Yesterday's class of @d-pend's Steemitschool 100 Day Poetry Challenge has been the fourth "Critique Thursday" class. To follow is a recording of the class. It's only sound, but has been uploaded to Youtube due to it being the best available place to upload it.
This week's class had no lecture portion, so let's dive straight into the video and the notes! You can head over to the episode's Youtube page for clickable time-stamps as well.
I open the class talking about my request from last week and going forward, that anyone who wishes to have a piece critiqued, must leave a critique (or "analysis", if you prefer that more neutral term) on another poem on Steemit by the Wednesday before a class.
I speak of how I also consider this to be homework, and considering this challenge is just that, about challenging yourself, I am disappointed in people not making the effort.
I'd also like to take this opportunity to highlight @acousticsteveo's critique comment here, and since it impressed me so much, I awarded him 3 SBD, which is the same as the Poetry Challenge's winner award.
At the 13:00 mark we go over our first poem, @d-pend's "Our Barrier".
33:00 brings us to the second poem, @acousticsteveo's "Freedom's Respite".
(The song I mentioned after Steve's piece is Enigma's Silence Must Be Heard.)
At the 53:40 mark we reach our third poem, @tygertyger's "Love is a minefield that blows us in place", where we listened to her SoundCloud recording of it.
At the 1:15:10 mark we get to our fourth and final poem for this class, Percy Shelley's "A Dialogue." This poem was also brought up to drive home that any piece can be critiqued, including those by the very acclaimed and renowned poets of the past. And more than just "critique," I brought this piece up to drive home once more that "critique" really does mean "analysis," and even if you love everything about a piece, you still have things to say about it.
We struggled with some parts of the piece together, shared where we thought it did better and worse, what we liked and didn't like about it, what was meant by some of the more obtuse stanzas, and more.
Join Us! And Reminder on Critique Requirement:
Steemitschool Poetry hosts a daily lesson at UTC 5-7 PM at the Steemitschool Discord server, 5 days a week (Saturday and Sunday are off). Join the Discord server here. Thanks to Daniel @d-pend Pendergraft for organizing it!
The weekly Critique Thursday class takes place at the same time, in the same place, on Thursdays.
If you would like to get a piece critiqued, bring it over, but make sure it is under 250 words, as longer pieces take too much time. Do try to have someone go over grammatical issues before class though.
For future classes, people who wish to have a poem critiqued will have to leave a critique on another poem between Thursday 7 PM UTC after the class ends, and Wednesday Noon UTC the day before next class (7 PM UTC, April 12th, to Noon UTC, April 18th, for next class). Links to the critique left (must be in English, on a poem written in English) must be left as comments on this post, or DMed to me or Daniel on Discord, by Wednesday Noon UTC, so I could go over them before class.
(Note, poem doesn't have to be from someone participating in either the class or the challenge, nor does it have to be from the past week. No, you can't critique your own poems, and critique written before week does not count.)
Half-assed comments will not be accepted. If you've done your best, even if you are struggling, it is good enough.
If you have medical issues that hinder your ability to leave comments, please talk to me in private and we'll work it out.
Thanks to @liverussian, @tygertyger, @acousticsteveo, @carmalain7, and @d-pend for giving critique in yesterday's class! Thanks to @acousticsteveo, @tygertyger, @hazem91, @sayee, and @d-pend who took the time to leave critique comments on others' poems this past week.
And thanks to anyone else who tuned in, or has checked this post out!
Check Out the Prior Classes Here:
(Don't upvote, older posts past pay-out.)
- Week #1 - Including "lecture" portion on what critique is, its different forms, and how and why to go about it.
- Week #2 - where we speak of what you should critique, reasons to not share critique, and reasons to.
- Week #3 - Nothing but good ol' critique.
Check out my latest posts:
- Standing Still - In Memoriam - A cultural post.
- Steemitschool Poetry Class - Critique Thursday Class #3 - 05/04/18 - Recording and Notes
Art and flair courtesy of @PegasusPhysics
The image used in the video has been made by @d-pend for the challenge and is used with permission.
© Guy Shalev 2018.
Here is my critique of Tyger's "The Truth is in the Pudding:"
https://steemit.com/steemitschoolpoetry/@tygertyger/the-truth-is-n-the-pudding-day-40-of-the-steemitschool-100-day-writing-challenge-by-d-pend
Guy, I want to officially thank you here, not sure I've done it before, for the critique classes, through which I've discovered my own abilities to feel poetry with my heart rather than my brain; for giving me the opportunity to learn from you guys, I find this experience priceless and really aprecciate your time and efforts put into our Thursdays!
As someone who wants to encourage creativity, and help people express themselves and put themselves out there, there is little that you can say that'd make me happier than saying you feel I've helped you feel more comfortable writing.
Thank you kindly, and you are most welcome. I only helped you unlock your own capabilities :)
(And I'm sure Daniel feels just as warm and fuzzy about this comment.)
'No piece of poetry is beyond commentary... if you cannot comment on it, it means the poet fails.' Well-spoken, Guy. Presumably, this is the premise of your critique class, and you (all) justify it, weekly. Thanks, for sharing and granting us a second chance to attend class, virtually.
Thank you for the kind words, Yahia. And yes, that is indeed the point of the class. Also, think how happy we make people with our commentary, so it means we need to dig deep sometimes, and to dig deep into words.
Yes, sometimes I tell people I have no words, but that should come as a rare thing, which comes off as precious due to its paucity. Ah, the paucity of words. You know how I am with the ever-coming spiel :)
And I'm glad you tuned into the last lesson, and then caught up on it this time. I felt this class in particular had more topics or almost-aphorisms that are up your alley.
Funny you should mention it.. Listening to latest installment, I was thinking along the same lines: how gratifying it must be for aspiring poets (and we’re always aspiring as poets) to have our work taken seriously.
As Simone Weil memorably put it: Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.
Also, yes, re: “almost-aphorisms” —there were quite a few that held my attention. The one that remains emblazoned on my mind (a mark of a good one-liner) is the one about “even though it has flaws, it's perfect.”
I REALLY think it is incredible that you're doing this. Very very awesome. I don't feel like I'm a poet by any stretch of the imagination, but I love that you are supporting poets through this venture!!!
Well, we spoke of your poetry, and you know my "anti-rules" stance :)
Thank you for the kind words Byn! Just putting my time where my mouth is, and yeah, also a shout-out to @d-pend who's putting a lot more time into it than I do!
Thanks for mentioning me and for the link. I am not able to attend discord classes as am a full time dementia caregiver. This, I will be able to listen as and when I am free
Thank you for taking the time to drop a comment! Do tell me if you'd like me to provide critique on the comment in public, as you're not on Discord, and I do intend to find the time and give some critique to the critique-givers, if they're looking for it.
And that's why I'm recording it, because I know not everyone can make the class, whether due to working, being asleep (the joys of time-zones), or any other number of reasons :)
No homework? Oh boy!!! >
Heh, though I rarely use exclamation marks, and almost never more than one :P
"Motherfucker"? I've been known to say that though ;-)
;)
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