing, so read the guidelines of the publication carefully. Always maintain a one inch margin around each page, and if your poem is long enough to continue from one page to another, number the pages sequentially (1/2, 2/2) in the bottom right hand corner. In the case of a continuation, be sure to note whether or not the page break coincides with a stanza break by adding {stanza break} or {no stanza break.}
Do not add copyright notices on your poetry. This is seen as a direct insult, as though you fear that the editor intends to steal your work. Besides, by law, just typing out your poem automatically copyrights it.

Where to Submit
There are several platforms for poetry publication; these include online e-zines, literary magazines, and newspapers, both local and national. I suggest starting with an e-zine, or one of the smaller literary magazines. Give yourself a chance to build your reputation, and your confidence. Also, they tend to be in need of good work, and thus, are more willing to take a chance on a new poet. They're usually more open to your questions and more tolerant to the mistakes of the inexperienced..
Electronic publications (E-zines)
Electronic publishing is a fairly new market that?s growing with the poetry-online movement. Many poetry magazines have already experimented with web-based archives of back issues.

Some electronic markets:
The Academy of American Poets
The Cortland Review
Ecco Press: The Essential Poets series
Electronic Poetry Review
PandaLoon
Poets & Writers Inc. Home Page
Salon Magazine
SEEDS Magazine
Subterranean Press
The University of Chicago Press
Zuzu Petals Quarterly

Yes, electronic publication in an online journal is a perfectly acceptable publication credit and can be used as reference in future submissions. Here again though, check the e-zine?s reputation, visit the site and use your own judgment. Review it with your reputation in mind. Each site has requirements on how to submit, so be sure to visit the site?s submission guideline page.

Some Literary magazines:
Literary periodicals and poetry journals are the other places where newcomers should begin. They're very reputable, especially among literary scholars, so getting published in one is a big deal. Some of the more popular literary magazines are included in this list I found on the web:

American Letters and Commentary?
Antioch Review
Boulevard
Conjunctions
DoubleTake Magazine
Fence Magazine
Field Magazine
Five Points
Jacket
The Journal
Kenyon Review
Literal Latte
The New Criterion
Partisan Review
Ploughshares
PN Review
Poetry Calendar
Poetry Magazine
Poetry Review
Poets & Writers Magazine
Slate
Stand Magazine
Thumbscrew
Tin House Literary Journal
Triquarterly Magazine
Verse Magazine

Newspapers
National newspapers tend to be looking for famous poets, and can be hard to get into, but it?s worth the risk of rejection on the off-chance that you get accepted. A newspaper offers a wide readership, and can be a real plus when listed in your credits. You can also start out with smaller locally based newspapers as a beginner?s platform. If nothing else, this will offer you some experience with dealing with editors and the intricacies of being published. Remember that newspaper editors too are looking for insightful, thought-provoking verse that creates a mood or image. Don?t take these publishers any less seriously than any other.

Prepare your portfolio:
There are very specific guidelines you should follow when preparing your poetry portfolio:

Cover Letter: You should include a cover letter unless the publisher has specifically stated that it is undesired. When you create your cover letter, adhere strictly to the guidelines of the publication to which you intend to submit. If there are no guidelines regarding a cover letter, include one anyway -- it can't hurt. It is important to keep the letter brief, succinct, and professional. It should always :

1. Be addressed to the poetry editor or magazine editor by his/her name. No "To Whom it May Concern" Take the time to contact the magazine and find out this information, including the correct spelling.
2. Offer the editor the poems for publication in their journal. Don?t apologize or brag about your work. Don?t sell yourself with personal references from friends, colleagues or family. Don?t ask for feedback on your poetry. Simply state the purpose of the submission.
3. List up to three recent publishing credits (if you have them).
4. Thank the editor for his/her time.

The only circumstances under which you should provide more information:

1. If the editor has previously rejected your work but included a personal note saying that he/she was interested in seeing more of your future work, then mention this in your cover letter.
2.If you're resubmitting work with changes suggested by the editor, then write that you've made the edits and thank the editor for the suggestions.
3. If you are sending poems for a specific issue of the magazine, mention that too.

Your Poems:
You should submit about 5 poems or pages, held together with a paper clip. Do not staple your pages

An SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope): If you want them returned, make sure that you include enough postage for the return of your poems. But always keep a copy of the work you?ve submitted. You?re generally better off to send a business sized envelope and enough postage just for their response. If this is what you choose to do, make sure to let them know that the manuscript in a disposable copy, A SASE makes it more likely that you'll get some kind of response, even if it's a rejection.

Your exterior envelope:
Address your package to the poetry editor by name. Send the package flat in a 9 x 12 inch manila envelope. Don't use a standard business envelope with your poems folded into thirds, it'll make your newbie status all too obvious, and you?ll be taken less seriously. Remember to put enough postage on the exterior of your envelope and make sure that everything looks professional. Use plain labels for the return address, and use boring stamps.

Submitting to more than one market

Never submit a poem that has already been published in any form. This rule even applies if you put the poem on your own homepage -- technically that is also a form of publication, and you don't want to jeopardize your chances.

