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"Please use care (this is a sensitive subject for me, do not critique harshly)"

This option has got to go. It is against the very spirit of Neopoet,it is cowardly and a cop out,

With you all the way, brother, except that I play loose and free with our language, there is usually a reason.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

author comment

To play devil's advocate, there may well be times when a post is made in response to a personal tragedy.And the author may wish to post in order to help mend their souls. In an instance such as this they may well Not want critique, just compassion.Do we so easily remove such an option?..........stan

however it is being abused as a form of censorship. To stop critique of the ideas and ideologies of the poem.
It really has to go.
If,as you mentioned "the post is made in response to a personal tragedy.And the author may wish to post in order to help mend their souls" then the poem itself will make that clear or it badly needs critique anyway.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

author comment

I feel that option does nobody any
good. It makes most people not
comment and the fact is that most
that use it are using it because they
can't take honesty.

I say remove the option, this is a
workshop environment, not a school
for the oh so sensitive.

The option can go, if a poet cannot read what is written, and treat it fairly, then either the reader is insensitive or the write needs to be edited.
I am sure we are all capable of writing a comment that fits the write.
Learn to think first,
Then learn to comment..
Yours, Sparrow, etc:

.
Give critique to help keep Neopoet great.
Unconditional love to you all.
"Learn to love yourself first"
Yours as always, Ian.T, Sparrow, and Yenti

I try hard not to be harsh in my criticism, this does not mean avoiding telling the truth of what I feel but usually even the most negative critique can start with a positive of some description so that it does not come over as some kind of an attack.

Keith Logan
the happy chappy
https://www.neopoet.com/community-guidelines

I will ask Andrew to fix it.

This is part of the new Neopoet- compassionate but unafraid and uncensored.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

author comment

wrote my many many muses..
and read their letters of sorry tradgedy
in the nut house stays...counselling
groups when sharing..
the jail boys poetry to my lady...
she had a vivid following just like her
daughter....beauty and flair...
a stack of them for the young muse too..

and I must say...these girls are sharp as
tacks and the writing i was allowed to peruse
i was impressed with.....it did not win their
hearts...if they spent time with u it was not
for the buttery sated paperwork...
but sweat blood and often tears
but they tried the poets and artists

the work was top notch...many of these
guys were too busy surviving...but they
knew that the sensitive was what touched
these bad assed mover and shakers of
the in crowd...punctuation and careful
construction of the works got my eye..
rhym was good....word use accurate
spelling on some was off..but not bad
considering....well spaced...scripted
U could tell there was much effort
gone into them....

if u love something...set it free..
if it comes back to you or runs away
shoot it....ha ha..

both of those experiences...man they
just come up to you and tell you where
its at.....cant cut it there...u aint going to
have a swell time....they just beat u up
or accidently knock u off scaffolding..
as was done to them...rites of passage
cant take the heat then go work in your
own kitchen....

but....its nice to actually see work being
presented...nothing leaves nothing to work
with.....
bad things happen to good people
and bad things happen to bad people
seen it...know the street rules and at the
alpha level its even more complex and with
just as much clout too....

i had a car...i am six feet tall....in the past
during the actual happening tradegies i loaded
up...did the midnite moves to get people out
of the ongoing calamities.....quit yer whinning
and grab a box....move....move..
and got the shaft for many moves too
people love their pain...so i was the bad influence
ha....after awhile i got the tough skin

if yer lucky to go through life and nothing bad happens
to give you experience....scars..and who to stay away
from or avoid at all costs....like Love...money...power
the pecking order is very strict at those up and down
levels....then good for you.....most of the top and bottom
dwellers...penthouse to the pit as I called it...
but im happy in a condo or a basement dwelling for a
visit....writing about the moment is cathartic
and some people give what they get too....
learning to not be a ratbag as we age is good business
nothing like getting a thrashing from a new pack
if one did something in the past....
nothing is forgotten....
learn to man up and take the retributions

in the end......its wise and brave move to put out sensitive
work....but I believe that one should take the critique
of work from those whom have been on this path also
ME...oh I have cried true rivers for the pain of some of
it.....epic things....there are nasty bullies everywhere
and even getting even does not always settle well
for then we are just like them...or we are just as
corrupt for righteousness as the blind mob

so see....open the mind....
to ideas....critique..
would we let some mad creator take to the skies
in a flying machine that all know will lead to the
fall like iccarus...

ive made wax wings friends
please dont be harsh on me
im going to cure my blues
and touch the surly face of the
sun...

would it be nice to say...have a great
flight....these are beauties
heres your hanky to dry the tears
we all know?
smoke a ciggie waiting for the big thud

i think it wise to inspect..
tweak the work
cause later they if experience
gives them strength will say
U let me go to school in those
black nylons and mini skirt
or
u let me go into the hood in
the rival gang colors
but at least they find out
but i guess the critique would
not be as brutal on their sensitive
little hides..

