Poetry reviews

[annaswirls]

one reason many people stopped submitting in the New Poetry arena was their work was being lifted and posted elsewhere (under a different name, of course.)

Plagiarism.

Also links to the work were being placed here and there from odd sites. Which I do not really mind. My work on other sites has had that happen as well.

Also, people who want to submit their poetry to other sites have shied away from submitting it on literotica because they think it will qualify as "previously published" which is questionable. Also, to have work published here under alias, then elsewhere as real name, is tricky.

So many of the more "experienced" poets stopped submitting when more online doors opened that would publish their work.

My synopsis.

 

[Angeline]

I look at them very rarely. The forum seems more alive to me. More immediate. I really like the interaction (and I'm not even that great of an interactor...) And if I'm going to spend yet another hour of my life staring at a screen, I'm going to do it in a place where I can have a little conversation (i.e. the forum). Where I will be acknowledged and where I can play off of other people's comments. I very much enjoy the dialogue aspect of the forum. That is quite different than posting in new poems. I love conversing with people more immediately. All poems are part of a conversation, I suppose. But, especially because of my current living circumstance, I need the dialogue to be more than it would be if I posted to new poems.

I have been a big fan of literotica for a long time. I Started with reading stories on and off for many years. I learned a lot from those stories LOL. Looked at the poetry only occasionally. Finally joined the forum, my first forum. I was very nervous to join LOL (I joined under a different name, FYI). I think both Literotica and the forum are brilliant sites. I had a strange experience submitting a couple poems to Literotica. Both were rejected. I got great feedback on one of the rejections, which was a prose poem. Basically, it was: this is an exact account of what happened, in order to be poetry, you need to use some figurative language. Simple enough advice, but very much what I needed to hear just then. Changed what I did a lot. I started writing three similes a day just for practice, LOL.

Oh, and while I was waiting for those poems to go up, I checked the review thread all the time, just waiting for somebody to mention me LOL. That's probably how I got started posting in the poetry thread. I guess I put a few poems up in the suddenly passion thread, and I got some really nice feedback from a few people (Thank you Dora and Chippy!)



Please do tell us what the creation of a poem should be about. That's a topic some here like to discuss.



That is probably true, but the same can be said for a lot of different things. There are a lot of mountains to be climbed, oceans to be swum in, people to meet, books to be read, poems to be written, etc. We have discussed quite a lot lately the purposes for writing poems, I wonder what people's reasons are for reading poems. Ooh, I think that would be a good thread. I will likely start it in a while


It's very nice that you want worthwhile poetry to be looked at. If you want YOUR worthwhile poetry looked at, I would take the suggestion somebody made above: put a link to your poetry in your sig. Then post to the forum every once in a while. Drive people to your poetry. It's a bit of marketing, isn't it? And if you want feedback on your poems, give feedback to others on the forum. Then, if you're feeling bold, ask for feedback in return. Or, in your sig, say: "Please read my poem and give me feedback." Be a little creative, be a little aggressive. Send poems to people in Private Messages and ask them to give you a little feedback. Or ask them to respond in the form of a poem. Start with me if you like.

And if none of those approaches work, you can always post a single-poem thread, asking for feedback. Your poem will be looked at. You will be able to see exactly how many times it was looked at. And you WILL get feedback.



I'm rambling bad...

Wow, Palba, just surprized at the feedback you got when you submitted a poem. I've never heard of anyone even getting a reason for their poem being rejected from submission, let alone the one you got. I think that is very rare. Usually someone's poem would be rejected either because the content broke Lit rules or because the poem was too long (too many words) to fit Lit's criteria for poetry. Well, maybe you mean you got that feedback here on the forum? Either way I'm glad it helped you and glad you are here because I enjoy reading your posts.