Technically, you're not allowed to submit the same poems to more than one publication simultaneously. Most first-timers submit to many publications, wait for the first acceptance, and then tell the other publications that he/she would like to withdraw his/her poems from consideration. It's technically wrong, but sometimes you have to get cutthroat.

Keep track of your submissions!
In order to avoid confusion and the perils of forgetfulness, you should keep a record of what poems you have submitted to which publications. Note also the date they were submitted, whether or not you?ve received a response, and what that response was. Once a poem has been rejected by one publication, you are free to resubmit it to another. This also serves as a list of publication credits for quick reference.

Now that we?ve covered all of that, submit, but don?t quit your day job.

Concrete Poetry
Topic: Concrete poetry
Concrete Poetry
Poetry that visually conveys the poet's meaning through the graphic arrangement of letters, words, or symbols on the page.

Also known as:

Pattern Poetry
Poetry in which the letters, words, and lines are configured in such a way that the poem's printed appearance on the page forms a recognizable outline related to the subject, thus conveying or extending the meaning of the words.
Ex:


Her lips part slightly to meet rime encrusted goblet;
chords of Beethoven dance with rainbowed teardrops
in the halo cast by candlelight and crystal. She shivers
with sad satisfaction as a Zinfandel cascade glides
smoothly down and tongue is washed
in bitter sweetness. She feels
the chill transferred
from
taste
buds
to soul,
a repeat
performance of dinner for two, alone


Concrete poetry, if nothing else, is fun to do. It?s a mixture of written and visual art, where the writer has to decide on a shape/visual presentation that would compliment the poem?s internal message. It tends to make the author think about what?s really necessary to say with the correct amount of words, in order to achieve the shape they strive for. You can start with an idea for a poem and decide beforehand what ?picture? you?d like to end up with, and write the poem accordingly, or vice versa ? idea first, which would then dictate the shape.
Either way you do it, it can be a lot of fun, and is a great exercise when you?re experiencing writer?s block.

There are certain forms of poetry that, by way of syllable count, also create concrete poetry, such as the Tetractys, which I recently commented resembled a newspaper hat, and the Diamonte, which is a diamond shape. These are forms you may want to explore if concrete poetry sounds interesting to you.

The ?wine glass? above was taken from a collection of poems I wrote some years ago.

K.I.S.S.
Topic: K.I.S.S.
Keep it simple stupid!

Keep it simple!
Observe the old rule - when in doubt, leave it out. Remember what?s called the ?KISS principle? (keep it simple, stupid) Salespeople use it, and so should you: If customers don't understand them, they won't make the sale. The same rule of thumb applies to poetry, and your ?customers,? your readers.
Shoot for clarity.
Fanciness leads to pretentiousness, and pretentiousness puts readers to sleep ? not the effect you?re looking for, unless you?re writing a lullaby.Clarity is critical for keeping a reader?s interest. Write about one thing and stick to the subject.
Use short sentences.
Use about 15 ? 20 words per sentence. Keep your subject and verb together. That way, you won't confuse your readers. And you won't confuse yourself. Concise sentences are easier to follow and less likely to muddle the subject.
Avoid run-on sentences and excess commas
Average one idea in each sentence, just like the ?one idea per poem? concept. If you only have one idea, you don't to worry about commas and semicolons. Try not to put more than two ideas in the same sentence. If your rhythm is better served by a pause (or you have some other reason to forego a period) consider using and, or but to join the two sentences.
No fragments!
Make sure every sentence has a subject and a verb, and remember words that end with -ing (gerunds and participles) aren't always verbs. Be especially careful of words like although, as, after, before, because, if, that, unless, until, when, which, who, etc. They turn complete sentences into fragments.
Write like you talk.
Use the subject-verb-object type of sentence that science has proven most effective for the average reader. Let the sentence patterns of common speech work for you, not against you. Put the important first in each sentence where your reader needs it.
Read your writing out loud
Listen to the sound of the words. You'll catch more errors this way. You?ll also get a feel for the flow, rhythm and cadence. In an effective poem, your reader ?hears? the poem in his mind, you want to know exactly what it is he?ll hear, reading the poem out loud to yourself is the best way to do that.

The Politics of Web Poetry
Topic: Politics of Web Poetry
The innovation of the internet and the birth of the poetry communities on the web have created opportunities and complications for all who have discovered them.
In the days of paper and pen, finding literary interaction was a bit harder. Receiving any sort of reaction to your work was much less accessible - typically restricted to fellow students in writing classes, or the occasional trusted friend or relative.

With the technological advance of the information super highway comes obstacles, bumps in the road that were unforeseeable. One of these, in my opinion, is the politics of message board replies - not enough, too many, and those colored by favoritism. If the poetry world is to become more than what it is through this contact, reader reaction is to be the key. However I find that human nature overcomes the sensibilities of discipline where this is concerned. Many times, general attitudes prevail that impair the creative process when performed online.

We all know that not every post on web boards is a work of genius. This is true on two levels. Either the piece doesn't fit into your preferred style, and is therefore distasteful to you in particular, or the piece lacks poetic device/style or includes grammatical errors and typos. So, there are often times when a reader must choose his words carefully when reading another's work. When the piece you're reading seems to have little or no artistic value, for whatever reason, what do you do?

