And I like we've all received those 'Promote it here: _____' comments. Instantly after posting. Every. Damn. Time.

Sometimes, I think simply saying 'I love this!' speaks volumes, provided it is a genuine reflection one's feelings towards a poem. That's if you're not fussed about receiving the most broad/basic of responses.

Comments perceived as "condescending" are permissible provided the author has asked for feedback. Assuming you're talking about the culture of the Cove, then I would say keep constructive, egotistical or condescending comments for the Feedback thread. I think we've all been guilty of micro-analysing poems on the Share Your Poetry thread which, in actuality, were not called for and may have been a little jarring for the author to read- especially if all they wanted to do was share a poem they were excited to share with others.

Right back at ya, Marc!

I like how this poem breaks the fourth wall by addressing the great elephant in the 21st Century room: modern-day problems and challenges the poetry community face on social media every day.

I know we're supposed to be on holiday but I can't resist a good ol' fashion drinking game, albeit it, virtually. Never have I ever: been on the verge of a mental breakdown because that one line just doesn't work!!!

I know we're supposed to be on holiday but I can't resist a good ol' fashion drinking game, albeit it, virtually. Never have I ever: been on the verge of a mental breakdown because that one line just doesn't work!!!

There are countless poems out there that feature brevity and are truly fantastic pieces of work; it's all in the way you story-tell and express yourself- after all, anyone can just Google search a synonym (such as myself, lol). I know Marc's work is a testament to anti-pretentious poetry and personally, it demonstrates a hell of a lot of skill and selectiveness.

Hey Rich! I ensure that I've put effort into each poem I write. This varies based on the type of poem it is but generally speaking, I don't want my poems to appear as if they only took me 10 seconds to write; some people might have that gift, but not me :P Also generally speaking, I like my poems to be multi-layered or at least contain some double-speak to illuminate more of the meaning of the poem. How about yourself?

Oo, great one! Very powerful and says so much in such few words. It gives me echoes of Descartes' 'I think therefore I am'.

Great responses, guys! Thank you for your input.

My tongue dances behind my lips for you I can feel you all around me Thickening the air I'm breathing Wow. Never read descriptions like these before.

Great title for this post, Rich :P I'd say half my poems are spoken in my voice, the other half are either the voices of characters I am exploring (sometimes real people from history I am intrigued by), or the poems are just situational and there is no real personalised 'speaker' with a significant presence in the poem. So I guess that voice might still be mine...? I think poetry is one of the best artistic avenues where you can be confessional, honest and celebratory, and that is why so many writers implant their own voices into their poems, thus, telling their life story. But it is equally just as liberating, fulfilling and enjoyable to assume another character and tell their story through your own words; I guess it's another way of living out a fantasy and allowing the mind to wonder limitlessly.

I absolutely love the idea of recycling the same mysterious speaker for your poems. Is she an alter-ego you can relate to? Or is it that her voice is just best suited for your poems?

Great question, Ken. It certainly gets the cogs in one's mind turning. I would love to know how to write eloquently without having to re-read the same line 50x over and endlessly second-guess myself. Now that would make a writer's life 50x easier.

😂😂

Hey Matthew, great question! I've been thinking about this for days. I guess the short answer would be almost any micro-poem written by Rupi Kaur because they're just too painfully cliche and vapid. But I've already discussed this in length before. More than once, lol. 'If-' has a beautiful rhythm to it, and the visuals are astounding when you read it the first few times, but I agree, the poem lacks a little depth and is completely digestible as it is. That doesn't mean it's a bad poem at all- in fact, I do like it very much for what it is. Though I see why's it's so popular, it also has what I'm going to call the 'Daddy Factor' (lol). I mean this in reference to Plath's 'Daddy'. It's a good poem; well written, with a unique use of metaphors, visuals and allegories, and has a consistent, smooth rhythm, but it loses a bit of its magic over time. Also, every time i read this poem, Plath's awkward delivery (which can be found on YT) clouds my reading and almost corrupts the poem for me. It's... kinda awful, to be honest. Also, I'm not one for radical political correctness (i.e. trying to hold writers from the last century accountable for unintentionally politically incorrect things they may have said) but I'm not sure if all the references Plath makes to her being like a Jew or references to Nazis would bode well these days. It's certainly a poem of its time but I no longer find it revolutionary or spectacular. I guess this is also the price we pay for putting certain poems on pedestals and leaving them their for decades on end, hence, making them overrated. So I guess my answer would be, without attempting to compromise Plath's undeniable talent, is this very poem of hers. I'm starting to dislike it and am finding it stale.

@Rich Maya blows my mind. I would have absolutely loved to have seen her perform live. I am yet to see another poet who can perform like that, though (there may be great ones out there, but I don't watch much spoken poetry so I don't have that exposure!)

I'm in a cafe right now and 'Somebody You Loved' is playing. The chorus always gets me: … Now the day bleeds Into nightfall And you're not here To get me through it all I let my guard down And then you pulled the rug I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved Lewis sings this song beautifully: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zABLecsR5UE