So, I’ve been wondering this for a while because I follow a lot of poetry blogs. I enjoy what I write, but I’ll admit that I’m easily entertained. The thing is that I have trouble commenting on them. I read, hit ‘like’, stare at the poem, and feel like an idiot because I can’t think of anything.
At the beginning, it was a bunch of variations on ‘good poem, nice job’. Yet, I follow a few blogs that post several a day or stick to one topic. How many times can you write ‘good poem, nice job’ before the person thinks you’re not really reading it? If I get a good comment in my head then I’ll post it, but it’s becoming harder to do since I can’t sit there pondering it for 10 minutes like I used to. It’s an entirely different mindset than commenting on prose, photos, or opinion pieces.
So, I’m curious what people who write and read poetry more than me (I?) do with this type of thing. Am I over-thinking this?
Legends of Windemere 
Once. Any time I get a “canned” response to poetry, I feel like the piece wasn’t read at all.
I’ve do a fair bit of poetry work shopping, which means I’ve had to come up with A LOT of feedback. My best suggestion- spend a few minutes chasing your feelings. Poems are so super condensed, it takes a minute to sort out what they did to you. Too many feels all at once. Untangle them a little, distill your feelings into a few words, and if you can pinpoint What made you feel or Why, share that.
LikeLike
To be honest, this is making me feel like I shouldn’t even try. No offense. The challenge is that I read maybe 20-30 poems a day from all the poetry blogs I follow. If I read 5 love poems (popular subject for many poets I follow) in a row then I get the same reaction. It’s also an issue if I have my own projects to work on.
It was easier back when I started blogging and had less to do with my books. I could spend an hour on the few poetry blogs I followed and not fall behind. So, what does one do when they can no longer put the time in to analyzing the emotional reaction for every poem they read? Is a ‘like’ good enough or will the poet think it was a knee-jerk reaction? I’m really confused and concerned that I come off as not caring about the poems I read, but I do enjoy them. Yet, I don’t always know what to say.
LikeLike
Personally, I use “like” for something I enjoyed but had nothing to say worth putting in a comment. “Good work” and a like say the same thing, to me.
If you’re reading so much poetry, offer some insight about what you found unique about the piece. Did a metaphor really grab you, turn of phrase steal your breath? Say so. If not, is there some other thing you could say about how the author has improved in your opinion?
If you have no comment, don’t comment, in my opinion. I personally see nothing wrong with “liking” and moving on. But I’m a meaningful discussion kinda girl, some people enjoy collecting “good work” for emotional rainy days.
LikeLike
That’s what I see ‘like’ as and I’m realizing that I use it more and more than comments.
To be honest, I don’t always find something unique or a level of improvement. Many times it’s just a finely crafted poem to me. As I stated, I’m easily impressed by people who can utilize multiple styles, but I can only say ‘that looks challenging, good job’ so many times.
No comment might be the best tactic unless I think of something very insightful or meaningful. Not always the case, especially when I don’t have the time to really ponder a poem.
LikeLike
Well, as someone who writes poetry let me respond.
1. I feel the same way and rarely comment on the poetry blogs I follow.
2. Poetry is very personal. Kinda of like paintings. Six people may all like it, but for different reasons. It may move you to action. It may tell a story. It may be the pouring out of a soul.
3. Comments always make me feel like someone actually read it instead of just hitting the like button. But comments aren’t always necessary either.
4. I appreciate the likes I get and just hope people actually read it and really liked it.
5. For me, the one thing that I love more than anything is when people share my poems through a reblog
So, I’m pretty sure that didn’t really answer your question, but gave me a chance to verbalize a few things. I don’t always comment on prose blogs either, by the way. I never just hit like and know that I may be unique, but I only hit like if I really like something.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Actually, 3 and 4 did a good job of answering my concerns. I hit ‘like’ to acknowledge that I read it and enjoyed it, but don’t know what to say. That’s what I’ve been doing with a lot of poetry for a while because I found myself doing simple comments. It’s gotten much harder as things get busier around here. So I always worry that me not commenting on a poetry blog for a while is insulting.
