Contest Critiques - Know Your Stuff

Honestly, Contest Owners need to know what they're talking about.

Alright, alright. Before I get started, I know that I'm guilty of this. But it's something that needs attention.

Too many Contest Owners sit down and type very long, drawn out critiques of poems in their contests. Most poets like getting this constructive criticism, as it usually is. But at times, the Contest Owner will comment on the poem and not know the context of the poem, or why it was written, or what it was meant to symbolize.

For instance, if a poet submitted a very metaphoric poem in a contest, the Contest Owner may criticise the person for the poem not making sense, even if the poem was written for a contest that wanted metaphors or the poet made a note in his or her author's notes that it was, in fact, meant to be a metaphoric poem.

Contest Owners need to read more than just the poem to really understand what's going on. If you really aren't sure, ask a question. Ask about metaphors, about what the poem was written for or what it symbolizes. Don't critique blindly.