I have been teaching poetry at the high school level for seven years. One of the most difficult things is for my students to critically react to their peer's writing. They want to say only positive comments and make their friends feel good about their poems. They fear that anything critical will be taken as an act of hostility.
I try to stress that each classmate is a poem in progress. We are learning and growing each day. Some days we will learn a new skill or form and grow greatly. Some days we will not grow at all. Some days we will just want to turn off the computer and never write a poem again.
It takes great courage to publish a piece of writing for our friends to see. As we progress through our study of poetry, I ask each student to help their friends become better writers by critiquing with friendly but perceptive comments.
I give the following questions to my students to help them critique. A good critique may only focus on one of the answers or it may include a number of answers.
As I once again handed out these questions, I thought that they might also help some poets here on AP become better commentators and friendly poetry coaches.
1. How successful was the poet in creating a good poem?
2. What devices did the poet use to make an impact on the reader?
- Metaphor
- Meter
- Simile
- Rhyme
- Symbolism
- Alliteration
- Imagery
- Sensual language – feel, hear, see, taste, smell
- Others….
3. How does the poem deal with a subject of lasting significance? (ex. Themes like birth, death, friendship, justice, loyalty, good and evil, etc.)
4. How does the poem provide great adventure or suspense?
5. How does the poem illuminate nature?
6. How does the poem make you appreciate life more?
7. How is the work artistically created?
8. What moral or social insight did you get from the poem?
9. Why is the poem emotionally satisfying? How does it touch your heart?
10. How does the poem help you understand yourself better?
11. How does the poem add to your own understanding of your cultural background or the cultural backgrounds of others?
12. What words in the poem are really excellent?
13. What will you remember about the poem?
14. How does the title of the poem enhance the poem's meaning?
Happy Critiquing!
©2007 Joanne Tolles, All rights reserved
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& Blessings, ~ Jan ~
- jo - 