As for the reblogging, I’ve been wondering about the effectiveness of those. I never seem to see any reaction from them when someone does it to me and now WP adds all attached pics to one’s media folder. Do you see any reactions from reblogs?
LikeLike
I don’t notice so much of any increased traffic. But a reblog shows me the level of commitment the blogger had with my poem.
LikeLike
Makes sense. I always want to reblog to help, which is why I’ve been talking to people about the usefulness. A few times I’ll save a post to reblog the next day because that might bring more attention to it. Once my son is back in school, I’ll probably be able to do this more. I bookmarked a few things on my phone and I have no idea where they went.
LikeLike
I just think a reblog indicates to me how much you liked something. Reblogging a poem isn’t the same as Reblogging someone’s book promo stuff. But an actual blog or an actual piece of prose or poetry. Then it becomes personal.
Good luck finding stuff. School will be in session soon
LikeLike
Got it. I guess I look at reblogging as a marketing thing more than anything else after a year of using it as such.
Sounds like I’ll be given the weekend to relax . . . or do laundry. Honestly, I just want to get back to writing and I merely want to have enough energy to do so.
LikeLike
I think I noticed a flaw in this post. I’ve just been told that I’m one-on-one with the toddler again. Forces me to work with my phone and I hate writing long responses on that smug, autocorrecting pain in the butt. I really should have waited for the weekend on this one.
LikeLike
Sometimes a like is enough.. there aren’t always words for the abstract stuff a poem can raise.
LikeLike
Good point. Not everyone is moved by the same poem too.
LikeLike
No… what speaks to one heart may have nothing to say to another… or it may, but take time to filter through the layers
LikeLike
Or say the opposite. I remembering writing a poem describing a dragon attack. I thought it painted a great picture. Others saw symbols. Eye of the beholder.
LikeLike
Always with poetry… it speaks straight past logic to something more instinctive
LikeLike
I never know what to say either, so I hit “like.” Or I might say, “This is beautiful” or “I needed this” if a poem hits me emotionally.
LikeLike
That’s what I do. I try to shake it up, but it tends to boil down to the same sentiment.
LikeLike
Really interesting topic Charles, I write for the fun of it, fair enough if someone ‘likes’ ‘comments’ it is appreciated, I enjoy your blog but like yourself – what to say causes me angst, so don’t think for a minute that it is just ‘liked’ and skipped over if no comment is past. Happy Easter to you and yours.
LikeLike
Thanks. You’re right about the likes. Maybe we should appreciate them more than we do. Comments are great because it allows for interactions, but they might just be a happy bonus to blogging.
LikeLike
I’m right there with you, Charles. I struggle to write poetry, but I never know what to say about someone else’s that doesn’t sound canned. I hit like to show I appreciate the work that went in to posting, and to let them know I’ve been visiting and reading.
LikeLike
I do notice that sad poems get a lot if attention in terms of comments. I wonder if it’s easier to comment on darker things because you can be uplifting.
LikeLike
Probably – it’s in our nature to try to help, or offer words of support. Plus, I think sad things are sometimes easier to grasp, and form a comment around.
LikeLike
True. Feels stranger complimenting people on being happy than trying to boost someone out of sadness.
LikeLike
It really does! 🙂
LikeLike
This is a valid concern of sorts.
As a reader, I love commenting on other people’s poetry and I try to give a meaningful comment, let them know how the poem made me feel,did it remind me of something etc. But, I do this all with my son, who prefers the pictures and shiz,instead of me composing a novel of praise in someone’s comment section 😛 This is why I often like a lot of stuff and return to comment on them later when I have more free time. I have no idea how people feel about this.
Personaly, I do not consider ‘likes” to be that much of the craved success and attention to one’s writing, but I am understanding to others who do it when I am in a position where I often do it myself. I dont wanna force conversations, maybe someone liked my poem and thats it.
All in all, the fake ‘likes’ are easy to spot, if someone likes a 900 words poem of mine 3 seconds after I posted it – it wasn’t read by that person. Canned responses are obvious too, I mean, I often write about the darkest matters yet people tell me how the poem was beautiful, because they have nothing else to say and they wanna say something out of courtesy. Some people often tell me they dont understand a thing from my poem and I respect that for example.