There are three choices:

One can back out quietly, in hopes that no one has noticed your arrival, and make no comment at all. This is known as the 'ignore them and they'll go away' syndrome. After all we wouldn't want to hurt his feelings, right? This, unfortunately, only tends to encourage a wider spreading of the distasteful work. A writer, at whatever skill level, can only improve if someone informs him that he needs to. In ignoring him, he will, indeed, move on. He'll move on to post his poetry at every board he can find. Without interaction from other, more-seasoned writers, without outside opinions of his work, he is destined to continue to write badly. I ask you, what effect does this have on the poetry community as a whole to have this phenomenon continue? Surely, you can't think it positive.

"The fact that no one understands you does not make you an artist." --unknown

One can find some meaningless commentary to make, after all, if you respond to him, surely he'll reply to you - poetic back-scratching. This is a variation of the above-mentioned syndrome, only worse. Now he has what he views as 'fans' and feels completely justified in continuing to run rampant through the net, posting objectionable poetry. He finds it within his rights to justify grammatical errors, lack of understanding of poetic device, improper word usage, and will often be found on the righteous indignation soap-box loudly protesting the idea that poetry be held to such standards at all. I'm sure we've all heard how poetry should be written from the heart, and how technicalities aren't important, rather, what matters is how you feeeeel.
This, my fellow writers, is the start of why web poets and poetry sites tend to be held in disdain within the literary community at large. It marks the beginning of the reputation we have earned for being undisciplined and uneducated. In praising those who do not deserve it, we may save his feelings, but in the end, we're only hurting ourselves.

"Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability." --Roy L Smith

We may offer constructive criticism in an effort to help him learn and improve. This is where we take the opportunity to reclaim our good names, the chance to better our standing within the literary community.
Soothe him by pointing out a redeeming quality or two, and then make use of the moment to share your knowledge. Don't sugarcoat your commentary, and inversely, don't tear into him like a pit bull. Your tone decides whether or not he'll listen, or become defensive. A defensive listener hears nothing - meaning you'll be wasting your time.

'Honest criticism is hard to take, particularly from a relative, a friend, an acquaintance, or a stranger" --Franklin P. Jones

Help him to grow. Start with commentary on the technical mechanics of the English language. Explain the merits of using punctuation, grammar, or proper capitalization. This is more effective if explained in such a way as to lend him the idea that by doing so, he'll receive more input. Avoid the appearance of being dogmatic or arrogant. Move on, if possible, to explain the finer points of poetry, such as line breaks, stanza separations, metaphor, etc. Explain the negative effects of cliches, gerunds, or whatever you found to be ineffective in the piece.

Generally speaking, poetry is often viewed as an art to be taken lightly. Every ounce of respect we get is one we've earned through hard work, proofreading, editing and revision - through endless hours of carving polished art from an unrecognizable jumble of letters and words. None of us is beyond improvement; each of us has room to grow. And isn't that the point of internet contact in the first place - because who better to teach us, than each other?

Passive vs. active voice
Topic: Passive vs Active
Who dunnit?


The English language has two voices, active and passive. When the subject of the sentence performs the action of the verb, it is said to be active. In a passive sentence, the subject is not performing the action of the verb, another noun in the sentence is performing the action on/to the subject.

Active Ex:
Erin wrote this sentence.
?Erin? is the subject, she performed the action ? Erin wrote.

Passive Ex:
This sentence was written by Erin.
?Erin? is no longer the subject, ?sentence? is now the subject, but the ?sentence? isn?t performing the action, ?Erin? is.

Active sentences are more powerful because they?re shorter. Passive sentences use an average of 35% more words. Fewer words make a more direct, concise statement. Active sentences are also easier to read and understand. Passive sentences, in addition to using more words, use more weak words, such as demonstrative pronouns (the), prepositions (by, of) and the weaker passive (to be) form of the verb.

For a potent poem, or any other form of writing, use well-built sentences. The strong verbs, solid nouns and clear descriptions add to the strength of any writing project. Using passive sentences consistently will ensure that your writing is less direct, bogged down under weak words, and unfailingly ineffectual.
There are times that passive voice is acceptable, such as when you want to hide who performed the action in the sentence, which may preserve a sense of surprise for the end of the piece. Used carefully, it can add suspense, such as when used in a sentence like, ?My heart has been broken.? If used in a poem where you?d like to surprise your reader with the fact that your heart was broken by some unusual person (or thing perhaps) then this may work for you. Just take care not to be too passive, or your reader may never make it to the twist at the end, because they feel confused by the passivity and wordiness.
There have been studies that show that the human mind is more apt to retain information written in the active voice format. One thing most writers hope to achieve is to make their reader remember their work. This is particularly true when submitting work to a publisher.

Free Verse
Topic: Free Verse
What, exactly, does that mean?

Someone posted a thread recently about free verse. It was a quote that basically defined what free verse is, and someone else replied, wanting a deeper explanation. I find that many writers don?t quite understand what the term free verse means.

Free Verse:
Unrhymed verse without a consistent metrical pattern

Free verse is exactly that, free verse ? poetry that is written without
proper rules about form, rhyme, rhythm, or meter. This term is sometimes referred to, incorrectly, as blank verse. Blank verse is similar, in that it doesn?t have to rhyme, but blank verse is written in iambic pentameter.

