z

Young Writers Society


E - Everyone

camping

by momonster


camping

getting away

hanging out 

with nature

and spending time

with family

camping

is hiking

long

arduous

hiking

camping

in a tent

listening

to

katy did

katy didn't

sikasikasika

whoooooosh

all night long

camping is bliss

camping is pleasant

I love camping


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Tue May 25, 2021 2:16 pm
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Phillauthet wrote a review...



Before I read this poem, I never knew that a piece with no punctuation could be so amazing. I'm not saying it's bad, it's simply so special and unique. Even your style of writing one-word lines is really captivating. It's really simplistic, short and to the point, which I really admire. It has nothing but raw expression, I love that. (BTW, I too love camping, but I actually like the trekking and hiking part better than the actual camping part. Everybody have their own preferences).

Overall, this poem is amazing! Keep writing!




momonster says...


Thanks so much!



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Mon Apr 26, 2021 8:36 pm
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creaturefeature wrote a review...



ARE YOU GETTING TIRED OF ME YET? :O

positives

Ooh camping is fun! Nature is one of those things everyone writes about, and I mean that in the best way; there are so many types of animals, naturally occurring phenomena, plants and trees, etc. to write about, which can create a lot of cool things.

camping

getting away


I 100% believe that the best part of going camping is the ability to get away from bothers and stressful situations, and I think that's showcased here because it's the first thing mentioned in the list. I could honestly imagine a whole poem based on that alone because of all the possibilities and the feeling of overwhelming nostalgia.

I also believe that the italics could be their own poem, but it's not because they are too different from the rest; they're just really unique. The katydid part reminds me of this, too, which is such a great older-sounding song and I strongly recommend you listen to it:

Spoiler! :
phpBB [media]


suggestions

The simplicity of the beginning list is sort of mild. Instead of just saying what happens when you camp and listing the actions, using metaphors or other suggesting language could promote readers to assume on their own. "Getting away" could turn into something about tranquility and peacefulness, or something along the lines of that.

An example of listing is "camping / is hiking / long / arduous" because it states the facts rather than showing them through mental images. Remember though, listing in poetry is not necessarily a bad thing because it works to create a certain kind of atmosphere, but like everything in writing, there is a time and a place for all of that.

I could say the same about "camping is bliss / camping is pleasant," but that is more of a description thing than a listing issue. I believe everything about description has already been covered in the other reviews too, so I won't linger on that now.

Another down ~

Cheers! <3




momonster says...


I COULD NEVER GET TIRED OF YOUR REVIEWS THEY'RE THE BEST <3

Thanks for the review!!



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Mon Dec 07, 2020 10:43 pm
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starbean wrote a review...



Hi! Hannah here for a quick review. I loved this! This pretty much describes camping. It is a bliss, it is pleasant. I love how there is a bit of arguing to balance out the poem. I have one minor critique.

camping

in a tent

listening
I feel like that would be better if it was put into two lines rather than one.
Well, that's all for today. Merry Christmas, have a good day and keep writing!
Hannah




momonster says...


Thank you!



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Wed Sep 09, 2020 3:01 pm
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Hijinks wrote a review...



Hi there MomoandAppa! I'm here for the requested #RevMo review!

You've definitely captured the spirit and fun of camping quite well in such a short poem! I can 100% relate to the lines about "long // arduous // hiking" ~ whenever we go camping my mom makes us go on 5 km hikes through mosquito-y and poison ivy filled forests, which isn't the most enjoyable, but just part of the experience I guess.

So you talk about lots of things about camping that are very relatable, which is great! I do think it'd be awesome if you could add some more descriptions about those things, so that even if someone hasn't gone camping, they can still picture everything in their mind. For example, the "nature" you mention - what's it like? Tall, skinny pine trees growing amongst cheerful birdsongs? Low, sloping willows? Still meadow filled with the buzzing of sleepy bees? Each description can give your poem a different mood, depending on how you want the reader to feel!

(Similarly, why is the hiking arduous? Is it as hot as a desert? Does the humidity cling to your skin? Is the path steep and hilly?)

