leonardcohenforum.com

Poetry, like all art is a matter of taste or preference and whether it is good or bad is in the eye(heart) of the beholder. All who visit this forum do so at their own risk. As with R rated movies one may choose to view or not to. No one comes here led by the nose or under the whip.
Those who take it upon themselves to be adversely critical or to trash the writing presented here ought to demonstrate some skill or qualification for such critique; an original verse or some rational argument to site the reasons for the judgement presented. If an opinion is ventured that is no more than a preference as to a like or dislike, then one ought to be honest that a preference is being stated and not presume to be a judge. Those who regularly tackle the challenge of writing verse know the difficulties involved to express with language that is not prose.
When I read the verses of other members I am not looking to judge the skill level of the writer but rather look for the heart being expressed by the writer. Us "lousy little poets" are not professional writers(though some may be) and all we are doing is sharing our explorations with others who are making the same ventures. We do not expect to compared to TS Eliot, Walt Whitman, Dylan Thomas, Yeats or Wordsworth. So do not waste your time by doing so. Join the communication with sincerity or butt out. The poems are only poems.

Regards,

Witty Owl.

witty-owl, may I be so bold as to say that we could share similarities which would invalidate our nomenclature. Speaking for myself, I can assure our readers that I am not a lice ridden midget who writes for a paltry living. One can only wonder at who the detractors are aiming their poisonous spittle? Certainly not you or I.
Man the barricades brothers and sisters. We are condemned for our thoughts.
I cannot be arrested for what I think and I think some people should have ....................................with a wire brush!!! Sideways!!!!

Welcome back, Witty!

I, just another "lousy little poet", fully agree with what you wrote in the above post. Everyone who posts her/his poems to this forum deserves to be treated with both honesty and understanding.

Qualified criticism will be welcome and helpful, but overall trashings won't help anybody. Everyone who really is aware of the creative process will be able to draw the line of distinction for herself/himself. Everyone who really cares for her/his fellow humans will be able to do so as well.

Those who won't, disqualify themselves by what they write, and maybe it's best to ignore them...

Tom

The Owl Returneth
Good on ya sport
Best regards.....................Georges

Brothers and sisters in prose, I pledge myself and my trusty quill to your cause. My quill quivers for action. My Quink lays in wait for the call. (My tablets are taking longer to work today?)
My nib shall gird its loins and crying, "For Harry, England and St. George" we shall lay about those blackguards with a vengeance.
Bye the way, I also agree with Tom. and Georges.

Ciao to the Witty Owl,

I disagree. There are no lousy poets! There are no bad poems. There are no risks in coming and reading the the Poetry Forum!

I do agree with you Witty Owl. That it is difficult for you to express in poetry what you feel in prose. I see this in your poetry. Do not despair over an inability you may have. Keep working. Keep trying.

Vesuvius

Vesuvius, caro amico...

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Witty Owl rightly said. Looking at Witty's poems again, and then reading your inimitably "vesuvian" post, I'm compelled to conclude that it must be a punishment to live with your eyes as the only pair to behold anything.

You have all my empathy, but I'll never be able to fathom the "tristezza" the state of your perception must create within you. My most deeply felt condolences are expressed to you herewith.

Ciao amico

Tom

Ciao tom,

Thank you for telling me I am beautiful. Thank you, my friend, for expressing your heart-felt congratualtions on my perceptions of the poets.

But, please, do not say the witty owl's poems are punishing. This is not so! If the witty owl continues to try, continues to work, I know he will accomplish great things. There will be no "tristezza" in the Poetry Section. Not as long as I have breath in my body.

Vesuvius

Ciao Vesuvius -

There's really no way to reply to someone who so obviously tries to "misunderstand" every word, to twist every meaning, to distort everything that has been said.

So I won't.

Have a nice day etc...

Tom

Vesuvius, nice of you to express such enthusiastic encouragement for us struggling poets with your snide remarks. It must give you a warm glow of satisfaction to bestow your opinion from such a condescending position. I shall soldier on till "great" things may be achieved. Meanwhile I shall also keep an alert eye out for the knife approaching my back.

Cheers,

Witty Owl.

Witty, Tom, George, Jubita and all other poets out there,

Please keep on writing, I don't normally comment on the poetry section as having no literary or artistic talent myself I don't feel qualified to criticise others. Some of the poems I enjoy or understand more than others. Some I don't understand at all, but that is probably my failing. If people don't want to read your efforts they should just keep out and keep quiet, rather than make nasty comments.

m

Thank you for your kind words, Margaret............
Georges

Thank you, witty_owl for posting this subject...
Thank you, Margaret, for encouraging all of us- "Lousy little poets"...
I do agree with your opinion...doesn't matter how "lousy" are our poems we should keep writing, because this is the way we to express ourselves and despite that may be we can not see the meaning of that now...there is a meaning...and I would like to share something from my personal experience...
My father died when I was four years old...I really don't have too many memories about him...they are just a few...I always craved to know more about his personality...and the stories shared by my mom about him were never enough for me...but few years ago my aunt gave me some manuscript...it was a novella, written by my father and it was never finished...by this story I've learned a lot about him and his way of thinking, about his sensibility, personality and many others things...so, his writing was very helpful for me...
Who knows, may be someday our writing will be helpful to someone else as well...
And from the other point we need both encouragement and friendly critics as well...just to improve our expression...

Iubita

Well said Iubita.............in writing............we search ourselves, soul and all. In giving, we learn humility.
Georges

yes, George,
Humility...this we always need to follow...in this way we'll accept everything what is coming from others in some better way...even the critics...

Iubita