 

[fridayam]

Humbled

I am really impressed and truly humbled by the depth and breadth of the responses to my complaint. I was not posting just for myself, because there are poets on Lit who never seem to get a response from anyone, even when they post magnificent and challenging material. May I ask everyone who reads this to go and look at sandyb's poems? Sure, she has had comments, but nowhere near what she deserves. And if you read, comment--even just a thankyou is enough. Votes are nice too, they at least show if you value what you have read.

There are many issues which have been raised here, and it is obvious that many people regret the waning of the reviewing spirit (though I am surprised at how few read the latest poems). It is obvious that few have the time and energy to devote to reviewing even one day a week, and I will happily admit that I would find it onerous as well--I have a very fluctuating schedule that allows me to have this discussion today but tomorrow will find me having to reintroduce myself to my wife.

But I have a few suggestions. The daily input of new poems is not large: why are they segregated from the stories that most people come here to read? Would it not help if poems and stories were placed together, where people might take the chance to read something and find it pleasing? I have had 20,000 readers for a story and will be lucky to get 200 for a poem--putting them together might go some way to even the balance. I would also like to abolish the distinction between erotic and non-erotic poetry (read sandyb's "prey" to see how irrelevant the distinction can be!).

Secondly, I would ask ALL forum members to visit the new poems section when they log on and spend just a few minutes checking it out, then report anything they liked, disliked or whatever. If all of us did this, the poets out there would at least be less disheartened. Maybe we should open up a new thread for this.

Thirdly, I would like to ask each forum member to remember what it is like to write a poem and not know whether it was good, bad or indifferent and crave somebody,anybody, to say something--good, bad or indifferent about their work--I know a lot of you do, as you've said so, but I would love to see us all comment more on each others work and not just in the context of games.

In that spirit: here is a poem I have written tonight, heavily indebted to reading Chapter 13 of Stephen Vizinczey's wonderful novel, "In Praise of Older Women". It is very rough and I offer it for criticism, fondly. It's called "Learning to Walk".


We learnt to walk together,
my mother and I.
She watched my falters with those
oceanic eyes,
so blue and deep and troubled.
Our smiles met and kissed
but we each had our worries.
Mine: would I fall? would she catch me?
would it hurt? when can I eat?
Hers: where is he? is he safe?
is there a woman? do I know her?
am I ugly? am I fat?
is this boy at my breast
the deathmound of my marriage?
She was kneeling, I stood
uncertain, trembling.
I thought I couldn’t do it
but I did and laughed
at the improbability.
She kept her nerve and let me totter,
let me stand as she did,
tall and blonde and proud in her
womanhood.

 

[Epmd607]

This is a porno site, just to refresh the context, a site for sex stories. It doesn't make sense why poetry is even on this site, it just is. I wouldn't want my poems mixed with the new stories. I don't write porno poems. This isn't a site for poets who want unsolicited criticism and more than a few actual reads of their poems. The message board is a place for criticism, but you have to ask for it. You can't make the New Poems Page or Poetry Feedback work for you, you have to accept it for what it is. If it doesn't work for you there are actual poetry sites you might want to check out.

I just read the last three or four days of poems. It's pretty much the same as it always was. There are a couple people who post every day for a while and then a few first timers who'll never post again. Though I'm surprised I didn't find one real fantastic poem. Usually SweetOblivion, Live4Passion and SandyB do deliver, but I didn't find anything I liked enough to even vote on.

99% of people don't visit this site to read poems, most probably don't even know or care that there is a New Poems page. Every few months someone from the past pops up and someone new stops in and we talk about poems. The poetry feedback and Hangout is primarily discussion of poetry. That in itself is incredibly rare. Try talking about stories in the story feedback/discussion circle/ideas/editors/Author's Hangout, it doesn't really happen that often. You know we're here, you can join in the current narrative or wait for a better version of the board.

 

[Angeline]

Hi. I'll give you some feedback.

I like your poem. There's a formality to your word choice and pace that works well. The rhyming is more subtle than I thought it would be when I started reading, and I like that subdued quality.

