Topic ID: 17949
|
View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Fireweed
Speaker of the Forum
 Gender:  Age: 16 Joined: 13 Jun 2005 Posts: 647 Reviews: 324 Country: U.S... Alaska, to be precise 300 Points
|
Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:50 pm Post subject: Paperweight |
|
|
I am a Paper Girl,
(The flimsy, blue-lined notebook variety).
My skin is scrawled with sooty black ink,
And sooty black ink runs through my veins.
I have a Paper Heart,
Little pink construction paper heart
(Like a kindergartner's valentine),
The motion of a pen, my pulse.
I have a Paper World
That I like to escape to:
Similes and syntax in
Lopsided scrawl.
So be my Paperweight,
And anchor me down,
Or I'll blow away
On a wind of clichés. |
_________________ No blinding light
No tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight
Waiting for the hint of a spark...
Last edited by Fireweed on Sun Jul 22, 2007 8:12 pm; edited 4 times in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
Snoink
Snuggly Writer of Legend

 Gender:  Age: 20 Joined: 02 Apr 2005 Posts: 8649 Reviews: 2127 Country: USA 981 Points
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:32 am Post subject: Re: Paperweight |
|
|
Oooo... I liked this. It was simplistic, yet not simple, which is very good and I like your use of adjectives.
| Fireweed wrote: |
| Like a Kindergartner's valentine, |
I don't think you should capitalize "Kindergartner's" in this line, mostly because it draws too much attention to that word and there are so many other words to pay attention too.
| Quote: |
| And the motion of a pen is my heartthrob. |
Perhaps a different word than motion? It seems too mechanical that way, and I think you can make it better by choosing a more fluid word. Also, for "heartthrob," I would replace it with "pulse" because there are so many more connotations to associate with "pulse" that cannot be taken with the word "heartthrob."
| Quote: |
I have a Paper World
That I like to escape to,
Similes and syntax in
My lopsided scrawl. |
I love these lines.
| Quote: |
Or I'll blow right away on a wind of clichès,
Show me the way 'cause I'm a living clichè. |
First of all, it should be spelled as "clichés" or "cliché," with the "é." Just a little thing. Next, I don't like the last line. I think it would be much stronger without it.
Still, this is one of the best poems about writing and writers that I've seen for a while, and I applaud you for it!  |
_________________ "So, Obama calls McCain erratic. Well, I call Obama a squirrel." -- Rush Limbaugh
Video Critiques by Yours Truly.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
Suzanne
won NaNoWriMo! Writer of Legend

 Gender:  Age: 18 Joined: 21 Sep 2006 Posts: 7054 Reviews: 1751 Country: Riverbluff, MO 450 Points
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:36 am Post subject: |
|
|
I liked it! The only thing I have to nit pick on [I don't know if snoink said it?] is the spacing in between each lines and the last line. The last line and repetition of cliché didn't work for me.
And yes, your accent mark went the wrong way =/ |
_________________ Dr. Bishop: Am I required to keep him alive?
-Fringe
Read The Party Killers! |
|
| Back to top |
|
Fireweed
Speaker of the Forum
 Gender:  Age: 16 Joined: 13 Jun 2005 Posts: 647 Reviews: 324 Country: U.S... Alaska, to be precise 300 Points
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:44 am Post subject: |
|
|
Lol, whoops. Je n'aime pas... accents .
Thanks alot! |
_________________ No blinding light
No tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight
Waiting for the hint of a spark... |
|
| Back to top |
|
Kitty15
The Protector of the Prophecy Writer of Legend

 Gender:  Age: 18 Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 5272 Reviews: 1323 Country: England 590 Points
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 11:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
| I really liked this and I'm a down to Earth sort of girl so if you still need that paper weight I'm right here. I love the imagery of the paper heart and your simplistic style. Also, the ending made me smile so keep up the good work and sorry I couldn't be more helpful but I think the others caught the mistakes. |
_________________ Lest hope corrupt your foolish heart,
quick cast her out and let depart
the acrid whims of angel's wings
which clutch at twisted puppet strings. |
|
| Back to top |
|
Jasmine Hart
Laced With Darkness Speaker of the Forum

 Gender:  Age: 20 Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 794 Reviews: 318 Country: Ireland 300 Points
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:49 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I liked it. The theme was fresh and interesting. I'd get rid of the "my" before "lopsided scrawl". I'm really not sure about teh last three lines, they seem a little weak. If they were to stay, and change the second last line to "and anchor me down", for the sake of rhythm, and then I'd get rid of the word "right" and break that line into two:
"Or I'll blow away
On a wind of cliches"
(sorry, I can't do the accent).
Other than that, your descriptions and imagery were vivid and effective, adn I enjoyed your use of colour. You also had some good alliteration ("Pen is my pulse", "similes and syntax", and I felt that your tone suited the theme perfectly. |
_________________ "How poetic you are,' she said, "I have a notion that poetry is the highest form of self-deception." - Gregory Maguire |
|
| Back to top |
|
Fand
Minxfrau. Master of the Forum

 Gender:  Age: 20 Joined: 23 Jul 2006 Posts: 1350 Reviews: 368 Country: Cockaigne 300 Points
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 3:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I agree; this is really a well-done little poem. ^^ The one thing that really put me off, though, is the spacing; why is there an empty line between each? It's distracting and does the poem no favors. Otherwise, I like it, and the edits that I can see you've made, based on others' reviews, are wonderful. ^^ |
_________________ A poet's work is to name the unnameable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world, and stop it going to sleep. |
|
| Back to top |
|
xanthan gum
gummyface! Speaker of the Forum