I agree....that saying something
honest rather then the soft tones
is more a value in instrument
of tool then letting the fool..

i think we are capable adults

Thank U

W

your opinions would hold greater weight and be more seriously considered if you could be a little more concise.
Have you heard the acronym 'TLDR' = Too long, didn't read?

Your feedback on poetry, whilst still verbose, is kind, encouraging and much appreciated.

In a forum, please get to the point.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

author comment

That option seems good for people new to criticism, new to Neo Poet.

"Poetry is music for the human voice. Until you actually speak it or someone speaks it, it has not come into it's own."
- Maya Angelou

Welcome to the site!

Thanks for joining this conversation. If I could explain the reasoning and the history behind this topic for our site, it might show you why many people want it to go.

The problem with having any option like that is that people who aren't new will use it and abuse it. When we join Neopoet, it is made clear that this is a workshop community. In a "real life" workshop, even someone who is new goes in knowing they can expect feedback and that they will learn something new because the only way to learn is to challenge ourselves. An online workshop needs to be the same way. So many people use the 'sensitive' option for every single poem, no matter the topic. There's no way every poem ever is a sensitive subject that needs care and those poems shouldn't be the ones a person brings to a workshop, because the purpose of the workshop is to revise the writing. A poem about a person;s favorite place in nature should not need to be tiptoed around because it's not a controversial or sensitive topic, but some people want to use an online workshop to post everything they've ever written and use the "sensitive" option to try to get out of being constructive members in this community. They only want praise and that can't be how we operate because then no one will learn.

Hope this makes sense. I'd love to know what you think with this in mind!

Take care,
Kelsey

Critique, don't comment.

Community guidelines: https://www.neopoet.com/community-guidelines

To see our learning resources, click the "Curated Resources" link under the Resources tab in the top menu bar.

Ok, that makes more sense to me now. I've seen that problem I see on other sites, that's one of the reasons I'm on this site. Tough love and harsh criticism and truth is how your thinking is refreshed and challenged.

"Poetry is music for the human voice. Until you actually speak it or someone speaks it, it has not come into it's own."
- Maya Angelou

It has to go. This is a workshop environment. All critique should be open and fair, but honest even if a little harsh.

W. H. Snow

A poet is a nightingale, who sits in darkness and sings to cheer its own solitude with sweet sounds. Percy Bysshe Shelley

Learn how, teach others.
The NeoPoet Mentor Program
http://www.neopoet.com/mentor/about

I don't think many people ever actually do.
Perhaps it would be a good idea to have one of those things you get when you download software where you can't actually proceed without at least scrolling through them.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

author comment

I also used to link my signature to the guidelines as Kelsey now does, perhaps more of us could do that.
https://www.neopoet.com/community-guidelines

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

author comment

How about just "please do not critique harshly". ?

by
"I appreciate moderate constructive criticism "

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

author comment

are correct. I concede that we could do without it and it might even lead to some newcomers getting read more...............stan

I would love any amount of critique, as I have an average comments of around three I guess my work needs nothing.
Take care all out there and keep striving for perfection it is a wonderful place,
Yours, Ian..

.
Give critique to help keep Neopoet great.
Unconditional love to you all.
"Learn to love yourself first"
Yours as always, Ian.T, Sparrow, and Yenti

Actually your poetry does seem well polished in the main. You once remarked that it had been late so you simply went with the flow and then switched off the 'puter. I've forgotten what poem it was but remember thinking that it was as polished an offering as most people manage with a lot of time and effort. Experience shows.

Keith Logan
the happy chappy
https://www.neopoet.com/community-guidelines

There hasn't been a single argument for keeping it.

Unless someone has something new to add or a strong objection I'm taking it to the AC as a formal request.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

author comment

by me

Totally agree. Thanks for making the request.

Kelsey

Critique, don't comment.

Community guidelines: https://www.neopoet.com/community-guidelines

To see our learning resources, click the "Curated Resources" link under the Resources tab in the top menu bar.

You have my Vote for that removal..
Yours Ian.

.
Give critique to help keep Neopoet great.
Unconditional love to you all.
"Learn to love yourself first"
Yours as always, Ian.T, Sparrow, and Yenti

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