If you are reading this,
I assume you have some sort of respect for poetry.
Therefore, I believe this very poem
To be worthy of your reproval.
So, may I ask you, what defines a good poem?
Certainly not a rhetorical question,
But possibly the use of complete sentences,
Or the appropriate use of
Enjambment. Oh! My apologies,
Do you find this to be ironic?
Many argue that a good poem possess
Literary devices thoughtfully embedded throughout.
Yet, they should not be purely evaluated on pre-set structures of, for example, a sonnet or haiku.
I realize I cannot adequately receive
Your personal response to my original dilemma.
So, rather I myself will make my finest notion
Known to you. A good poem should be judged
By creativity, wit, and depth. It should be critiqued on
Connotations rather than bombastic denotations.
The heart from which the art is expressed,
And the purpose of bringing thoughts of value to life,
Regardless of quintessential framework or skill,
Are far more important than any insensitive tally of a critic
Or letter grade received from an educator.
Photo Credit: Maria Fabrizio for NPR