[Bards] An Idea

[gemartt at mail.utexas.edu]

Brothers & Sisters,

I wish to commend Robert Fitzmorgan for an excellent idea!  Anything we can
do to promote the art of poetry is a worthy effort, in my
opinion.   Publishing some poetic guidelines could be very helpful, not
only to our members, to anyone interested in this art.  We could also
include a list of links for more information.   I'm sure we could find
poets (on & off this list) would also be glad to contribute to this project.

Constructive criticism can certainly be another way of helping an artist
grow.  However I would also add that "learning how to give constructive
criticism" should also be a topic for consideration.  Constructive
criticism is not the same thing as saying whether one likes a poem, or
not.  It is a carefully considered response - designed to help the artist -
and hopefully to encourage them.

                                 Myself as Witness,

                                 Thomas of Tenby

...............................................................................................................

At 11:25 PM 8/3/2001, Robert Fitzmorgan wrote:
>--
>Hello
>        I've had an idea that I'd like to get some discussion about.
>        I would like to promote more and better poetry in Ansteorra, as well
>as get some use from this list.  I'd like to suggest the creation of the
>Ansteorran Online Academy of Poetics. (AOAoP).  Ok so the name probably needs
>more thought.  The ideas is that bards with expertise in a poetic form will
>write an essay on how to write in that form.  Other bards on this list will
>then write a poem using that form and post it to the list. They can specify
>one of three options when the post.
>
>1.  They want a public critique of their poem on the list.
>2.  They want private comment on the poem.
>3.  They want no comment on the poem.
>
>        Obviously for the purposes of teaching option 1 will be the most
>useful, but I understand that some people will be reluctant to publicly tell
>them what;s wrong with their poem.  Of course people should also be telling
>you what is right about your poem but somehow a dozen positive comments won't
>stick in the mind as much as one negative comment.  It requires a certain
>amount of toughness.   If we do this I will post my work for public comment
>and allow the poems and the comment to be placed on the web page.
>        I would like to see the essays on a web page along with some of the
>resulting poems along with the critiques of those poems so people who come in
>late can read and learn from them.  Lady Simone has already done a great deal
>of work creating the Bardic Fire webpage.  If she has time and is willing to
>do the work I think that would be the best place to have this.  If she
>doesn't have time then I would like to ask Pug to give the Bards List web
>space on the Kingdom server.  If we do this both on the list and on the web I
>would want timely updated to the web page.  We could do the whole thing here
>and point new people to the archives.
>        If we do this should we have some foundation setting essays on basics
>of rhyme, meter, alliteration, etc.?  I would definitely want to have
>discussion of how to give and receive useful criticism, and have that
>prominently displayed on the web page.  I would want to see clear guidelines
>concerning what is and is not appropriate in commenting on someone's work and
>see those guidelines enforced.
>        I'd like to see different people writing the essays.  When someone
>describes how to write in a particular form there should be discussion of the
>list of the essay, and any necessary corrections and improvements made.  The
>corrected version should be reposted to the list and to the web page then
>people should start writing.  I see no reason to have a cut off date for
>people to post their poems, we'll critique them as they come in.  Poems
>should be clearly labeled as to what kind of commentary the want, and their
>wishes should be respected.  People should understand that it is almost
>guaranteed that someone who is giving a private critique will accidentally
>post it publicly, and be understanding when this happens.
>        Since I suggested this I would be willing to organize and run this but
>I'm pretty busy.  If someone with more time and energy has a burning desire
>to be the driving force behind this I would be glad to let them run it.  If
>Lady Simone does not wish to be the web master for this I do not want to do
>so myself.  I just don't have the time.  We don't have to have a web page to
>go with this but I think it would be better with one than without.
>        I hope to use this to promote better poets and better poetry, as well
>as motivate myself and others to write more.
>        My fellow bards what do you think of this idea?  Will you take part?
>How many are willing to research and write essays on how to write poetry?
>How many are willing to comment on poems submitted?  How many are willing to
>write poems, and how many of those are willing to have them commented on
>publicly?
>
>Robert Fitzmorgan
>Bard of Rundel
>
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