WELCOME TO NANCY'S POETRY REVIEW FORUM
Since beginning this forum years ago, I have had the pleasure of reading some wonderful work. I have been moved, inspired. I have laughed and I have cried. But mostly, by reading others' work, I have become a better writer. This community has been a source of encouragement and honesty for me.
We are all readers, therefore we are also reviewers. It's very important to read the work of other writers. Most famous poets knew or were mentored by other great poets. They read the poems of writers from centuries past. They learned and imitated the styles and metric forms popular then. Good poems are the best teachers. We become better writers by reading great poetry. And part of this community, this tribe on writing.com, want their work read. We call it reviewing. If you have taken the time to read a poem that moves you, inspires you, confuses you ~ then why not take some time to give the writer feedback? If you scroll up to the search bar, type in reviewing. You will find articles on what makes a good review, how to design a review style, and various review methods people use. I ask each of you to give reviews.
My forum design is pretty straightforward.You post your poem at the bottom of the page using the bitem method. If you have specific things you want help with, just ask. I am not always the fastest at doing reviews. Life happens; my computer goes haywire; errands must be run; family time must be celebrated. But hang in there. I will get to you.
My Reviewing Style::
Poet Mary Oliver said it quite well: "I like to say that I write poems for a stranger who will be born in some distant country hundreds of years from now. This is a useful notion, especially during revision. It reminds me that everything necessary must be on the page. I must make a complete poem".
 And so pondering that, I guess we all WANT to have a legacy which lives after us. Rober Frost, Dickinson, Yeats. We dream of someone finding our writings after our passing, and declaring what masterful poets we were.
 My reviewing style is easy going, pretty specific, yet kind. I'm not here to bash your piece. But when I read a poem I will notice the rhythm of the words and how easily they flow. Is there a smoothness? I will look at form, meter, and style. I look at the way a piece is formatted ~ how it reads from the page. Is there sound in the verse that draws a reader in a unique way? Are the lines composed melodically? If there is rhyme, is this forced, awkward; or does rhyme add naturally to the whole? I look for imagery in the poem. Imagery allows you to paint emotions, experiences, objects, and time so the reader is transported to that scene. A poem should sound effortless, as if it were a feather dropped by an angel from the sky. A reader wants to be left with a sense of astonishment, a feeling of awe and satisfaction, at having traveled with you through your poem. Images, texture, color and tone ~ a good poem is a fine painting; it is a finished melody on the piano. You hear each note and breathe the rhythm. You come away with a visual and emotional reaction. You want to read more.
 Cutting is such an important part of writing. Read your piece and cut "filler" words. These are words that fill up space. If you have used six words in a line ~ I bet two of those words are "fillers". They say nothing, mean nothing. Read your piece aloud. You'll begin to hear where the sound is hard, where it is soft. If you stumble over a word or a phrase ~ take it out. Re-write, revise. And after you have finished your first draft, I suggest you stick it in a drawer for two weeks. Remove it, read it aloud. Does it have stanzas which stumble, awkward imagery, phrases long and banal? You WILL know what's wrong, and you'll become excited to write a third, fourth, fifth draft. You're a poet!
 I will give you suggestions on lines that could read better, perhaps provide examples of different phrasing. I'm going to give one opinion (mine). And no matter my words, just keep scribbling away. Poets write. I suppose that is their "calling"; the gift God has given them to make melodies with words to describe this wonderful world, it's people, it's inner and outer emotion. The more you write, the better you become.
 GP'S are not expected. My reviews are free. If, after reading the review, you would like to send some Gift Points, there is a GP box next to the review on the Public Review Page. Send your GP'S through there. They are appreciated! All my reviews will be public reviews.{c}
I would appreciate if you would rate/review my forum. Thank you kindly.
 My Reviews Can Be Seen Here: http://www.writing.com/main/my_feedback.php?action=rrs&only_user_id=njames5...
Have fun!
 
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