I think there are three parts: an introduction that ends around "worries," a middle that ends with (to me) the key line "deathmound...marriage," and the ending, where both mother and child stand. (The ending is lovely, too, btw.) If that makes sense to you, I'd put some space between those three sections (as roughly defined above). I find it hard to read with the lines all run together, as if there should be no pauses except the end words.

Of course others may disagree and if they do they'll let us know.

You seem a thoughtful person who loves poetry. I hope you and the others you mention will speak up and be active here on the forum. New writers are always the best thing for us all--you new folks and the old heads, too. Anyone can start whatever threads they like here in our poetry world. And if you have a question or interesting idea or (yes, even) a challenge, just start a thread and people will jump in.

You may know this already so forgive me if I assumed incorrectly, but the people on this forum have no control over or part in approving the poems that are posted in the new poems section each day. Laurel and Manu (the site owners) do that. Also many here (myself included) have soured on a voting system that often results in the writer with the most friends winning out over the best writing. When we do contests here on the forum at least we can agree that we all want the best poem to win.

But you are absolutely right that if anyone here really wants to support poetry at Lit, the best thing to do is to read through those new poems, vote with your conscience and offer some feedback, especially to new poets.

 

[greenmountaineer]

I joined Literotica because I had some dusty poems I thought were worth someone else’s effort to read them. I liked that the website would publish virtually anything. I won’t deny that the occasional complement didn’t make me feel some worth as a poet. However, several things occurred to me early on: If I touched someone who then took the time to say so, that was a joyous experience because, I believe, we all want to touch someone. That said, I knew that some of my poems were good despite the lack of comment, and some needed work despite a postive comment or two.

An unexpected outcome of this web-site for me has been how the other threads have influenced how I write. I still regard myself more as a “lurker” than a participant in discussion threads, but the thoughts in other’s opinions (I’ve narrowed them to a couple of dozen contributors who really have something to say) has influenced my writing immeasurably. I hope these people know who they are because they are the frequent contributors. I don’t always agree with them, but I try to think deeply about what they write, and to my surprise, there’s a “take away” for me that often shows up in a subsequent submission.

And here’s the ultimate unintended consequence:

Never have I written so much poetry in my life which I why I joined in the first place: I just wanted to write more. Knowing, however, that someone else will probably read what I write has made me work harder, and when I reflect on where I started and where I ended with a poem, I have found much satisfaction also.

 

[champagne1982]

Hi. You've written a good poem. I would use an edit to improve on a couple of points that I've outlined below, were this my poem. As it is, this is yours and your voice, so my suggestions are offered for you to accept or reject only as you see fit. I promise not to be offended and I hope I don't offend through my opinion.

Thanks for giving us a chance to have a read...
_____________________________________________________

We learnt to walk together,
my mother and I.
Usually, I stay interested in a poem with a thought provoking opening. I need the unusual to grab my attention right away. If I don't get it in the first two lines, I generally don't continue. I finished yours here because you asked for critique, not because your first line entranced me.
She watched my falters with those
oceanic eyes, This is an example of a "show" line
so blue and deep and troubled.This is an example of a "tell" line.
Our smiles met and kissed I love this image. You should think about employing it in your opening.
but we each had our worries.
Mine: would I fall? would she catch me?
would it hurt? when can I eat? Yes, I see the mirror effect in the questions. I would be hacking the wordiness to bits but I can see how you may prefer this technique.
Hers: where is he? is he safe?
is there a woman? do I know her?
am I ugly? am I fat?
is this boy at my breast
the deathmound I don't really understand this word. What makes this expression preferable to choosing the word "end"? of my marriage?
She was kneeling, I stood
uncertain, trembling.
I thought I couldn’t do it
but I did and laughed
at the improbability.
She kept her nerve and let me totter,
let me stand as she did,
tall and blonde and proud in her
womanhood. I recommend ditching this last phrase, "and proud in her womanhood." does nothing for me at all, especially when held up against the canvas of the lines before.

