Should you tell someone that what they are writing isnt poetry?

The Definition of Free Verse is......

"Free verse is a literary device that can be defined as poetry that is free from limitations of regular meter or rhythm, and does not rhyme with fixed forms. Such poems are without rhythm and rhyme schemes, do not follow regular rhyme scheme rules, yet still provide artistic expression. In this way, the poet can give his own shape to a poem however he or she desires. However, it still allows poets to use alliteration, rhyme, cadences, and rhythms to get the effects that they consider are suitable for the piece."

Poetry is subjective but even free verse should have artistic expression. So the question is - As a budding writer is it better to be helped to learn and progress your skills producing the best work that you can or is it better to be oblivious and believe that you are writing poetry when your work is nothing more than a droning monologue or one sided conversation with no artistic merit.?

More and more I come across poems" that are churned out with little thought (quantity rather than quality) and which bears no resemblance to poetry. So how do you let someone know when they think they are writing poetry when they are not? Or do you just let them get on with it?

Part of the process of learning free expression in poetry in my opinion is the uninhibited approach to expressing yourself, your feelings and emotions in any capacity form or style whatsoever. There's no guideline. No rules or regulation whatsoever. I believe the poet will eventually grow, and if they choose to refine their skills they can do so willingly and seek that out, through community contests and feedback from our moderators.

Oh and artistic merit, according to who? I like that this site tends to be subjective in our collective experience as "poets," because the opposite of subjectivity is the absence of what makes us human in expressing ourselves without remorse or second thought. If I have to meet the criteria and check off my poems according to the merit of style, form, rhythm and how much emotionality is put forth in a specific topic or idea, I think I would be hindered in expressing how I feel. That's what it comes down to right? If how I feel and what emotions I can express through words somehow do not meet someone's merited list of how I should write, why write at all? Great discussion Milly I like it. Makes you more humble for the seasoned writers and published poets for their poems and whatever merited list they had to exceed and were criticize for if they did not.

I think that we can say that we don't like the poetry and what exactly. But I think we have no right to decide whether it is the poetry or not. Because it's a way the person expresses his/her emotions, feelings, thoughts.
That's how I consider this issue.

Best wishes,
Bella

I recently wrote a four paragraph answer to this forum. It wouldn't post because it said there were inappropriate words in it and yet there was not one inappropriate word in it. Sad! I guess that's why I don't join forums.

I think that we can say that we don't like the poetry and what exactly. But I think we have no right to decide whether. it is the poetry or not because it's a way the person expresses his or her emotions, feelings, thoughts. But I do agree what you are saying.

I know this question, the definition of poetry, was on another thread, but I still love hearing everyone's responses.

Agree with Milo on the idea of people being free to express however they do, and it's only if they willingly want critiques or specific feedback regarding their work...

I still may give someone's poem suggestions, but I would never question the formation of it itself, or if the "spirit" of the poem is false. Since the very practice of penning anything usually holds some layer of emotion. Poetry is universal, even if it comes in different forms or is "shapeless" or written without any regard to poetic devices. It's also about WHY the poet is writing. I don't see poetry as a whole necessarily for the audience, but as a platform and foundation and free space for a poet to share.

I have no problem if people say they don't like what I write, whether technical criticism or based more on content, but I personally would never put barriers and boundaries on someone else's work, because it's clearly not my own. I can't claim it as not human expression, which is what I believe poetry to be at its simplest, rawest.

Perhaps there are many expressions of what poetry is but way too few about what poetry isn't. Then again, that may open another whole can of worms. But with both bookends, so to speak, perhaps that would serve to guide us both individually and corporately at determining a convention to work by. Then and only after can we begin to reply to this question. But that's just me.

Let them know, so they may grow, but be polite, so you both will come to delight in a sharing caring nonsnobbish plight.

Good question though. Hopefully you got your answer way before I said anything.

This site used to a vibrant community of free-and-reckless discourse on may subjects. Coupled with that was the pure experience of critique. We got bogged down when people got offended by criticism of their work.

Hey if you have something to say about a poem, let it flow. If you, as the poet, don't like what is said - maybe you don't agree, or perhaps you think they got it wrong - then look at the poem as a stranger & see what they might be offering with their critique. Poets helping poets!

My poetry has evolved a lot since I first started writing on here. I used to only do free verse because it felt as if it was the easiest way to express what i was trying to say. Then it slowly developed to partial rhyming, to full rhyming then to rhythm and finally I started to study the different types of poetry that can be written. And used the different formatting. I moved away from that to stanzas and word count in each line. It's as huge learning process. I'm so glad this site has stayed up as I would have lost all my poetry. I remember the night I first joined, I sat up all night long well into the morning typing out every poem I had written at that point in time. It was magical. It seems as if the fairy dust still lingers every time I come back. A little bit of magic still left hidden in the corners of the Internet.