What makes a poem good?
@goddessglamourpuss (261)
October 27, 2007 8:27am CST
I ask this question because I am in serious turmoil as to who to believe when it comes to deciding if a poem is good or not.
I joined a new forum the other day believing that I would get constructive criticism of my poems in a bid to improve and write some seiously good stuff. I accept I am an amateur and have much to learn but I was really gutted by the responses I got from the moderators. I can accept criticism as long as it is valid and backed up by a sensible reason not just this is rubbish or I don't like it - which is what I was getting from other members. However, having thanked people for their comments I was told not to bother reworking the piece, spend hours trawling through their blurb on how to write, read thousands of poems before I even think of putting pen to paper.
I hadn't thought my stuff was so terrible before and I had every intention of taking critiques on board and re-writing it but after that response I seriously began to doubt both my ability to write and the validity of opinions I had previously recieved.
It also made me question what I had considered to be good poems and whether I had shown equal lack of judgement in rating them.
So what in your opinion makes for a good poem?
3 people like this
11 responses
@raychill (6525)
• United States
27 Oct 07
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
What is beautiful to one may not be to others.
Same goes for Poetry.
It's really hard to say what is a good poem because everyone likes things differently. Plus there are so many forms of poetry.
I'd say that I enjoy the seriousness and personalness of a good poem and rhyming is not necessary. I also enjoy short and sweet rather than long and drawn out. But that's me.
You should take critiques, but if those are the kind of critiques you're getting they're not necessarily worthless or wrong, but they obviously don't like your type of poetry and again, it's in the eye of the beholder...so you shouldn't give up.
1 person likes this
@goddessglamourpuss (261)
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29 Oct 07
Thanks for your response. I know it is impossible to please everyone and I agree that beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess as long as I like it then someone else might too.
@metschica25 (5399)
• United States
25 May 08
What makes a poem is when it comes from the heart. Someone may love a poem where the oter person may hate it. I dont think you can learn to write poetry just write what comes to you . Let it flow!
1 person likes this
@goddessglamourpuss (261)
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27 May 08
Thanks for your response. I guess it is the whole beauty in the eye of the beholder issue and it would stunt creativity if we all wrote the same thing in the same way.
@mansha (6298)
• India
28 Oct 07
Poetry is like painting, it has no definition.I feel if it touches your heart someway, its a good poem. I read few lines years before wreitten by a rominent poet of our language hindi. I will present a translation for you here:
" what can you see except threads if you try and analyze a poem bit by bit,
As the poet always collects the threads of his experiences and spins a poem out of them"
I think thats pretty much sums up what I think of the poem as an art form. Do not be disheartened as yous ay you are an amateuer- keep reading the more you read more you will be able to express your thoughts in form of the poemsand write poetry for yourelf-unless you polish it with hardwork it will not improve.
@goddessglamourpuss (261)
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29 Oct 07
Thanks for your response. I agree with what you say and that translation sums up poetry as an art form for me too. I know I can improve and had every intention of polishing the poem I posted - it was just a bit devastating to be told not to even bother with it. It is a fair comment to be told to read more but to not even pick up a pen again then how do I create and improve?
@JOLINAR1073 (88)
• United States
28 Oct 07
Honey, don't lose heart. Just because some people are ignorant in the way they use criticism doesn't mean you can't write. I write poetry too. I know it's not that good. I accept that. But, you know what, good writing is in the eye of the writer, I guess. Just because one or two people don't appreciate it doesn't mean others won't. Look at J.K. Rowling. Lots of people don't like Harry Potter. Millions of others DO!!! If she had given up after the 1st book, where would she be now, right? Don't give up just because a few people are being stupid. Find yourself another group and leave the jerks behind. They are entitled to their opinions, obviously, but if they are being mean about it...forget them. Do this for yourself and never doubt that you have a drive to write. If you want to contact me and I'll see if there's anything I can help you with, if you want it, ok? Just don't give up!!!
1 person likes this
@goddessglamourpuss (261)
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29 Oct 07
Thanks for your response. I guess now I have had time to reflect on it then these people's opinion is not one I shall choose to value. It just shocked me that the moderators comments were so cynical and scathing as I was under the impression that they were there to help create good poetry.