 

[EroticOrogeny]

I agree with Epmd that the new poems should be separate, otherwise getting to read them would be more of a chore. I ususllay look at some, occasionally leaving a comment when one strikes me strongly. But that, too, is, or should be, more than just saying 'I like it' or some such. And if you don't like it and don't know the person posting - how should one respond?
Here on the forum people will put up poems in some of the threads for critiques and we know eah other to some extent.
Some numbers, for those who go in for that:
there are more non-erotic than erotic poems, but poems with an erotic tag will get more reads. Illustrated poems also get quite a few hits, perhaps in the reader's hope for somethig suggestive and provocative. A little while ago I saw some usage figures, which indicate that the stories get a lot more traffic than the forums.

I liked your poem, but there are parts which I found somewhat ambiguous/confusing. In particular where he woman is thinking about both her boy and her husband. Probably a reasonable characterization of what goes on in our minds, but threw me a bit. Perhaps breaking into stanzas, as was preiously suggested, would help.

Welcome, and keep posting!

 

[Palba_Noruda]

If we want "new blood" and new ideas, then we really should reconsider the reviewing task.

It is time consuming, yes, but I see the amount of time many of us put into the forum, and if 5% of that time were spent in New Poem reviews, we could definitely bring more interest to this place, and certainly meet interesting people.



Perhaps instead of the poetry forum being divided into a hangout and whatever the other side is, maybe we should have two sections: Hangout and REVIEWS.

That's a good point about getting new people in here.

I'll throw out a suggestion to choose a weekly poem from the new poems, or a poem daily, put it in a thread, and everybody comment on it that way. We could set up a day where everybody comes to a thread and nominates five poems.

Or set up a random selection process. The poem of the day goes by the calendar date and the numbered poem that shows up on that day. So on the fifth of the month, the fifth poem submitted to lit for that day (or the day before) drops into a thread and people can look at it and critique it, just for the challenge of critiquing. That daily onslaught might get a bit much.

I think when a person really wants to stretch out a post ... it's harder to keep up with all that is happening on the forum. There might be an element of time worry keeping people from actively recruiting new members. Is there a subconscious worry that bringing more people will make for some much action on the forum that it can't be kept up with.

On top of missing all the new poems, sometimes single post poems will come and go on the forum that I didn't even see were there.

But I think a correct strategy for people wanting the new poems read is to give compelling reasons for the time investment. Yes, I am a fucking grinch with my time. I'm like that with a lot of things. Love for instance. *Le sigh*

Wow, Palba, just surprized at the feedback you got when you submitted a poem. I've never heard of anyone even getting a reason for their poem being rejected from submission, let alone the one you got. I think that is very rare. Usually someone's poem would be rejected either because the content broke Lit rules or because the poem was too long (too many words) to fit Lit's criteria for poetry. Well, maybe you mean you got that feedback here on the forum? Either way I'm glad it helped you and glad you are here because I enjoy reading your posts.

I think it was as I described. I will have to go back and look, should still be in there. I'll try to take a screen capture. I'm not making any promises though. It's late and I been to a party LOL.

It was strange, because it was basically a story without anything but the sex. People in Author Hangout and such insist there must be character development. Well I didn't do any character development or context for the sex, so I decided, according to the opinion of AH, it wasn't a story after all, but a prose poem. And I noted it as such upon submission.

While I was waiting for it to go up, there was a thread that went up about what defines a prose poem, and I wondered if somebody was trying to figure out if what I submitted was indeed a poem at all. (Probably a coincidence, but the mind WILL jump to conclusions LOL)

Then I'm pretty certain it was rejected for the reason I mentioned. I did write an email or two, also, asking about the poems. I don't think I got anything back from those, don't remember.

Either way I'm glad it helped you and glad you are here because I enjoy reading your posts.

Aw thanks for saying. I'm glad I'm here, too. /looks down, hands in pockets, rubs foot shyly on ground/

But I have a few suggestions. The daily input of new poems is not large: why are they segregated from the stories that most people come here to read?

