Discussion Board

Posting Poems to the Discussion Board:

• Please type the title of your poem and your first name in the box labeled "Type in a subject for the new conversation."
• Copy and paste the body of your poem in the "Add a Message" box.
• For poems exceeding 15 lines, please number every fifth line (5) (10) (15), to the right of the poem.
• Include specific questions about your poem that you would like the group to address in our live critique. (Specific questions usually get specific answers.)

Critiquing Poems Posted on the Discussion Board:

• Please address the questions the author has posted with his or her poem.
• Tell the author what succeeds for you in the poem; tell what you like. Compliment the author on handsome lines and images. State your reasons for such. Why is an image/line/stanza admirable?
• You may wish to address the questions the author has posed, or you may raise other concerns.
• Ask the author about any unclear lines, or mention other technical issues -- briefly, and without giving a full critique.

Live Critiques (Chat Room)

General:

Prior to our meeting, you may wish to print a hard copy of each poem.

During the critique, keep two windows open (the poem on the board, and the live chat room window) so you can switch between a view of the poem and our discussion of it. (To switch between these windows, use "Alt + Tab").

You may also wish to have your wordprocessor running in the background. You may write your comments out beforehand and then cut and paste them into the discussion window.

I facilitate the discussion by guiding our focus on various aspects of the work under consideration.

Each author will receive about 15 minutes of discussion of their work.

For Authors:

• You may begin the discussion by asking a brief question about your poem. This will start off our critique of your poem. The purpose for your initiating the discussion is to focus the discussion to your advantage.
• Once discussion has begun, please remain silent.
• After about 15 minutes, you will be given the opportunity to add your $0.02, but please avoid giving a detailed explanation of your work.
• When the critique of your poem has concluded, you may save the entire discussion session (File/Save) to refer to it when you are revising.

For those giving critiques:

• Please try to directly address the questions raised by the author.
• Refer to the line numbers posted in the poem, such as: ln7 or lns7-14.
• Refer to stanzas in the poem with: st3; st6.
• The author will pose a few questions, and then remain silent during the discussion.
• During live discussion, you may address the author's questions directly, or raise other issues.
• You may offer some edits, but please avoid extensive rewriting.

With all of the above in mind, have fun!