I think some of your line breaks are working really well, and some of them feel a little bit too disjointed. I really like your choice to often put the word "camping" on its own line ( -> in fact, I'd suggest doing that for the final line, "I love camping" so it'd become two lines: "I love // camping", because that would nicely emphasize that this poem is about, well, camping!), and in some other places as well it works well for stressing a certain idea. For example, I like how "arduous" is italicized and on its own line.

camping

in a tent

listening

to

^In this section though I think using longer, more flowy lines would work better. Something like:
camping in a tent,
listening to

That's because the mood changes from ugh, hiking too oooh, I love listening to katydids! ~ and changing the line length ever so slightly could help to show that.

(Speaking of katydids, that italicized part is definitely my favourite section - I can't say I've ever heard katydids, but I have heard plenty of cicadas, and I love the feeling of listening to them at night when you're all cozy in the tent - and you evoke that feeling very well!)

Another thing I want to look at just quickly is punctuation. I know that seems boring and like not a huge deal, but hear me out ;) (Also, disclaimer, punctuation in poetry is stylistic so if you disagree with my opinion that totally okay, there's no definite right or wrong!)
Punctuation, beyond just being "correct grammar", can help create flow and rhythm in a poem. If you have a period at the end of a line, there's a longer pause than if you have a comma, and if you have a comma or a dash then there's a longer pause than if you had nothing. (You can take that with a grain of salt - that's not always the case, just a simple way of looking at it!)

To try and show what I mean, I added punctuation (and played with line breaks a little) to your poem and put it in a spoiler below. Try reading the two versions aloud and see if you can feel the difference!
Spoiler! :
camping.

getting away,

hanging out with nature

and spending time

with family.

camping is hiking,

long

arduous

hiking.

camping in a tent,

listening to

katy did,

katy didn't,

sikasikasika whoooooosh


all night long.

camping is bliss,

camping is pleasant -

I love

camping.


You can also check out this really great YWS article about punctuation in poetry for a more in-depth look at punctuation!

Overall, I think you've done a wonderful job at talking about camping - this poem brings back a lot of memories for me :) My main suggestions would be
1) adding more specific descriptions so even someone who hasn't gone camping can picture it in their mind
and
2) playing around with punctuation and line breaks and see how that affects the flow!

I hope you find this useful and thanks again for requesting a review! Happy RevMo!

whatchamacallit


Image




starbean says...


I think that review was longer that the poem.



momonster says...


XD

How did I not see this?! Really sorry @whatchamacallit, thank you for the review!



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Tue Sep 08, 2020 1:44 am
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Riverlight wrote a review...



Hey there, @MomoandAppa! As promised, here's a review!

So, my first impression is that you obviously like to go camping and it's something akin to a treat for you.

This poem really lacks structure, and that can make it harder for some readers to-- well, read it. However, you do an excellent job of making me feel like I'm outside at night while camping, even though it's really not my thing.

By describing the bickering that may or may not have occurred on your most recent camping trip, you've emphasized some negatives of camping in addition to your positives, thus balancing out your poem.

Have a nice [*insert time of day here*]!!!




momonster says...


thanks for the review!



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Thu Sep 03, 2020 12:13 pm
Mageheart wrote a review...



Hi there, MomoandAppa! I saw this poem lurking in the poetry section of the site and love camping, too, so I just had to review it.

It's been awhile since my family camped in a tent, but everything else you described definitely rings a bell. I love your description of hiking, and I really love this part down below:

katy did

katy didn't

sikasikasika

whoooooosh


Reading the sounds made me feel like I was actually at a campsite, even though I'm currently typing this review from my bedroom. What made me love this section even more was what the katy did/didn't lines made me think of: listening to the katydids in my yard. I'm not sure if you meant that there was an argument going on - which was admittedly my first guess - but that's the kind of detail that really makes a reader feel like they're in the moment.

My biggest piece of advice for your poem is to play around with your formatting. The way some of the lines end can be a little jarring, like with these two lines down below:

hanging out

with nature


A better way to format them would be something like this:

hanging out with nature


It's something that I've struggled with in my own poetry, so I couldn't help but notice it. I usually try to avoid it by reading my poems out loud before I post them. If it feels weird cutting off in the middle of a phrase when I'm reading my poem out loud, I know I need to keep the phrase together.