Free verse is a term loosely used for rhymed or unrhymed verse made
free of conventional and traditional limitations and restrictions about metrical structure. Cadence is often substituted for regular metrical pattern. There is no line count or required repetition.

There is no technical rule applied to it whatsoever, other than the grammatical rules that apply to all writing, and many choose to forego those as well.

Free verse tends to remain rhythmic though not strictly metered, the rhythm or cadence of free verse varies throughout the poem. Though the words don't rhyme, they flow along their own uneven pattern.

Some writers feel more comfortable within the restrictions of poetic forms that have specific requirements. They are reassured by rules that let them know they have fulfilled those requirements, as if someone has told them what to do, and they know they?ve done it. Free verse is, in a sense, more difficult, at least in the way of knowing you?ve done it ?right.?

Most writers, therefore, tend to start with more restricted forms, particularly with rhyming poetry, and progress, as they feel more confident, into free verse poetry. Just as poetry itself had to progress into free verse, most writers have to ?grow? into it, a sort of micro-evolution of each individual within the free verse movement.

The greatest American writer of free verse was probably Walt Whitman. His Leaves of Grass was published in 1855. It was a major experiment in free verse poetry.

Vocabulary
Topic: Vocabulary
It?s 11 o?clock, do you know where your thesaurus is?

One of the defining devices of poetry is vocabulary. Poetry is a distinct and determined effort to avoid common language. The very building blocks of our entire field of literature is vocabulary -- new words, beautiful words, uncommon, unusual an interesting words, more words than most of us keep stored in our minds. This means that when we can?t find a ?good? enough word in our own brains, we must strive to find one elsewhere.

This is where the thesaurus comes in. I personally find mine indispensable. I can honestly say that the most prized gift I?ve received from my husband in 13 years of birthdays and Christmases was the thesaurus he gave me a few years ago. I have since worn it to the same condition as the one I had been using at the time; it?s pages are bent and dog-eared, the cover is scuffed, the binding is broken, and I love it. (I wonder if he knew then how many brownie points he would earn himself with a ten dollar gift?)

The significance of vocabulary is indescribable. I doubt I can offer any more valuable advice to poetry writers than to advise them to expand their vocabulary base. The thesaurus is an excellent tool to aid in this expansion. There are innumerable synonyms for most every word in our language, and hundreds of thousands of them lie waiting, like buried gold, in its pages. But you have to be careful when using a thesaurus to use words with the correct intonation and mood, and to employ them properly as far as inverting the usage. Be careful not to sound as if you opened the thing and used the first synonym you came across.
Try to avoid using words that are so obscure that your reader has no idea what the word means.

I also advise you to read. Read, a lot, read poetry and fiction and non-fiction and newspapers and novels, just READ! Sign up for ?word of the day? email notices (such as they have at dictionary.com. ) Keep a dictionary handy, for the times when you read or hear a word you don?t know the definition of. Another activity I enjoy that also exposes you to new words is completing the daily crossword puzzle.

Regardless of how you do it, make a conscious effort to learn new words as often as possible, and definitely make use of a thesaurus. If you don?t own a copy of one, you can buy a copy for about $10, and until you do, there are several online to make use of (Thesaurus.com and Mirriamwebster.com are two that come immediately to mind.) Also, most word processing programs have one bundled in with their tools ? use it.

Workshopping
Topic: Workshopping
getting differing views on your poem

Some writers object to the idea of editing or changing their poems in any way, claiming that revision threatens the purity of the original idea/poem, but many others who don?t revise simply lack the knowledge and/or objectivity it would require to successfully edit their piece. Young writers, in particular, don?t have the experience to understand or to even see the problems within their poetry, but can present a poem with great potential nonetheless. And of course, even more seasoned writers can become attached to their work, or an element within it, and need some outside input. These are all perfect candidates for workshopping.

A poetry workshop is a setting where one writer presents a poem (one that they?ve hopefully at least proofread and corrected the simpler problems such as spelling and punctuation) and receives the input and opinions of other writers. Those who provide the critiques will sometimes have differing views, and often one will spot problems or rough spots that another won?t. Above all, the critics will be objective enough to say which parts are working and which parts aren?t.
After receiving various comments, suggestions, and critiques, the author of the poem goes back to the drawing board with the poem and responses in hand, and considers all that he may or may not want to use, and edits his poem accordingly.

There are several critical mechanisms in the machinery of a successful workshop environment.

For the critiqued:
The most important component is the open-mindedness of the author who entered into the workshop for help.
They must have an appropriate amount of desire to improve, a willingness to, at the very least consider the suggestions made, and a certain level of conviction for their original intent.
Perhaps you came for assistance and input, but you should not be willing to follow all suggestions as if they were required. The suggestions given in a workshop are just that, suggestions, ideas, not law.
You must want to learn, and must want that more than you want to be correct. Think through whatever changes you makes and decide whether it enhances the intent/message, or changes the poem into something else all together.
However, in the event that there is advice offered that you disagree with, simply thank the critic for the time and effort they spent on the thoughtful critique, and ignore the suggestion. Never become argumentative. That is a sure way to have yourself excluded from the workshop environment in the future, and the workshop is an opportunity you should never waste.
Always, always, be grateful. The critics in a workshop absolutely are not obligated to offer you any advice whatsoever, you aren?t paying them for their time, so be respectful enough to offer only a reasonably polished piece of work to start out with, and to appreciate all that they do. A well thought out critique is not an instantaneous thing, the critic typically spends 30+ minutes per critique. They consider your poem from multiple view points looking for everything from grammatical errors or inconsistencies to the purity of your metaphors, to the success of your stylistic choices, and the effect of all of the above on the message you?re trying to convey. Never underestimate the amount of work involved in what they do, it is considerable.

