The Lesser Taken Road

"Concentrate, boy... shut out everything but the sound of my criticism." Homer Simpson to Bart

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I've written about criticism before, I'm writing about it today, and I'm sure I'll be writing about it again in the future - God willing. And I want to say at the start that I don't harp on criticism from any personal reasons. I haven't had my work slashed and burned by other writers or readers - I've had people not like my work and make their comments and opinions about it, but that's always fine with me. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. And to me, poetry and writing are just like the music industry - there is plenty of material out there to enjoy, some good and some bad, but there is always something out there for everyone.

My biggest concerns about criticism are about what it can do to new writers - how it can affect their writing, often for the bad, and how many times the fear of criticism can keep a new writer from even sharing his or her work at all. Over my years of writing and working in the Yahoo Groups, I can't tell you how many times I've been approached on the sly by someone saying they write poetry also, but are too afraid to share any in public. And it's always for the same reason - they worry about what others will say. Now this is really a sad thing, because this new writer could have some really amazing and emotional work sitting there that should be taken in and enjoyed by others - but instead, this nagging fear makes them keep it hidden. And unless something major comes along in their life and changes their opinion, that work will stay unknown - and that is a terribly sad thought.

Now I know there are writers out there who want criticism. I see them out there sharing their work and baring their necks, adding the little flags to the titles of their works, "Criticism welcome!". And that is fine - if that is what they want, so be it. But I often wonder what they do when they get the criticism they ask for... do they change their work to fit what the critic replies about? Do they change one poem, or does this criticism affect their whole writing scheme in general? These are the little questions that worry me, since in effect, if the answer is yet to either of them, that means that someone's critique of another's work winds up steering that writer off course... off their course.

See, one thing I notice about people who offer criticism about poems, is that they tend to shy away from things that are new - new images, new word usage, ect. A poet might write something very personal, totally derived from his or her life, using words and images that mean the most to them... and then along comes a reader who reads this poem, shakes his or her head, and offers the writer suggestions on the piece. Why are you using that word there? What does that image mean? Maybe this word here will offend others? They are opinions that are all well and good, but if the writer changes the work because of them, then originality is lost. Thoughts and images that are new and challenging are replaced with more easily digestible ones - and then a poem that was new and powerful becomes watered down and benign.

That is my one main problem with criticism - how it affects originality. I've often had people read my own poems, and cyber-ly shake their heads over certain words or images. And it is a shame if I write something that they don't get, but at the same time, it's not my problem. If I am happy with what I wrote, and it expresses my thoughts and feelings in a manner that I want them expressed... then I will not change even a single word. I fear all this bartering and dealing with criticism just winds up making all poetry the same, it wears away the edges and the new corners. People often fear the new... that is why pop music is so popular - it's designed to be accessible to a wide group of people. Nothing harsh, nothing new... it's done pretty and sweet and can be taken internally in large doses. And I get sad a lot because I see poetry going down the same path very often.

Sometimes a poem just needs to be read - not explained... not dissected. Poetry, like art, has a certain "Ah!" factor to it, where when you read a poem it either hits you or it doesn't. Now maybe it won't hit you that first day you read it... maybe it won't hit you ever... in that case, you just find a new poet to try. But if it does hit you, you will know it. Something will click, you will see and feel things, memories will flow and be ransacked... and you will understand. And the beauty also is, a poem can hit you this way many times in your life, in different ways. As you live and experience life and go thru new phases, a poem once read 2 years ago may wind up meaning a whole new thing to you when you come across it again. Music and art share this as well.

It's a scary thing to be a writer, and to put your work out there. You can be criticized if it's bad, and also if it's good... because some people just enjoy tearing others down to make themselves feel good. And that is another reason to keep a wary eye on criticism - sometimes it's motives will have nothing to do with making you a better writer... there could be all sorts of reasons for someone to play with a writer's mind and feelings. But as a writer you have to be strong. You have to stand up for your own work, you have to totally believe in its value - whether others like it or not, you can't give in to the masses. If you write from your heart and say the things you want to say, then you've already won. No matter what others think, you are a success. And be proud if your voice is different from other writers... new voices and new ideas are what are needed out in the world. Heck, personally I even get a perverse sense of pleasure when someone says they don't quite get my work, or a new poem I've shared. I like to think that, Good, maybe I've stretched things a bit then... and odds are good that if the voice is different enough, the image new and intriguing, then the more memorable the poem becomes.

I think criticism is good in some limited areas. It can be of value to the very young and new writer, especially when it comes to grammer and spelling. Those are two areas that a writer needs to be strong on, so that his or her writing can be clear. And as in my other articles on this site, I can again relate this all to music... as a guitarist, I started out learning the rules and the theory of music... it's how you first learn to talk and create. Once you learn and understand such things, then you can learn how to bend the rules, and do all kinds of new things. But if a writer's spelling and basic grammer are terrible, then a reader will be distracted by them and not even be able to take in what the writer is trying to say... it jars the reader too much for them to be able to concentrate. Good spelling and grammer are really not difficult to learn either, and often if you read enough you'll develope a sense of your own of what feels right. Learn the basics... learn the difference between "your" and "you're", things like that... they may seem insignificant, but you'd be surprised the difference they make in the end, in keeping a poem understandable and flowing.

You learn the rules... then you learn to bend them. Because poetry should be very much like language, like the spoken word. I know when I read poetry, in my mind it is as though the author were speaking to me, not just my reading dry words on paper. And I find when I write, I'm writing just as tho I were talking to someone. This is the reason why spoken word and poetry reading sessions are so popular - because if poems are done right, they flow just like a voice or a song.

But one of the hardest things for any writer is to have faith in his or her own work. Some writers will suffer more than others, their work coming under fire all the time. And more strength will be needed from them to stay their course. Others will write with ease, and find their work accepted and loved with ease. There are a world of paths out there that writers must walk. But if you stay true to your heart and your instinct and your art, believe me - you can't go wrong. No matter what anyone says... no matter how tough the criticism. In the end, it's really just down to the writer and their work... and the peace you find in creating it.