For Posting Your Poem (Discussion Board)

When Posting Poems:

• Please type your poem's title and your first name in the box that says "Type in a subject for the new conversation."
• If your poem is longer that 15 lines, please post your poem with every fifth line numbered (5) (10) (15), and insert these numbers to the right of the poem.
• Include at the end of your poem a few specific questions that you would like the group to address in our live critique. Specific questions are likely to get specific answers from the group and from me.

When Critiquing Poems:

• 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 posted about the work, or you may question other aspects of the poem that the author has not addressed.
• Ask the author about anything you don't understand. Indicate which lines seem unclear, and mention any other technical problems -- briefly, and without giving a full critique.

For Live Critiques (Chat Room)

General:

For privacy in the online chat room, please refer to the others in the group only by first initial or screen name; never post anyone's email address.

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

Alternatively, keep your browser open to the current poem under discussion on the board. By doing so, you can view the poem in the background window, and our discussion of it in the foreground window. To switch rapidly between active windows, learn to use Alt + Tab.

Having a basic text editor or wordprocessor also running in the background can be very helpful. You may write your comments out beforehand and then cut and paste them into the discussion window.

Because each of us types at different speeds, there is a lag time between the time it takes for us to read each others' comments and then respond to them. I will facilitate the discussion by asking you to comment on specific aspects of the work under consideration.

It is very difficult to tell when someone has finished speaking in cyberspace. Therefore, it can be very helpful if you indicate to the others when you are finished typing your comments on a poem by making some kind of signal, such as a smiley face :=) (Ctrl +1).

Each author receives approximately 15 - 20 minutes of discussion of their work.

For Authors:

• Initiate discussion of your poem by posing a few questions to the group about your draft. These may be questions you've already posted on the poem, or questions you've thought of after reading the comments posted to your poem on the board. 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 invited to engage the critique for a final five minutes. Avoid detailed explanations of your work. Any explanations should be limited to factual, rather than interpretative issues.
• You may wish, however, to state your intent; lengthy explanations only limit the time you will receive for constructive criticism from the others.
• When the critique of your poem has concluded, you may save the entire discussion session (File/Save) so that you may refer to it when you are revising your poem.

For those giving critiques:

• We will proceed giving critiques by my asking you to comment on specific aspects of the poem under consideration.
• In the event you do not wish to comment, type "pass."
• 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 wish to respond to the comments others have made.
• You may wish to offer alternative line breaks.
• You may also wish to edit some lines, but please avoid extensive rewriting.

With all of the above in mind, have fun!