Regarding myself, I often also find myself reading something that I just like for a different reason than some other poem and I tend to tell the person what was the central motive of me liking it.
I do not go beyond that anymore, because a few times, my comments were removed, even though I was praising the writer. This makes me really feel like some people prefer a fake ‘like” from their traffic and not to establish a poet to poet relationship with me.
LikeLike
I admit that I sometimes hit like halfway through a poem or when I start because I like the picture. Then I get to the end and realize I have no comment to add like I hoped. Usually because I get bombarded by the chaos of this house. Some days a long poem takes 10 minutes to get through.
That’s one of the big things. I’ll read a poem, get pulled away before I finish, and . . . then what? It builds up too. I leave them for the end of the day and my mind is shot from the chaos. I’m starting to wonder if my life is reaching a point where even blogging is becoming a challenge.
LikeLike
I “like” something to show that I read it. Quite often I have nothing to say after reading a poem. I think people by now know if I do comment on a poem, it is because it either hit me really hard(which is the intention) or it blew me away with the feeling within it. I don’t comment just to comment anymore.
LikeLike
That’s what I’ve been thinking. Really need to get moved.
LikeLike
I honestly don’t mind when I just get “Liked”, yes I do enjoy the comments, but I don’t expect to get a comment from someone every time they read one of my poems. The reader must connect in some way to the poem in order for them to comment and lets face it, not every poem will connect with a reader. I don’t think you are offending anyone when you don’t comment, nor do I personally read anything into just a “Like”. I just appreciate that people take any time at all to visit my blog and read anything that I write.
LikeLike
I keep forgetting about connecting being in the equation. As a prose author, I think of feedback in any way. Seems to be different and harder for poetry.
LikeLike
I think that it is harder for poetry as poetry is a much more personal and subjective art when it comes to a readers interpretation. I find that I write something with one particular thought in mind yet the reader sees something completely different than what I intended. That is where the connection comes from and honestly that is what I love about poetry it become can become personal to the reader in unanticipated ways probably more so than with prose.
LikeLike
That’s why I find it odd when people argue over their interpretations. Both readers can be right.
LikeLike
Honestly, when I post a poem and people respond in comments that it moved them in some way…I don’t quite know what to say. Thanks is all I can come up with. That’s not always appropriate I am fine with “likes”.
LikeLike
Same here. Thanks with a 🙂
LikeLike
One way to look at this is: suppose you went to a poetry reading at a local cafe. Some people may softly applaud after a poem. When it’s all over, some people may go up and talk with the poet. Some people may leave the cafe and something about the poem hits them the next day (this often happens to me – “oh this experience reminds me of that poem I heard the other day!”). That’s what I see happening on WordPress too…people read a poem; maybe they liked it; maybe there’s something the reader wants to tell the poet; maybe it takes a few days for something sinks in.
I’m kinda smiling here…I feel pretty good if 6 or 7 readers put a like onto a poem I’ve written. I don’t feel one way or another about leaving or receiving comments.
Ellespeth
LikeLike
So, do you think a sincere like is better than a canned comment?
LikeLike
Well…I don’t consider ‘good poem’, etc to be canned comments and I don’t know what a sincere like might be. Visits to my blog and people taking time to read and like my work are much appreciated. I don’t think someone would say ‘good poem’ if they meant to say ‘horrible writing don’t ever put up another poem’ 😛
Ellespeth
LikeLike
Very occasionally, I’ll hit like as a form of solidarity… If the post is a Reblog I would hit like and then comment on the Reblog. Mostly, though, I’ll hit like because I enjoyed the post but have nothing to say. Usually, before long, something will jump out at me and I’ll comment about that, or I may leave the occasional comment to the effect of, ‘I’m reading all of these.’
Cheers
MTM
LikeLike
I still haven’t gotten used to being able to ‘like’ reblogs. WordPress changed the whole system at some point.
LikeLike
If I can’t think what to say right away, sometimes I just keep the message and come back to it in a few hours or the next day. Then if I still can’t think of a specific comment, the “like button” has to do.
LikeLike
Sometimes thinking is best too. Spontaneous thoughts much lead to deeper things if left to gestate.
LikeLike