sorry, I have to call it like I see it........

I agree... Grammar for me is very important. Though mine isn't perfect, I can't stand bad grammar :D

I've googled and I see what you mean too... Very suspicious :S

Authority means nothing... We are all equal. The fact that Bob noted the incorrect grammar has no position on what I think or believe.

I will make comment on your poem shortly. While I agree with Bob with the grammar and perhaps the originality I will hold no bones with the pure fact that your feelings are conveyed with this write.

I'll read it for myself

Hmm, I can associate with both sides of this, not argument - meeting of contradictory views perhaps? I liked the concept of the poem - an explanation of love, and certain lines stand out wonderfully. However, instead of taking Bob's comment and post as an insult - accept that he does not share the same taste in poetry as you - and revise the grammar (which is poor by the way) - so making your poem even better than it was before anyway. In short - don't over-react. Bob - I don't think you quite needed to word your original comment the way you did, and there were certain features that you could have kept to yourself. Most of the people on this site are here for reasons such as depression, or heartbreak etc - it's not a great idea to upset people, when it's unneeded.

Peace. [Sole]

^^ I'm liking this.... And I think Sole has a point.

Sole are you really 15? You don't seem it... lol. (That's meant to be a compliment by the way - :) )

Lol, thanks and yeah, I'm 16 on the 14th May this year - so excited hehe . . . If you met me in person - you would think I was a lot younger. I don't dress up, wear make up, or skirts outside of school - hate dresses, like parkour, skateboarding, scooting even. I don't see the point in a boyfriend - at this age, they're more to do with proving your sexuality than actually being in love, though you do get the odd case heh. So yeah lol - thanks for the compliment xXx.

Peace. [Sole]

Damn... That's an honest view of life you have there. I admire that sort of view. You do what you want and that is they way it should be... Superb! What a a girl you must be :)

Wearing make up doesn't prove who you are. My wife doesn't wear make up, yet she looks beauitful all the time. All these models out there and celebs... They have to wear make up or they just don't meet the standards... Shocking!!

Good for you I say :P

Indeed. I'm going to have to refer to my favourite band of all time once again, Placebo. In their sogn, Plasticine, 'Beauty lies inside the eye'. Wearing make up is like hiding behind a mask. Well, that's my opinion anyway.

Peace. [Sole]

I have to agree with Bob on the issue that we should be able to comment on a poem and say honestly what we don't like and offer suggestions without getting the author on our case. I would much rather not get any that's great 5/5 because it makes me feel like they didn't even read the poem.

Bob, I honestly will commen on people's poems but when I do I'll write what I thought the weakest and strongest points are and how they can improve and I hope people will do the same for me instead of writing something that can easily be written without even looking at the poem.

And I agree that when they try and get published they will be in for a world of hurt because it's hard for even good writers to get published sometimes never mind the ones who just believe they are.

Yes Bob I was talking about larger scale publishing. My dream has been for years to get a book published and I know that I would prefer somebody saying how my poems make them feel instead of that's good or I love it. If you hate mine then tell me what you think I need to work on.

I could easily just self-publish but to me it wouldn't be as satisfying as the process of actually trying a real publisher and facing critisicm to make me stronger. Self-publishing might be right for you. Not saying anything bad about it. It's just not for me. Same thing where this might not be right for you. It's good you decided to publish.

I would be proud to because I think it takes a lot of courage to do that. And I think you should always stick to your style. It's yours. I know mine aren't good enough to try anything professional but I'm learning all I can now.

OT: Bob, I took your advice and thank you for the honest comment

I had many doubts when it came to some of my writing, and I feel that ever since I stopped doing that, my writing has felt much stronger. I don't know much about basic structures which is why mine are all free writes and I don't want to push people away for wanting to help. I'll accept any help with writing along the way.