To the critics
The other vital factor necessary for a workshop to accomplish anything is the time and effort mentioned above. A well thought out, line-by-line critique deserves a minimum of 30 minutes, especially in a workshop arena. When a less seasoned poet, or a more experienced poet who has recognized his inability to be objective with a piece, comes to a workshop, they have taken a major step. They?ve opted to allow virtual strangers to re-design (on one level or another) a piece of work that, most likely, they care for as if it were their child.

As critics, we should be gentle enough not to offend them. We?ve all seen workshops and critique boards that are harsh, and often downright mean-spirited. We?ve also watched the poet become defensive, and become so indignant and offended that they failed to recognize the value of the suggestions offered to them. Tone is of utmost importance when offering a critique, unless you just have an extra half hour or so to waste, and no interest in actually helping the writer in question.
Also, try to keep in mind the author?s personal style ? let?s say there is no punctuation in the entire piece, is this the norm for this writer? Then address it briefly, stating that you disagree with it, or that it isn?t effective for you and a bit about why, but that you understand that it is an intentional stylistic choice. Remember that they know their intentions better than you, perhaps your suggestion isn?t quite right for their original thought. Respect that, though you may be more experienced, they need to know for themselves what works for them and what doesn?t. Accept that they aren?t always going to follow your suggestions.
However, if you have the experience of doing a critique for a poet who becomes belligerent or you find that they intend not to follow any of the advice offered to them, move on to the next poet. Don?t waste your time beating your head on a brick wall. Perhaps the next time you see this particular poet they will be more ?ready? to hear a critique; until then, work with one who is. Your time is valuable, don?t bother wasting it if you feel it?s pointless.

Poetry vs. Prose
Topic: Poetry vs Prose
and the controversy continues

I have collected several definitions from different sources for both of these terms, because this topic tends to be a bit controversial. The line between the two seem to get blurred in semantics over poetic words and poetry.

Poetry: Poetry is literary composition in verse, metrical language or other patterned language. It is often contrasted to prose.
Prose: Ordinary written language, without a noticeable metrical structure. Often thought of as the opposite of poetry.
~About.com

Poetry:
1. The art or work of a poet.
2a. Poems regarded as forming a division of literature.
2b. The poetic works of a given author, group, nation, or kind.
3. A piece of literature written in meter; verse.
4. Prose that resembles a poem in some respect, as in form or sound. 5. The essence or characteristic quality of a poem.
6. A quality that suggests poetry, as in grace, beauty, or harmony:

Prose:
1. Ordinary speech or writing, without metrical structure.
2. Commonplace expression or quality.
3. Roman Catholic Church A hymn of irregular meter sung before the Gospel.
~Bartleby.com

Now that didn?t really help much at all, did it?

Contrary to popular belief, poetry is not defined by the structure or arrangement of a piece.
It is not defined as ?separating words and phrases into broken lines and stanzas.?

If I were to write this entry to look like a poem, it still wouldn?t be poetry any more than today?s front page of your local newspaper. Poetry is simply not defined by its appearance. If it can be written in paragraph form and say the same thing, and sound like ordinary speech, it isn?t poetry ? it?s prose. Poetry is rhythmic, it is full of imagery and symbolism and makes use of various poetic tools. The sentence structure often varies from common speech, and tends to require great contemplation on varied vocabulary to create a mood within the piece.

Ex:

Poetry is defined
by the artistry
of its creation,
by the language choices
that are made
to ensure
that it is not
the same
as every day writing.
Don?t misunderstand me,

prose can be poetic,

but it is not poetry.

Prose tends to be longer, wordier, more like everyday language. It uses less in the way of imagery and other poetic devices. Writing prose is not a bad thing, Stephen King has made a generous living from doing just that. He?s a talented writer, and at times includes imagery, metaphor and a sense of rhythm to his writing, however, if I took ?It? and broke it into lines, it would not be an epic poem, it would still be a novel.

Prose most definitely has a place in literature, just be educated in the difference and be aware of exactly which it is you normally write, or intend to write.

Imagery
Topic: Imagery
Show it, don?t tell it

Imagery:
1. A set of mental pictures or images.
2. The use of vivid or figurative language to represent objects, actions, or ideas.
3. The use of expressive or evocative images in art, literature, or music.
4. A group or body of related images, as in a painting or poem.

Poetic Definition
The sensory detail (not just visual) in a literary work. It also refers more specifically to figures of speech like metaphor or simile which produce mental images for the reader.

Imagery is one of the most powerful devices in poetry. (so powerful in fact that psychologists have been using it for years as a technique of behavior therapy, where the patient is encouraged to visualize a pleasant fantasy to overcome certain anxieties) It?s used to paint a picture for the reader, as a way to involve them, envelope them in the art you paint with your words. It?s an integral part of the process of poetry; without strong, vivid images, your poem becomes second-hand, and holds much less impact.

