Constructive Criticism

I would like to know your opinions!

How do you feel about constructive criticism? Do you use the comments and suggestions to improve, or do your feelings get hurt when someone leaves a comment you may not want to hear?

I would also like to know if you think critiques should be deleted just because you don't like them even if they are not offensive but taken as such because someone's little feelers got hurt........

Do you sometimes lie in your comments because you don't want to give your honest opinion for fear you may hurt someone's feelings?

Thank you!! Your input is appreciated!

I think constructive criticism is very helpful,I do however think that a sign of maturity is to be able to speak honestly but with tact and consideration for the author.I really think it requires a lot of thought on the part of the commenter to be helpful without being hurtful.I think some people get the idea on here that if your not blunt and a little mean that you're being wishy-washy,I disagree with that.("a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down")

I point out for example fragmented sentences, over use of filler words, forced rhyming, the flow is off. Sometimes I just do it in general as a whole or break it down stanza by stanza or line by line. It is very time consuming actually. I personally would like to hear some suggestions as opposed to the generic comments like oh loved it, this was good.... blah blah blah why bother......

^Those who want to improve in writing better poetry and those here just for the ego trip.^

As far as the basic types go, I'd like to say there are those who want to improve and those who don't.

Nobody's perfect and just because someone points out some errors you might have made or offers suggestions how to improve or just simply tells you what they don't think works about a piece, doesn't mean it should be internalized as a personal attack. It is not public humiliation or harassment as I have been told....LOL!!

Deana, being a health care provider, I found better ways than sugar to get the medicine to go down!!! LOL!!!LOL!!!!LOL!!!

Seriously Deana, you make some valid points. Thank you for sharing your insight:)

I agree. For me, my writing has always been a free vacation. I write to dive into my imagination. Never did I think I should ever share what I write. Then again, that's what held me back as a writer. Now, I love being able to share with people and for them to respond in different ways. The problem is, I still write for me. So I never read anything after I write it until I have to. I leave a lot of issues unresolved with each piece, both mentally and on the page. So when people point things out to me, I love it. It gives me a chance to improve and to revisit my work. Hopefully, it will help me grow as a writer. I also hope I can do the same for others. The problem always comes in what you should leave in comments. Pointing something out might make the person feel publicly humiliated and turn them away from their talent. I do, however, feel that people respond very well to a private message after a nice comment pointing out any mistakes.

A very interesting conversation, I would have to say that i want constructive criticism. I know Im not a great poet and many on this site arent super great however I believe that those who believe that can give help provide it. I try to give my ohnest opinion but also try to be nice about it. I believe were on this site not as experts just people willing to share and improve.^^ So if u have great critique plz share but try to be nice to. I know its hard and sometimes people still dont appreciate it but either way critiques help members see things whether they like it or not.

Actually Bob ,I did coach and I've seen teams who were less skilled but full of confidence and heart, beat teams who were more skilled but beaten down by coaches who destroy their self esteem. By the way,we beat a cocky mens team who underestimated a group of girls full of confidence!Don't miss my point though, I didn't say that errors and mistakes shouldn't be pointed out and that good advice should not be heeded. We just disagree on how it should be delivered.My job does not always dictate my thinking either,I am more than just a human service worker,I've experienced lots of things in life,the destruction of my belief in myself,one of those things.I found that I couldn't create under those conditions.I just don't choose to do that to others.

Even when I have left a comment that wasn't harsh and was meant to help, I have caught some backlash lol When flow is off I tend to pick a stanza and rewrite to show an example of what I mean and get jumped on for trying to change their work. I ignore it and continue on. I have only ever received one comment that made me pause and try to evaluate whether they were trying to help or just trying to flex their own ego, but in the end even if you don't like the whole comment, hopefully you can sift through and actually find something helpful in it. Personally I would rather receive an honest break down of my work than just a "hey nice job".

I have a great deal of compassion for today's teens. When I was a teen I was easily distracted from my studies. I was protected from many of the distractions my peers had, yet I don't believe any of them had to deal with the distractions of the teens of today. I have at times intentionally passed up the opportunity to criticize misspelled words and poor grammar because sadly I doubt they have the will to live, from their poem, and feel it shallow to ignore their depression to introduce them to the challenges of the so called literary world. Many of the successful poets of the old days are historically given credit for influencing philosophies of entire nations. I cannot in good conscience encourage a poet to spread a message of doubt despair, and hate by focusing on spelling, grammar, and punctuation. There seems to be a poetic justice in the fact most of these poets cannot resist an attempt to spread their negative spirituality in the discussion section of this site and usually face the wrath of the mods. I will end this comment in this discussion by clever wording. I will sacrifice my ego to become a better poet. Now criticize me. lol

"why in the world would you answer such a topic on a literary site with these words "r", and "u"

^I get that this is short form for texting or w/e but it drives me insane to see a poem with this, it is not hard to go one step further and write "are" or "you" after all this is not a texting site it is a poetry site.

I am all for honest commenting, I always go back after a while and rework some of my pieces, but it is nice to get a fresh perspective. I find 2 or 3 word comments pointless, if you take the time to actually read a piece of work, why not take the time to leave a real comment?

Thank you everyone for your input. It is nice to know that some people appreciate and welcome constructive criticism. It is also nice to know how other people feel about giving it and how it should be delivered. I just think we have different personalities and everything is up to interpretation.

Amanda I really liked what you had to say about the subject.

This has turned out to be very interesting.

Get over it. If you are just know realizing that things people say(or write) to you might be hurtful, then you have a lot to learn. It doesnt mean, however, that your poetry isnt good. I cant speak for everone, but I do agree that reading a poem is almost as hard as writing one. Each one means giving of yourself n ways that you mighrt not want anyone else to know, and risking your emotions to nameless people.

I really have no idea about poetry format to tell u the truth I just started writing my feeling and it came out in a poem way so from than on i wrote poems. Criticism i believe is important it always shows a room for improvement^^

The easiest way to receive only constructive criticism would be for the commenting award to be removed.

I would like to balance my last comment with the other side of the coin. To be honest I believe that there are many stimulations, from a scientific point of view, that would motivate a writer to write. My first motivation was to try to get attention from potential relationships. I found that I enjoyed writing as much, or maybe even more than reading the poetry of the masters. I gave my first, or maybe my second love poem to a woman that I was very infatuated with and she told me it was beautiful, but latter broke my heart by telling me she was seeing someone else. My love for poetry was not diminished by this perceived failure. My interest in poetry and the thought of being in love had already rendered great by products. They had created in me physical changes. To make a long story short I was no longer satisfied with writing short poems and decided to write a book about my poetic journey, and like a line from a song I finished for my nephew sneak in to the literary world in the darkness of the night. By then I was a friend of a man whose wife majored in grammar and would publish over nine books if you include the ones she edited. Among the books she edited was the one I mentioned above. Her husband had told me that she was one of the few authors that met with great success by self publishing. Her best seller was projected to sell a million copies. I would not be truthful if I said this did not inspire me to publish. But inspiration comes in many forms and would like to think that one day I could be used by God to heal hurting souls with kind words without encouraging sloth.

Constructive criticism does not rhyme with ego and therein the problem lies

If you can't take it don't give it......