I see your point with JK and without sounding egotistic I have found plenty of people who DO like my poems. I guess I should just go back to listening to the inner voice that 'gives' me the poems and move on.
Don't worry, I won't give up!! :)
@Pablothehat (99)
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28 Oct 07
The ability, with a few well thoughtout and sensitively placed words, to create in the mind of the reader or listener of the poem, an unambiguous picture of the subject of the poem, uncluttered with forced or overly contrived technique.
To give the recipient of the piece a time out of mind moment, were either their preconceived ideas are challenged and re-examined or their emotional or spiritual needs are met.
For me a good poem is one that fulfils what either the writer of the reader/listener perceives as a lack in either experience or in understanding.
A bit of a strange answer but there has been tombs wrote on the subject so I wont be able to cover it all now.
Follow your heart, have a good rhyming dictionary and thesaurus. LOL.
@goddessglamourpuss (261)
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29 Oct 07
Thanks for your response and I don't find it strange at all. It pretty much follows what I try and do with my poems which is to either provoke an emotional/intellectual response in a reader or capture a thought/moment with the written word.
I know there is a lot of stuff written about writing poetry and I guess I could spend a long time getting bogged down with the details instead of creating.
@ajay_coder (277)
• India
8 Nov 07
well my frnd its really very difficult to judge wether poem is good or not....but still lines that comes out from ur heart directy is a good poem...those lines that you dont write i mean you dont have to think but it comes out .....similar happens with me (i am sharinmg with you all)i never think that i have to write a poem or such...it happens that am sleeping then suddenly wake up at around 2 3 am take the pen and paper n write...that time i dont think just jot down n again sleep...i dont know what i have written and when i wake up in morning and see its something like poem.....but when i intentionally think to write i cannot...
what i mean is a good poem is that which comes from your heart and not from mind....
n my friend let me tell you that worth of most of the poets are recognized when they left this world....and they were strongly criticised by people when they were here in this world....
So just dont go on critics...just go on with your creations....
1 person likes this
@Makena1968 (682)
• United States
27 Oct 07
I know there are "techniques" for writing poems and prose..but I'd think I'd decide if a poem was good just by how it made me feel, if I felt anything at all. I think, too, that a great poem to some people would not be a great poem to others. Ultimately, a really good poem would come from the heart...like if I saw something overwhelmingly beatiful, that would bring the "poet" out in me. Or if love overwhelmed me, or even sadness...any intense emotion can create a poem. I guess one can learn how to write different kinds of poems, then, go out in the world, and really, really see, hear, taste, feel..and you can write a great poem.
@goddessglamourpuss (261)
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29 Oct 07
Yeah, I try and employ a few techniques but ultimately I aim to express feeling and stir emotion in the reader. I too feel 'moved' to write on a subject and I feel that is what is important.
Thanks for your response.
@wiccania (3360)
• United States
4 Nov 07
I think poetry, like all art forms, is subjective. My personal opinion is that a poem should move you, inspire you and/or make you see/feel something. I think people who go about saying "oh this is rubbish, please learn from us before you ever write a poem again" are full of themselves and need to have someone come along and knock them down a few pegs. Also, if they're supposed to be critiquing, they should have said what they didn't like about it. Was it the style? Imagery or lack thereof? Was the subject something they consider trite or cliche? If they were interested in helping others improve their poetry, they would offer this kind of information, not just say "oh that's crap. dont' write anymore."
1 person likes this
@woodlin (158)
• United States
6 Nov 07
Don't let those kind of people get you down. They are worthless anyways...
To me what makes a good poem is one that comes from the heart. No matter what the subject, if you write it, then it is good. Not everyone will like it and sometimes you wont even like your own work. That is ok because we are all unique and poetry is just out form of expressing that uniqueness.
Some people do the rhyming thing, some people tell a story, some people just write a lyric or maybe just a thought. I think some of the best poetry has been written in the form of real emotions. For instance, what someones stance is on life, love, themselves or someone else.
I think to really answer your question one would have to ask, what did you think of your work? If I like my work but someone else doesn't that doesn't mean everyone else doesn't. It just means that person is trying to be spiteful and hateful. They are not worth your time.
1 person likes this
@goddessglamourpuss (261)
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29 Oct 07
Thanks for your response.
I agree with you although I do consider the visual presentation and that is one thing I was blasted for.