A poem without strong imagery is like a handbook, dry and straight-forward, without illustrations. Insert Tab A into Slot B type writing.

It?s what?s referred to as ?telly?.
It?s lines like,

?The tree was red and orange in Autumn.?
versus lines like
?The forest erupted in flame under an Autumn sun.?

or

?He was depressed?
vs
?The frigid crevasse of infidelity threatened to rend his soul in two?

or

?The old paper felt rough in his hand?
vs.
?A hundred years of history were hidden in the wrinkles of this document,
and transferred into his curious palm.?

You can see how much more engaging a vivid image can be.

Reading a poem should be less of a reading and more of an experience. It?s one of the main characteristics of poetry. Your job as a writer of poetry is to engage the reader, make him feel as though he?s inside the poem.
You want him to feel it, to smell and hear it, you want him to walk away with the images splashed across his mind in permanent ink.

Proofreading and Editing
Topic: Proofreading
spelling, grammar, punctuation

I started to begin this tip with a lot of misspelled words, poor grammar and no punctuation, a sort of example of the mistakes I intended to discuss. I thought better of it and started over because you aren?t going to bother trying to read it if I do that are you? It would be much too much like work.

Make your words, ideas, and thoughts accessible, don?t bury them under an unnecessary burden of faults. I?ve mentioned accessibility in several of my other tips. It?s become a sort of buzz-word in poetry lately, which tends to weaken the meaning of the word, so let me spell it out.

If your reader cannot:
A.) decrypt your spelling
B.) find your true meaning in a madness of grammatical errors
C.) figure out which parts go together and which do not in the absence (or misuse of) punctuation

then they are too busy trying to decipher ? and not busy enough with hearing what you?re saying. You make your message completely null and void ? you waste your time, and that of the reader, and more likely than not, you ensure
that most readers won?t get past the first few errors before deciding to give up the effort.

Let?s be honest, your poetry is your craft, and it should be crafted with care. If you have so little respect for your work that you can?t bother to do simple proofreading, and edit out the technical mistakes, then why should your potential readers respect it enough to dedicate their time to reading it? If you don?t show that you care about your work, readers won?t care about it either. Remember, the next, more polished, poem is just a click away.

Diction
Topic: Diction
choose your weapons

Diction
1.Choice and use of words in speech or writing.
2.Degree of clarity and distinctness of pronunciation in speech or singing; enunciation.
3.The articulation of speech regarded from the point of view of its intelligibility to the audience
4.The manner in which something is expressed in words


The vocabulary and style of language you choose to use in a poem is just as important as the images and ideas. As a writer, you must decide whether to present your story in contemporary language, Shakespearian or Miltonian language, you can also choose to write in a stylized way, such as using slang, or different dialects and colloquialisms, to further the imagery within the poem. These choices are what formulate your diction.

Often, especially when writing the more formal, structured forms, such as sonnets and villanelles, you tend to revert to more formal, ?flowery? diction. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, it?s how we were taught these forms were supposed to sound. In school we learned Shakespeare, Tennyson, and Milton, and those impressions of how poetry should look and sound are ingrained in us. (What your teachers probably didn?t teach you was that shortly after such fancy language usage became the norm, other writers began to argue that poetry should be more accessible to everyone.)
Secondly, that style of language tends to lend itself more easily to the structure of the many formal forms that were popular in that era. But who speaks in iambic pentameter nowadays?!

Realistically, poetry will always use more stylized language and word choices,
even free verse isn?t completely natural because of the process of word selection, and the idea of compressing the imagery into fewer lines and words. But neither do you have to use thee?s or thou?s to write successful poetry.

As a modern poet, the best advice you can follow is to read more poetry. Include the classic poets, but also read more contemporary authors. To write well and be ?with the times? you must be aware of what?s being done in the modern marketplace, understand what?s going on in your field now.

With the knowledge of both the past and the present, you can form your own style and decide what works best for your writing in general or for one piece in particular.

Now, go experiment.

Is your poem about a farmer? Once you get your initial piece on paper, try using different language. Try using more basic and simple language for the simple farmer, try using geographically specific language to depict the setting without saying outright where the subject is. You prefer to give the impression that your farmer is more upscale? Perhaps he?s a more modern day technically savvy sort of fellow ? try describing certain things, such as the equipment or chemical fertilizers or what have you, in more technical terms generally only used by such a person. Maybe he?s a farmer who likes to play music ? find ways to incorporate language that indicates both areas. Is he a 21st century farmer, or an 18th century farmer? You can tell your reader this with your word choices as well.

Play around, broaden your area of comfort in style and language. No one says you have to use any of these ideas in your final piece.

This isn?t dinner folks, play with your words!

Sentence Fragments
Topic: Sentence Fragments
sentences failing


A proper sentence should have both a subject and a verb, with the necessary clauses to make it complete and able to stand alone. There must be at least one independent clause. There must be a subject-verb relationship -- something or someone, doing something (or someone), all in phrases and clauses joined by adverbs and such.

