Hello, Jo Paynter,

Here is a review for your "Wild Cat" .This was such a good coincidence that your poem showed up at the side of the page, right after I had written about big cats in my blog.

Comments and Observations:

Lovely! You have truly honored the lynx's grace and solitude. You captured the physical image and the spirit of the animal beautifully. This poem is, in fact, a lyrical portrait.

Your poem has an even tone, respecting and celebrating the animal as if a mythic being. Your pacing and the structure of the poem support the tone. Your short stanzas, compact lines, and the repetition “She’s a wild cat!” are perfect. Especially that repetition adds rhythm and awe to your lines.

The imagery is also strong because it is descriptive and precise. Phrases like “buff gray coat,” “ebony ear tufts,” and “stubby black-tipped tail” bring the animal to life visually. Then you also capture the grace and mystery of the Lynx with “prowls the nighttime woods // In perfect shadowy silence”

The stanzas are uneven as to line-count but tight, and this is a plus because they show or rather mirror the animal's stealth and movements. I wouldn't change anything here.

Then, I especially liked the fact that you didn't stop at description but, in a way, you offered your readers a character study, as in, "She may be an introvert, but // Within the forest… // She conveys // A confidence…”

I liked your poem as it is, and I can't come up with any suggestions whatsoever. This may also be because I love all cats, wild or domesticated.

Suggestions on the text as to grammar, usage, and punctuation

I saw no problems in this area.

Best wishes with your work.



My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" .