I think it would be wicked cool if all the new poems just got dumped into one long super thread here on the forum. That would be sweet. I'd at least look at them to hi-jack their wonderful words.

Maybe there would be a contest to see who could find the best poem from time to time, and people would have to passionately argue for why the poem they selected is best!

Secondly, I would ask ALL forum members to visit the new poems section when they log on and spend just a few minutes checking it out, then report anything they liked, disliked or whatever. If all of us did this, the poets out there would at least be less disheartened. Maybe we should open up a new thread for this.

If a poet is disheartened, he should try getting his ass into the forum and punching us all in our faces with his poems. Shit.

To tell you the truth, the Internet is a questionable venue for poetry in the first place. I believe all this shit on the Internet fucks with a persons spiritual and mental space while at the computer. The radiation coming off the screen probably doesn't help either.

Thirdly, I would like to ask each forum member to remember what it is like to write a poem and not know whether it was good, bad or indifferent and crave somebody,anybody, to say something--good, bad or indifferent about their work--I know a lot of you do, as you've said so, but I would love to see us all comment more on each others work and not just in the context of games.

Just assume they are all good.

And games? Games are fun. Fun is good. I will maintain that until the end! Or at least until the next time I'm feeling all fucking serious. And I get that smile all straightened out and get a good pucker on my lips and get my eyes squinting. There... That's more like it...

In that spirit: here is a poem I have written tonight, heavily indebted to reading Chapter 13 of Stephen Vizinczey's wonderful novel, "In Praise of Older Women". It is very rough and I offer it for criticism, fondly. It's called "Learning to Walk".

So is that book pretty good? Any hot older lady fuck scenes? Sounds good. I wish I could snuggle in your lap while you read those fuck scenes to me aloud and I'd reach down and rub your leg through your slacks and trail my hand all the way up until I touched your cock and just kind of rub you there. Yeah, I'd like that.

We learnt to walk together,
my mother and I.
She watched my falters with those
oceanic eyes,
so blue and deep and troubled.
Our smiles met and kissed
but we each had our worries.
Mine: would I fall? would she catch me?
would it hurt? when can I eat?
Hers: where is he? is he safe?
is there a woman? do I know her?
am I ugly? am I fat?
is this boy at my breast
the deathmound of my marriage?
She was kneeling, I stood
uncertain, trembling.
I thought I couldn’t do it
but I did and laughed
at the improbability.
She kept her nerve and let me totter,
let me stand as she did,
tall and blonde and proud in her
womanhood.

I like the subject matter. And I like all the questions. That part reminds me of some Asian form where they say Him: Her:
I read one that said First Half: Second Half: and just kept going like that, with a few lines representing the first half and a few lines representing the second half.

Somebody mentioned that the erotic/non-erotic designation was a bit problematic at times. I agree. I wrote a poem about a boy masturbating on the toilet after school wondering if the mother could hear him. I had a dickens of a time trying to figure out whether to consider it erotic or non-erotic. At first I thought it was non-erotic, a no-brainer. But then, just as I was about to click non-erotic I looked down and realized I was jerking off. It was a delightful feeling and I must admit, it gave me pause, and there began my discomfort with the erotic/non-erotic designation. There isn't much correlation to your poem other than the fact that the mother is on her knees and I suppose a person could draw a comparison between learning to walk and having a sexual awakening, if one were so inclined.

You can't make the New Poems Page or Poetry Feedback work for you, you have to accept it for what it is.

Good point...

You may know this already so forgive me if I assumed incorrectly, but the people on this forum have no control over or part in approving the poems that are posted in the new poems section each day. Laurel and Manu (the site owners) do that.

Wouldn't a little site history be all kinds of fun? I think so...

 

[fridayam]

Why do we hide ourselves away?

Thank you to all those who have responded to my question, and to some of you I have pm'd comments.