 Gender:  Age: 17 Joined: 13 Sep 2005 Posts: 991 Reviews: 683 Country: Scenic New Jersey 300 Points
|
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 8:07 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
And my skin is scrawled with sooty black ink
And sooty black ink runs through my veins. |
Lots of "and"s to start off lines makes it seems sort of like a list in my opinion. Just say it, don't lead into it.
| Quote: |
I have a Paper Heart,
A little pink construction paper heart
Like a kindergartner's valentine,
And the motion of a pen, is my pulse. |
Just some suggestions of style.
I really like this simplistic piece. |
_________________ Carpe Diem. |
|
| Back to top |
|
Fireweed
Speaker of the Forum
 Gender:  Age: 16 Joined: 13 Jun 2005 Posts: 647 Reviews: 324 Country: U.S... Alaska, to be precise 300 Points
|
Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 7:24 am Post subject: |
|
|
'Tis edited.
Thanks, everyone! |
_________________ No blinding light
No tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight
Waiting for the hint of a spark... |
|
| Back to top |
|
Flemzo
Now With 50% More Flem!! Novelist

 Gender:  Age: 18 Joined: 31 Dec 2006 Posts: 438 Reviews: 136 Country: United States 300 Points
|
Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 7:32 am Post subject: |
|
|
It was well written, but not my cup of tea (whatever that means). I loved the irony at the end about the clichés.
I don't know if you meant for that to be ironic, seeing as most poetry is clichés and metaphors, but it certainly brought a smile to my face. |
_________________ "How strange life is. How fragile. You never know what stunning development lies around the next corner."
-- From The Corner Of His Eye, by Dean Koontz |
|
| Back to top |
|
Leja
Slightly more inclined to writing than previously Epic Novelist

 Gender:  Age: 18 Joined: 20 Mar 2007 Posts: 2707 Reviews: 788 Country: my locker 300 Points
|
Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 4:36 am Post subject: |
|
|
I think you should hold off with the commas at the end of every line; they're distracting and often unnecessary. I also think it would be lovely were you to begin a new stanza when you begin a new sentence in this instance. Though neither of these points are terribly important.
I thought it was lovely on whole; I especially liked the end of it, as it wasn't anticlimactic (because that happens too often). So now, I have nothing left but more nitpicks. Visually, it is a little strange. At the beginning the lines are longer, at the end, the lines are shorter. Did your thought process change halfway through? |
_________________ Got YWS? |
|
| Back to top |
|
Areida
The Warrior Princess Ari Epic Novelist

 Gender:  Age: 19 Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 4825 Reviews: 698 Country: no, not really. I don't have a hick accent or anything. 300 Points
|
Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 4:53 am Post subject: |
|
|
This was really neat!
I thought the simplicity worked well. You were succinct (which I can always appreciate) but used your adjectives very well.
The only thing I could really say that you might want to improve would be the punctuation. I struggle with this too, though, so take all these comments with a grain of salt. Reading through, though, I thought some parentheses might work well.
I am a Paper Girl
(The flimsy, blue-lined notebook variety).
My skin is scrawled with sooty black ink,
And sooty black ink runs through my veins.
I have a Paper Heart,
Little pink construction paper heart
(Like a kindergartner's valentine),
The motion of a pen, my pulse.
I have a Paper World
That I like to escape to:
Similes and syntax in
Lopsided scrawl.
So be my Paperweight,
And anchor me down,
Or I'll blow away
On a wind of clichés.
Overall, though, I really liked it! Thanks for the read!  |
_________________ Got YWS?
"Most of us have far more courage than we ever dreamed we possessed."
- Dale Carnegie |
|
| Back to top |
|
Fireweed
Speaker of the Forum
 Gender:  Age: 16 Joined: 13 Jun 2005 Posts: 647 Reviews: 324 Country: U.S... Alaska, to be precise 300 Points
|
Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 8:16 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks. It's weird, in any other genre of writing punctuation isn't usually a problem for me, but I have issues with punctuating poetry.
Ari, I think the parenthesis and spaces between the stanzas made all the difference visually. ^_^ |
_________________ No blinding light
No tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight
Waiting for the hint of a spark... |
|
| Back to top |
|
Areida
The Warrior Princess Ari Epic Novelist

 Gender:  Age: 19 Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Posts: 4825 Reviews: 698 Country: no, not really. I don't have a hick accent or anything. 300 Points
|
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 1:19 am Post subject: |
|
|
Woo, cool, you took my suggestion! But I have a fixation with parentheses, so I may not be the best judge for that one. I do think the stanza breaks make a big difference, though.
I like this poem.  |
_________________ Got YWS?
"Most of us have far more courage than we ever dreamed we possessed."
- Dale Carnegie |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
Fireweed
Speaker of the Forum
 Gender:  Age: 16 Joined: 13 Jun 2005 Posts: 647 Reviews: 324 Country: U.S... Alaska, to be precise 300 Points
|
Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 6:13 am Post subject: |
|
|
I've sent this in to a magazine... still waiting to hear back.
Thank you all again for the crits! ^_^ |
_________________ No blinding light
No tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight
Waiting for the hint of a spark... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|