Thanks, I much rather have some honest opinions even if I end up being told that everything's trash, I'd rather no it then believe something false

Good luck Ken, I hope that one day your dreams will be fulfilled. You've started publishing, there may be a professional publisher out there that takes interest in your work and gives you a call. Who knows, huh? So I say good luck :)

Bob is right. There are so many free aids in learning about poetry, the forms of poetry, the construction of poetry... Steven Beesley has been the main source of my learning due to his continuous help with my poetry and his fantastic enlightment on different forms which are clearly explained at the bottom of his poems :)

The other source is CC&P... Without the group I wouldn't be able to write the way I do now. Sure I may have gotten to this point by myself, but not as quick. Life has many openings for learning, the internet has all you need these days. Hell, if people can learn how to take over the world by looking at a few pages, surely one can learn whatever one desires about poetry.

I recall getting slammed a while back for saying pretty much the same thing Bob did. Which is that i thought the winning poem wasn't good enough, a fact i knew to be true because being a mod with a good eye for quality writing, i'd put forward some exceptional pieces as potential candidates and they never won.

Everyone said i was a sore loser and couldn't be happy for others etc etc....even though as a mod my poems are not put up for consideration.

Anyway, i've said for ages the judges of the compititions shouldn't be Dainz and Janis, but people who are on here regular and actually write from a wide range of styles themselves.

Someone needs to get upset before anything changes around here unfortunately it seems.

Viva poor writing!!!

It's really hard to know whether or not your poetry appeals to others when being given comments like great job, good write, nice poem...etc. As a young writer, I would really appreciate anybody who would be willing to give my poems some hard-core constructive criticism. I know, in order for my level of writing to become what I want it to be, it's going to take a lot of jabs before I'm happy. I take a creative writing class, and even then the comments are the same. I am in need for some in-depth comments.

I also believe that we shouldn't be so hard on those grammatically incorrect. I, myself, am a stickler for grammar, but some on this site are just here to take their emotions out, "vent." Critical comments are crucial to this site, but if rejected by the poet, they should be discontinued.

~Sean Dohr~

I remember the first poem I put on this site,which was not so long ago,I got a long critique ,and suggestions as to how it could be improved,I could see she was right ,I went to edit and changed it . Then I went and thanked her. Isn`t that what this site is really for, I offered a young poet similar advice and got the same result, it felt great to see the changes she made and to know I had helped her. I appreciate all comments, and when I say you are a great writer Bob Shank thats exactly what I feel!

I just read a few of the previous posts, but I did see one of the ones ahead of me that said most people are here to relieve depression, etc... I'm sorry, this is a poetry site, not group therapy.

Speaking for myself, whether you're here to relieve depression, find closure on a particular problem, I understand. However, we must remember this is a poetry site, and unless the forum is changed, always will be.

Maybe I'm being too harsh, but I'm with Bob.
This site is for poets. I'm not confessing that I am one, but I like to read it and if the grammer is used improperly it makes it hard to read.

Have to go to work, now.

Hope I made sense.

Jeannie

If I offended anyone for my above post, just let me make myself clear.
What I meant by my earlier post was:

Alot of people write poetry to heal, or find closure, or vent. I don't begrudge them their right to do so, but if you write for those reasons, put it in poetry form if you post it as a poem and for heavens sake watch your grammer.

Most of your fellow poets won't read something that has alot of typos in them. They can't make sense of it.

Remembering that this is a poetry site should be your main concern.

And please, take pride in your work by proofreading. A slight misuse of a word can cause a poem to lose the meaning you were trying to get across.

By no means, am I perfect. And sometimes, I too, have to have someone point out a mistake or two, but I take them in the way they were given. As helpful advise or observations.

That is all I was saying. As far as the group therepy comment. Well, this is a poetry site and I stand by what I said about it. If you want to write about something that is personal, and you want to post it here; make sure it is poetry.

Again, to all who I may have offended. Sorry.

Happiness
Jeannie

I think in my personal opinion is that because of the immaturity of some people on this site, that when you criticise someones work they do take it hard and get pissed, so they go and down vote your work as an act of revenge.If giving an honest opinion of someones work means that person has to resort to down voting your work then i think it just sums up that there are a lot of immature people on here.
I write my poetry (if you can call it that) for me, if others like /dislike then thats a bonus.