As a general point, though, I query those who prefer poetry to be sectioned quite so demeaningly. Some have said, Lit is a porno site and poetry doesn't belong here: well, our founders evidently wanted poetry and I see no reason to dispute their wisdom. They have even welcomed non-erotic poetry (as there is the occassional non-erotic story). What I question is the wisdom of dividing poetry so terminally from the prose. When you enter Lit, there is a list of what you can read: the stories are listed--New, then Top Lists, then...then all the categories of stories that you might hope to find, a long list, then Special Sections, and then...Poems. Is anyone surprised that a casual reader will not get that far? I am amazed that anyone reads the poems that are set so far down such an exciting list.

So I guess what I am saying is that if we want poetry to be read then we have to make it available to be read: yes I am aware that Laurel and Manu decide what is done on this site--it is their site after all--but why don't we, as a group of poets, ask them if they might change the structure to include poems in the "New" category, alongside the stories. I went through that section this afternoon and there was a shocking amount of rubbish. Would it not be improved by the leavening of the odd good (or not so good) poem?

Or are we so afraid of people reading our poems that we have to keep them in our own private space?

 

[champagne1982]

First, if people want to read poetry, they will. Most of the readers on lit don't even know there are other categories of stories apart from incest, or loving wives or... put your vice here. What makes it commercially viable, is that those readers of the pornier story things also click on the adult video, toy sales and other "entertainment" sites... Poets tend to click on more poetry...

Sale-ability separates this part of the community from the other stuff. If what I hear is true... in the beginning The Poets fought for and acheived a Poetry forum... now, we even have three categories to post poetry in... That's pretty amazing considering that the poetry doesn't really bring in any ad revenue at all.

 

[champagne1982]

Removed for harmony...

 

[fridayam]

I usually reply to private messages privately, but I guess I am old-fashioned.

 

[Epmd607]

It's not that poetry belongs or doesn't belong, it's just that it's out of place here since most of the poems are non-erotic while most of the stories are erotic. I post poems and stories here, so obviously I'd like people to read both. The new stories list is fairly cluttered. I can see moving the New Poems link underneath the New Stories link, but mixing the two together will create undue animosity toward the poets. The feeling will go from, "What, there's a New Poems page?" to "What the hell, why are there all these stupid poems clogging up the new stories page?" People are already bitching about how quick a new story gets knocked off the first page.

If we're taking a vote, my vote is to keep the New Poems page where it is, and make one poetry message board instead of two. Discussion pretty much covers what goes on in the P Hangout. We have contests in both places. It's not like so many threads are created a day that good stuff will get buried.

 

[fridayam]

No, but I want people who don't often (or never) read poems to have a chance to be infected, and we keep them in quarantine. And, as I pointed out, there are non-erotic stories and they are not put in a different category.

 

[Angeline]

No, but I want people who don't often (or never) read poems to have a chance to be infected, and we keep them in quarantine. And, as I pointed out, there are non-erotic stories and they are not put in a different category.

I understand what you are saying, but it's a moot (as they say) point because we poet-people have no say in where the poems are tallied or posted or even what counts as a poem. That is set at Lit by the site owners. And I agree with Emp that most people come to Lit for erotica. They would not like non-erotic poetry clogging up their attempts to get to the porn. That's just the way it is. I doubt anyone would mind erotic poems (illustrated or not) lumped in with the stories, so maybe the site owners would consider counting them differently, but I doubt it. I've been posting at this forum a loong time and they haven't changed it yet.

Most folks end up on this forum (imho) because they can interact with other poetry lovers: exchange information and feedback, flirt and/or collaborate. It's a good and mostly supportive place.

Upon reflection what we probably need most is for someone to volunteer to take a day to read new poems and invite new poets to join the fun here on the forum. Some people submit poetry here at Lit, but never realize the forum is here and/or so active.

 

[annaswirls]

No, but I want people who don't often (or never) read poems to have a chance to be infected, and we keep them in quarantine. And, as I pointed out, there are non-erotic stories and they are not put in a different category.

