How to Critique Poetry

These suggestions are beginning ideas on how to offer a critique on a poet's work. We'll add to these as ideas occur and bad steps leave imprints on people's backs.

General Ideas

1. Give what's asked for. Don't go overboard.
2. Make a sandwich. Start and end with praise for the work. Balance crits and suggestions with positive observations.
3. Be sensitive. You want to help a poet improve, not stomp him out of existence.
4. Offer the standard preface: "Take these for what it's worth." Or other such disclaimer that you recognize the poet has every right to kick your crits in the river.
5. Register your impressions for what they are … impressions. Don't make them into law.

Specific Poetical Principles

1. Take the poet's purpose into account.
2. Recognize the form chosen to express the thought, and judge accordingly.
3. Identify your crits by line number L1, L2, etc., if they are line-specific; if more general, use the shotgun.
4. Read the poem several times, and once or twice aloud, before making any crits.

Site getting listed

The site is getting approved by a number of search engines and poetry portals. Good news for us, as we get started.

Getting on search engines and portals

Have been working today registering our site/group with a number of Christian search engines and portal sites, in order to get our effort out in the public eye.  We want new and experienced poets to join and participate in the group.

See subscribe link at right to join the email group.

Shaping up

Some have already joined the group. We are inviting poets and asking editors of Christian poetry magazines to recommend the group to their writers. Links of sites that publish poetry have been included, as well as information on how to critique poetry.

The wheels are rolling, slowly spinning,
The wind astir, a fine beginning!

Welcome to CPC

Welcome to our new website. We are concerned here with three things.

Christian. We maintain a Christian perspective. Nothing denominational or theological, but biblical.

Poetry. No prose in this group, aside from comments. Poetry in all forms that can rationally be called such.

Critique. Members of CPC want to improve their writing skills. They offer one other kind and honest suggestions, specific and deserved praise, and new and complementing perspectives.

As an experienced or new poet, you may subscribe by sending an email to:

christianpoetrycritique-subscribe@yahoogroups.com