In poetry, writers tend to feel that it's acceptable to use fragments. I could find dozens of poems on MTC right now that I could use as examples. Unfortunately, as much as poetry is an art and a conveyance of some feeling or impression, it should still follow grammatical rules.



For those of you who are thinking how poetry doesn't follow rules, how it's art expressed from the depths of your soul and rules simply do not apply to emotion or art, consider the effect that fragments have on the overall piece.

Let's start with an example:

Wind blowing.
Hair streaming.
Tears flowing.
Lost love.

Now this is nothing more than 4 incomplete sentences offered up in list form. There are three lines that have -ing form verbs, with no auxilliary form and therefore are not true verbs as used here. They SEEM to be a subject (wind/hair/tears) with a verb (blowing/streaming/flowing) but cannot function as such.

This is not poetry.
This 'piece' never gives the reader anything to hold onto, or to follow. It's 3 partial images, and a label.
There is nothing concrete, no place for the reader to follow the writer in order to see his 'vision' of lost love.

Now let's finish the sentences, make it more complete.

She stood
face to the wind,
with hair flowing behind her,
as her dreams had.

Her tears flowed, flooded
the dam of the river
of lost love.

OK so it's no masterpiece, but you can see how the reader has more footing in his trip through this snapshot.

The grammatical rules that poets tend to forego for the sake of 'art' only lead to better art when understood and properly applied. So if you feel the need to rebel against them for the sake of rebellion, consider whether it's worth allowing your work to suffer for it.

Point of View
Topic: Point of View
where do you stand

Point of view:
1.A manner of viewing things; an attitude.
2.A position from which something is observed or considered; a standpoint.
3.The attitude or outlook of a narrator or character in a piece of literature, a movie, or another art form.

When writing, your point-of-view focuses the vantage point of the speaker, or narrator, of the story or poem. Of course, different points of view affect the strength of the poem, and which parts of certain lines are emphasized. First person is the most common, because it?s written on the assumption that the writer is involved in the event and therefore gives the clearest most reliable account. Second tends to be a bit confusing, as most readers will interpret it in a way that they believe the writer is speaking to them, when in actuality, the writer is speaking to another individual. Third person can be effective also, as the writer is an observer of a situation, and gives his/her ?take? on it, ascribing to it his/her emotional or physical reaction. The following list is a simplified definition of the three POV?s described. There are more complicated, and more obscure, points of view, but these are he basics.

1st person:
the speaker is a character in the story or poem and tells it from his/her perspective (uses "I")

2nd person:
Second person can be written as ?you? (singular or plural). The author speaks as though he?s talking to someone, and describing what the person is doing, but is not speaking directly to the reader. It is unusual to find poetry written in 2nd person.

3rd person limited:
the speaker is not part of the story, but tells about the other characters but limits information about what one character sees and feels.

3rd person omniscient: the speaker is not part of the story, but is able to "know" and describe what all characters are thinking.

Repetition
Topic: Repetition
Repeating Yourself

Repetition ? the repeating of words, phrases, lines, or stanzas.

Do you remember learning your multiplication tables? Writing and reciting them over and over until they were ingrained in your head? Have you ever noticed that most television commercials repeat their company?s name several times within a 30 second spot, whether in writing or out loud?
There?s a reason for that -- repetition emphasizes whatever it is that is repeated, making it stand out so the it becomes the most important part of whatever you?re reading/watching or learning.

When you repeat a word (or a line) in poetry, that appears to be more important than other parts of the poem. It can also affect the rhythm a poem and the way it sounds. Repeating individual sounds or groups of sounds can strengthen the rhythmic structure. Some forms of poetry use the repetition of whole lines as part of their structure. Pantoum, and villanelle are two examples of repeating poetry where the repetition is dictated by the form.

When using repetition, keep in mind that, though it may emphasize the line or word in question, to overuse this device can lead to a sense of monotony. This is especially true when the word or phrase being repeated is one that has little appeal to a reader to begin with. Be sure that the line or word is worthy of the special emphasis it will be receiving, otherwise, you may be writing an exercise in boredom.

?It is a cardinal sin to bore the reader.?~ Larry Niven

How to comment on/critique a poem
Topic: How to Critique
We?ve had a rash of people lately who say that they believe they haven?t the knowledge or experience to offer a true critique. Today?s tip addresses that idea and explains how to do a critique in terms that even the newest of writers can follow. Remember that the process of doing a critique is as helpful and educating to the person giving it as it is to the receiver, because a thoughtful critique requires you to take a poem apart, examine its parts and pieces and see why they do, or don?t, fit together in a successful way.

Start on a positive note
Whenever replying to a poem, especially if you?re doing an in depth critique, find 1 or 2 redeeming qualities, something(s) the writer did right. Discuss them, explain why they worked for you in the context of the poem. This helps soften the blow of hearing the negatives you?re about to point out.

Clarity
Bring to the writer's attention any imagery, lines or passages you don?t understand. This is the time to discuss standard spelling, punctuation and grammar; they are vital to the clarity of the poem.

Locate the subject
Figure out what the poem is about. If the subject matter is unclear, tell them so. If you find a poem that you find you can?t decipher the subject, any further commentary would probably be of no help to the writer.