Makes perfect sense to me. How would moving "Poetry" as one of the many categories clog the system? You just click on POEM and um there it is. It has never made any sense to me why it is separated anyway. Much of the poetry in here is just a short porn story with returns
between cum and
crusted and twist
or pull of hair and
parts or

sometimes
rhyme.

you know.

 

[champagne1982]

I usually reply to private messages privately, but I guess I am old-fashioned.

That's fine... I neglected to move between pages, pardon me. Here, there... no matter. I'll just delete it. Better?

 

[champagne1982]

No, but I want people who don't often (or never) read poems to have a chance to be infected, and we keep them in quarantine. And, as I pointed out, there are non-erotic stories and they are not put in a different category.

I think most people who submit poetry to Literotica do so, (the first time anyway), because a lover or a chat partner mentioned that a rhyme was good or that they'd love a poem for their birthday... It's a quick way to get a piece of writing out, since poems are usually posted within a day.

Don't you think it is marvellous that we can have those "gifts" posted at the same time and in the same place as someone places a simple little wank story? How about those authors who write wonderful novellas, short stories and some (maybe good) novels? Do you think they'd even notice if a prize winning poet posted at lit?

So, whether in the mainstream story section or in a little burg of its own, poetry is different than stories, and that's how the site owners want it. If you convince them they should boost the poetic presence on lit and they do, it won't change who posts or why the poems are written. Those will always be the same.

 

[annaswirls]

Dang, why so negative Carrie? Did I miss something? Those poems have always been there, but before, there were more seasoned poets there as well, which drew in more readers to the New Poems page and more writers DID read the poetry. I got many comments and messages from the authors. When the more well read poets disappeared, so did the readers. It is not a mystery.

I think most people who submit poetry to Literotica do so, (the first time anyway), because a lover or a chat partner mentioned that a rhyme was good or that they'd love a poem for their birthday... It's a quick way to get a piece of writing out, since poems are usually posted within a day.

Don't you think it is marvellous that we can have those "gifts" posted at the same time and in the same place as someone places a simple little wank story? How about those authors who write wonderful novellas, short stories and some (maybe good) novels? Do you think they'd even notice if a prize winning poet posted at lit?

So, whether in the mainstream story section or in a little burg of its own, poetry is different than stories, and that's how the site owners want it. If you convince them they should boost the poetic presence on lit and they do, it won't change who posts or why the poems are written. Those will always be the same.

 

[annaswirls]

And since when did a "nothing ever changes, don't even bother" attitude ever get anywhere?

Why not let a new generation come in and see what they can do? What harm?

Most people who have been around for more than 2 years don't even post their poems there anyway, so why can't we just move over and let them try? Maybe even give our support?

People are reading Laurel and Manu's thoughts as if they have direct access to their neurons.

Just because something is the way it is does not mean it is how anyone wants it to be. Sometimes shit just falls where it does and sticks there because it is easier than moving it. What harm would it be to politely ask?

Obviously Laurel and Manu have moved their lines on poetry-- they actually gave out prizes to the Survivor poets, and really nice ones as well!

 

[annaswirls]

From the opening page of lit


New - Stories added in the last few days. (502)
New- Poetry added in the last few days <---why not add it here????
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On the opening page, you can go to New Stories and then listed below, you can see them by category. Why not do the same with New Poems? I don't think one little line would clog up any system.

I don't understand how anyone can really argue with this very simple suggestion. To be cynical and jaded and saying this is how it is done, blah blah makes me feel like I am 90 years old. The arguments make no sense. Why a poet would think so little of poetry to think it does not deserve to be given a chance?

I love the idea that there are new poets here with new ideas-- they remind me of US six years ago, or for those of us who have been around for longer, I would like to think of that is how you were when you first came here. But while this place welcomes new people, it kind of does... but at the moment, the only way one seems to get involved is by putting an extraordinary amount of time into the forum.

At any rate, I know I am babbling to the wind. I have done this before, then get frustrated and leave, be back in another 5 months.

