2- White_Feather 
on June 9 2007
I think some of what you're talking about is community, and that's what this forum really is.
I'm learning that commenting on another person's work is an art fom in and of itself. It's hard and intimidating, and, as a people-pleaser, it's even psychologically hard at some levels. Who the hell am I trying to be offering anyone else advice? Still, for some absurd reason, I've been blessed with the ability to jump in with both feet regardless of whether or not I make an ass out of myself. I think that for a lot of people, that's a really hard thing to do -- you know, look like an ass, willingly. I think it would be alot easier to participate in these ways if I were more experienced, or had been part of a literary community before. Anyway, I venture to guess I'm not the only one who feels this way.
But Leanne hit the nail on the head. At least in participating, and making attempts to be thoughtfully critical, I'm learning alot.
3- Alcuin of York on June 9 2007
WF: You're right, you're not an expert poet, but commenting is important because it helps the writer to see his poetry from the POV of a less informed reader, and helps the commenter go more deeply into the better writer's work. In short, both sides of the process are improved. Sounds like a pretty good win-win deal to me. An extra bonus - unless the writer is a snob, it will start conversations between writers and critiquers, even if the former gets pissed at the latter. Conversation is good.
Leanne: You're right, I tried writing poetry in a vacuum, but I couldn't fit.
One more thing. It's not Miss Dick; it's dick miss. Trust me, I know.
Alcuin
4- Leanne on June 9 2007
I need to say one thing, just once and then I'll get over it for another five minutes or so...
There is no such thing as an expert poet.
If you write poetry and choose to stop learning, exploring, pushing boundaries, experimenting and just playing with the language, frankly you cease to become a poet. Nobody ever really perfects anything in poetry. Nobody should. You can get good at something, proficient, knowledgeable -- but never expert.
And frankly, that's the way it should be. It's the journey that's important, not the destination.
5- Anstey on June 9 2007
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- stephan
6- The debutante 
on June 20 2007
" Unless your'e going to Chad. "
or alabama... but i have my reasons.... and they all involve grits.
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mL,
the debutante
1- Leanne
on June 8 2007
I don't want to discourage people from just posting and nothing else... I'm sure they have reasons... I don't understand them, of course. Any contribution is fine. HOWEVER, you're wasting a massive opportunity to be part of something quite remarkable. Commenting on other people's work invariably leads to an improvement in your own (unless you're only choosing to comment on poems you consider "easy" and not really putting any effort into it). Taking part in discussions, whether they're about writing or just life in general, will spark inspiration, often from the strangest things. One cannot write poetry in a vacuum. (Emily Dickinson was a freak, and if you look closely you'll see that she wrote the same poems over and over again, just changing a few words -- but even the Divine Miss Dick read books, ergo no vacuum). If you only read your own poems, you'll only learn what you already know and that's rather pointless. Not to mention minimal.