Interpret the writer?s motivation/inspiration
This is a separate issue from subject. As a writer, one has to be able to convey why they wrote this poem at this time. Many poems can be written about war for example. While one author may write it to praise the soldiers, another may write to speak against war in general, and yet another may write to memorialize one soldier in particular. This motivation must be made clear in a successful poem, or the writer has not treated the subject effectively.

Offer suggestions for revision
Be specific, the more specific you are the more helpful it will be to the writer. Are there lines that could be cut without damaging the integrity of the poem? Word choices that could be better, more descriptive? Are the images clear, Are the metaphors pure? Are there cliches that need to be weeded out or reworded?

Critical Direction
Refrain from commenting on the poet vs. the poem, and be careful of your tone. Remember that you?re critiquing a piece of writing, not the person who wrote it. Don?t make personal commentary on their beliefs or opinions. This is considered a personal attack, and is rarely allowed on poetry forums. Also keep in mind that in this electronic medium, there are no physical cues such as facial expressions, voice intonations or body language to help interpret your tone, so carefully choose your words so as not to offend the writer.

If you offend them, they go on the defensive, and stop hearing what you?re saying, which means you?ve wasted the time it took you to do this thoughtful critique.

Now go forth and crit!

The Image Progression Plot
Topic: Image Progression
When you are composing a poem that is primarily a series of images, the image progression plot is probably the most effective plot to use. In this plot, the images in the poem are arranged in some way that makes sense. Some examples of this progression are:

moving through the senses as if one were slowly approaching a scene -- the phenomenon is seen, then heard, then smelt, then tasted, then touched.

You can order the progression through the senses in other ways, as well; try reversing the order and moving away from the scene.
going from vague, abstract images to clear, concrete ones
progressing from gentle imagery (soft, misty, warm) to harsh (sharp, loud, burning)
increasing the contrast
There are many other progressions one can use to organize the imagery in a poem; simply be aware of the imagery you are using, and group it in whichever way will achieve the effect you want.

Title
Topic: Title
sometimes labels are a good thing

1. An identifying name
2. A general or descriptive heading

Poems were once known by their first lines or by the author and general subject. In Shakespeare's time, titling a poem separately became popular.

Some poets complete a poem without adding a title, but a smart poet uses a title to lure the reader into the poem. Your title can be used to define the work, or be a tease with a hint about the subject of the poem. It can summarize the piece, or be a play on words.

Sometimes the title is the poem's first line, and is meant to be read as such, though I think this leads to confusion for the reader.

Regardless of the way you choose your title, remember that, particularly in the realm of internet poetry and forums, your title may be the thing that decides whether anyone reads your poem at all. Make the title interesting, something to give a reader reason to open the page and read it. Avoid the mundane or cliche. Use an interesting title to be 'advertisement' of sorts, to sell your work to the reader.

Flow
Topic: Flow
1. To move or run smoothly with unbroken continuity, as in the manner characteristic of a fluid.
2. To move with a continual shifting of the components.
3. To proceed steadily and easily.
4. To exhibit a smooth or graceful continuity and smoothness.

It's important for a poem to have a sense of flow to it, one that, in a successful piece, helps to move the reader along and through the poem. If the poem lacks flow, it destroys the coherence and connections within the poem. It will feel disjointed and the reader will inevitably, feel disconnected from the original intent of the piece.

Flow is achieved through the proper use of line breaks and syllable count, word choices and punctuation. Try reading your piece out loud. Are your line breaks in logical places, where you normally pause to take a breath? Do the words you've chosen sound good together or are they disharmonious? Does the punctuation you've used indicate a pause or full-stop in a place that causes an unexpected halt?

Of course, there will be times when you choose a subject matter that may be enhanced by the use of discordant word choices or line breaks, where you want the line breaks to reflect a conflict within your poem. This is also a common usage for 'flow' -- by purposefully doing without it.

In either case, make sure that flow is something you're consciously aware of as you're writing. Make the choices based on your subject matter, and be informed about the effect of your choices.

Shiftless Tenses
Topic: Shiftless Tenses
Past, Present, Future

Verb tense, as in yesterday, today, tomorrow,
we all understand the concept of conjugating a verb based on time
-- (yesterday) I ran, (today) I run, (tomorrow) I will run ?

right?

In poetry, consistent verb tense is important, because generally speaking, poems are much shorter than, say, an essay. This leaves the reader with more opportunity to get confused about when something happened, because of the lack of context from which to make that decision. In a story or essay, we can shift tenses a bit more easily, especially in the case of dialogue, where people in the present tense discuss events in the past tense for example. The length of the piece gives the writer time and context enough to explain which tense applies to which part of the story. However, in poetry we lack that opportunity, it?s very difficult to shift tenses within a poem without leaving it with a case of jet lag, though it can be done, if the piece is fairly long, or in a case where the writer uses some form of formatting to clarify.

Each tense can give a piece a different mood.
Past tense can feel wistful and nostalgic ? reflective.
Present tense tends to give you the feeling of being solid and current and tangible.
Future tense can give you a feeling of uncertainty perhaps.

Each tense can serve its own purpose, add its own effect. The important thing is that they don?t shift and confuse your reader. It is much more effective to ensure that your tenses always agree, from one stanza to the next, throughout the entire piece. Give your reader solid footing to walk on while he reads. Don?t give him reason to stumble or become perplexed.