Unless the Survivor Contest starts again any time in the not to distant future??????????

 

[annaswirls]

1. Give people some credit. Just because they like porn does not mean they can't appreciate poetry. Trust me, I love porn, that is why I came to LITEROTICA. And where am I now??? I know of other amazing poets who came here to read the porn but stayed for the poetry. Why not give the poetry more of a chance?

2. Poems used to get a lot more reads. It was a porn site then as well.

3. Not all poets care if their poetry is along side of sex stories. I think it is in good company.

4. Are you 90 years old or what? I cannot believe you said this: "You can't make the New Poems Page or Poetry Feedback work for you, you have to accept it for what it is." ????? Holy cow, seriously, I just burned my bra.

5. The same as it always was? Since when? It was not THAT long ago that there was really good poetry being posted. Sorry, but I have to defend my colleagues here. "I just read the last three or four days of poems. It's pretty much the same as it always was. " Many really talented poets have passed through the New Poems on this here porn site. Many of them have moved on, many of them have stopped writing poetry. That does not mean anything. The future is not written.

This is a porno site, just to refresh the context, a site for sex stories. It doesn't make sense why poetry is even on this site, it just is. I wouldn't want my poems mixed with the new stories. I don't write porno poems. This isn't a site for poets who want unsolicited criticism and more than a few actual reads of their poems. The message board is a place for criticism, but you have to ask for it. You can't make the New Poems Page or Poetry Feedback work for you, you have to accept it for what it is. If it doesn't work for you there are actual poetry sites you might want to check out.

I just read the last three or four days of poems. It's pretty much the same as it always was. There are a couple people who post every day for a while and then a few first timers who'll never post again. Though I'm surprised I didn't find one real fantastic poem. Usually SweetOblivion, Live4Passion and SandyB do deliver, but I didn't find anything I liked enough to even vote on.

99% of people don't visit this site to read poems, most probably don't even know or care that there is a New Poems page. Every few months someone from the past pops up and someone new stops in and we talk about poems. The poetry feedback and Hangout is primarily discussion of poetry. That in itself is incredibly rare. Try talking about stories in the story feedback/discussion circle/ideas/editors/Author's Hangout, it doesn't really happen that often. You know we're here, you can join in the current narrative or wait for a better version of the board.

 

[annaswirls]

Most folks end up on this forum (imho) because they can interact with other poetry lovers: exchange information and feedback, flirt and/or collaborate. It's a good and mostly supportive place.

Upon reflection what we probably need most is for someone to volunteer to take a day to read new poems and invite new poets to join the fun here on the forum. Some people submit poetry here at Lit, but never realize the forum is here and/or so active.

Maybe we need an additional moderator to take on the task or reviving the New Poems Review, someone with enthusiasm, time and is good with the newbies. Eve used to be really good at this, and Angeline, I know you are so busy, as is Eve and Lauren. I know you love this site, you feel ownership and responsibility, but you need help. You have said yourself you are moving this summer and won't be able to be around. Neither are Eve or Lauren. You guys have been awesome and who would argue with that? No one. But what is the hesitation?

 

[Angeline]

Maybe we need an additional moderator to take on the task or reviving the New Poems Review, someone with enthusiasm, time and is good with the newbies. Eve used to be really good at this, and Angeline, I know you are so busy, as is Eve and Lauren. I know you love this site, you feel ownership and responsibility, but you need help. You have said yourself you are moving this summer and won't be able to be around. Neither are Eve or Lauren. You guys have been awesome and who would argue with that? No one. But what is the hesitation?

Actually my friend I have been resigned from the mod position for a while now. I didn't announce it because I didn't want to make a fuss. I figured it would come out sooner or later, and so it did. And I remember that convo we had last year. I agreed with you then. But yes I think some changes will do this place some good.

Laurel will appoint someone to replace me if she wants to do that. And if anyone wants to nominate themself, they should let Eve, Lauren or Laurel know.

Surprise.