How to Respond to a Critique

    OVERVIEW                                                                                        
                                                                                           
    Responding to a critique can be difficult, particularly if the critique was not what you were hoping for.  Please
    keep in mind, World of Poets is not only a fun poetry site, it is a learning poetry site.  Make every effort to
    always be kind, polite, and sincere in your responses.
                                                                                          
    If you are relatively new to our site, we recommend that you begin posting feedback only poems.  This will allow
    you to become familiar with the site.  Once you get a few feedbacks under your belt, you will then be prepared
    for the challenges of posting and responding to critique poems.  

    The most important aspect of responding to critiques is to respond with fairness and honesty.  Simply giving a
    member all superiors because they read your poem, will not encourage members to make a strong effort to post
    thorough and honest critiques.     

    RELEVANCE                                                                                        
                                                                                           
    Did the reviewer offer suggestions, and if they did, how relevant were they to what you were hoping to
    accomplish?  Were their comments focused on the poem itself, or did they not speak to the poem at all?  Did
    they address, or specifically comment on, the 4 areas of a critique?

    HELPFULNESS

    Did the review help you become a better writer?  Did the reviewer solid, concrete examples as to what you did
    well or what you didn’t do well?  Did you learn anything from the review?  Was their tone kind, polite, or rude and
    pushy?

    EFFORT

    How much detail did the review contain?   How well did they address your Form, Rhythm & Meter, Tone and
    Figurative Language?  Was it obvious that the reviewer tried to write a quality review about the poem itself?  A
    good rule of thumb is to remove all names, hellos, thanks, great, and see what is left.  THAT is how you judge
    effort.

    ACCURACY

    How well did the reviewer understand your poem?  How well did the reviewer address what you were trying to
    convey in the poem?  Were the comments accurate, or did you feel that they were generic words of praise?   
The Commentary Section

    OVERVIEW

    The commentary section allows you to express how you felt about the critique.  Please take the time to try to be
    thorough and provide each poet with a few thoughts on each of the 4 areas of the response.  Responding to a
    poet as thoroughly as possible will help that poet become a better reviewer!

    Tips and Suggestions

    Try to be specific about what you liked and disliked.  Try to use the actual terms of the 4 categories in your
    response.  Saying “I really liked your critique” really says nothing at all.  However, saying “I liked how you
    specifically addressed the imagery I created," tells the reviewer you appreciate the effort.  

    You do not need to write a novel to write a good response.  I constantly see commentary filled with “I felt that
    way once…”  “I had this experience before”, etc.  I would like to see the comment area specifically address the
    critique itself.  You do not have to write a dissertation to provide a reviewer with quality.  

    Cut and paste critiques have no place in our online poetry community!  Please let us know if a member is
    providing you with the same critiques for everything they review.  Please do not allow it to happen, and don't do
    it yourself.  We are all here to have fun and support each other.
The Rating Scale
 
    Rating
    Rating Description
Rating Points
    Poor
    The poem did not exhibit any notable qualities.
1
    Fair
    I could see some vague effort in this area
2
    Good
    With a solid revision, this shows great promise.
3
    Very Good
    The poem exhibited very good qualities in this area.
4
    Superior
    The poem conveyed this area perfectly.
5