Post by mfwilkie on Apr 24, 2007 23:46:52 GMT -5
William Packard, founder of the New York Quarterly, defines Criticism as: "The art of evaluation, judgement or analysis of a literary work." in his book, The Poet's Dictionary, published by HarperPerrenial, a Division of HarperCollins Publishers
in 1994.
He goes on to say this:
"What follows is a checklist of technical points that pertains to any poem, giving specific points one can question, step by step, in the attempt to criticize by description. The checklist is more practical than theoretical.
OPENING OF POEM:
Is the poem titled or untitled? Does it seem apt?
Does the poem have a strong enough opening?
Do the first few lines establish appropriate tone?
Would any later part of the poem make a better opening?
SIGHT DEVICES:
Are there enough specific image details in the poem?
Are the metaphors and similes apt?
Do any figures or conceits need further development
Are any sections of poem weak in visual images?
SOUND DEVICES:
Is there any strong assonance–vowels sounds?
Is there any strong alliteration–consonant sounds?
Any problem with scansion or rhythm in poem?
Anything special about texture of sound in poem?
SENSE DEVICES:
What is voice or persona or point of view in poem?
Is diction consistent? Any odd word choices?
Is syntax appropriate? Sentence structuring?
What is totality of tone in poem?
CLOSURE OF POEM:
Do last few lines seem right for ending of poem?
Does the closure seem artificial or overwritten?
Could poet get of poem in any better way?
Should poem be left suspended, with no closure?
PLACEMENT ON PAGE:
Do the line breaks seem right? Enjambments?
Does poem have left-hand capitals? Why? Or why not?
Can any punctuation in poem be stripped away?
Could line placements be arranged in a better way?
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS:
Can this poem be tightened in any way?
Is there any rhetoric, generality, abstract words?
Could any parts of poem be developed more?
More proper names, place names, concrete particulars?
The chief virtue of this checklist is that it tries to cover the entire range of technical considerations that go into the making of a poem.
But as we said at the outset, this checklist is simply meant as a practical guide to arrive at an objective description of what is already there on the page. To be sure, the answers to the various questions on the checklist will require considerable judgement and deliberate choices on the part of the poet or reader or whoever is trying to apply the checklist to any particular poem.
But that's all part of the training one has to go through to be able to see what kind of a poem one is trying to describe.
And as we said, the best criticism is always description."
in 1994.
He goes on to say this:
"What follows is a checklist of technical points that pertains to any poem, giving specific points one can question, step by step, in the attempt to criticize by description. The checklist is more practical than theoretical.
OPENING OF POEM:
Is the poem titled or untitled? Does it seem apt?
Does the poem have a strong enough opening?
Do the first few lines establish appropriate tone?
Would any later part of the poem make a better opening?
SIGHT DEVICES:
Are there enough specific image details in the poem?
Are the metaphors and similes apt?
Do any figures or conceits need further development
Are any sections of poem weak in visual images?
SOUND DEVICES:
Is there any strong assonance–vowels sounds?
Is there any strong alliteration–consonant sounds?
Any problem with scansion or rhythm in poem?
Anything special about texture of sound in poem?
SENSE DEVICES:
What is voice or persona or point of view in poem?
Is diction consistent? Any odd word choices?
Is syntax appropriate? Sentence structuring?
What is totality of tone in poem?
CLOSURE OF POEM:
Do last few lines seem right for ending of poem?
Does the closure seem artificial or overwritten?
Could poet get of poem in any better way?
Should poem be left suspended, with no closure?
PLACEMENT ON PAGE:
Do the line breaks seem right? Enjambments?
Does poem have left-hand capitals? Why? Or why not?
Can any punctuation in poem be stripped away?
Could line placements be arranged in a better way?
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS:
Can this poem be tightened in any way?
Is there any rhetoric, generality, abstract words?
Could any parts of poem be developed more?
More proper names, place names, concrete particulars?
The chief virtue of this checklist is that it tries to cover the entire range of technical considerations that go into the making of a poem.
But as we said at the outset, this checklist is simply meant as a practical guide to arrive at an objective description of what is already there on the page. To be sure, the answers to the various questions on the checklist will require considerable judgement and deliberate choices on the part of the poet or reader or whoever is trying to apply the checklist to any particular poem.
But that's all part of the training one has to go through to be able to see what kind of a poem one is trying to describe.
And as we said, the best criticism is always description."