This isn't something you have to do, but you can also try putting your lines into stanzas. Formatting is a little weird when using the publishing center, but you can make smaller spaces between the lines of the poem if you hit shift + enter when starting a new line. It's a great way to keep little mini-scenes together - like the section on hiking, or listening to the katydids. You can even have one line stanzas to put emphasis on that thought. For example, you could separate that last "I love camping" line so it feels more conclusive.

(I'd be happy to explain formatting a little more if you're interested/have questions about it!)

My last suggestion is another personal preference. The only word you capitalize in your poem is "I", and you also don't use punctuation besides the occasional apostrophe. When I'm doing all lowercase poems, I also make the "I" lowercase. Keeping it capitalized is a great way to draw attention to it, but making it lowercase matches the rest of the poem.

Overall, I really love your poem - and I can't wait to read more of your poetry in the future!

Let me know if you have any questions about my review. <3

Image




momonster says...


thanks for the review!



Mageheart says...


You're welcome! :)

(Cute avatar, by the way!)



momonster says...


thanks! you too!



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Wed Sep 02, 2020 10:20 pm
Ljungtroll wrote a review...



Hey, MomoandAppa! Raven's back for more!

As a tent camper, I can really, really appreciate this poem. I've always loved the sounds of the insects, frogs, and birds at night completely overwhelming the rest of the world. It's a great experience.

Going back to my review of your work "Wakanda FOREVER", I noticed you did more showing this time around, which I was so happy to see. Your onomatopoeias were very well chosen and I could associate each one with the sounds I'm used to hearing in the middle of the woods at night. However, I think you could push that showing even further with some figurative language. When you say camping is pleasant or hiking is arduous (which takes me back to several strenuous hikes of my own), how can you make it obvious to the reader that this is so? Try making a list of some of your experiences while camping--big things like seeing the mountains as you hike, or small things like a bead of sweat rolling down your back. If you can, try to use all five senses. Then pick and choose which experiences can expand on the adjectives you used in this poem.

I loved this camping poem, and it brought back some great memories of my time with my family. Thank you for that :D It's great to see you improving your writing; you've got excellent ideas. Happy writing and happy RevMo!

Regards,
RavenLord




momonster says...


thanks for the review! happy RevMo!



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Wed Sep 02, 2020 10:17 pm
Valkyria says...



Hello MomoandAppa,

Happy Review Month! Let's look at this lovely little poem.

I've gone camping a couple of times in the past. You've described it very well. There was no figurative language, but I could imagine the experience.

I love the italics on "arduous." Hiking is difficult, but those italics put an emphasis on it.

camping
in a tent
listening to
Katy did
Katy didn't


I was lucky to never hear bickering, but I sympathize with that. I admit, though, I did laugh a little.

I also really like the repetition of "camping." It works really well.

Great job!
Athena




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Wed Sep 02, 2020 10:16 pm
SpiderFingers wrote a review...



Hello there,

I think this is a great poem. It painted such a nice picture, capturing all the sights and sounds of camping in the woods. Also good word choice, I enjoyed the line “listening to katy did, katy didn’t” and your use of onomatopoeia (“whoooooosh”). The italics add extra emphasis on certain words, which I also enjoyed. This poem brings back so many good and fun memories of being in nature with family and I really enjoyed reading it. Nice work at crafting your poem.

~Spider~




momonster says...


thanks! happy RevMo!



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Wed Sep 02, 2020 10:15 pm
Valkyria wrote a review...



Hello MomoandAppa,

Happy Review Month! Let's look at this lovely little poem.

I've gone camping a couple of times in the past. You've described it very well. There was no figurative language, but I could imagine the experience.

I love the italics on "arduous." Hiking is difficult, but those italics put an emphasis on it.

camping
in a tent
listening to
Katy did
Katy didn't


I was lucky to never hear bickering, but I sympathize with that. I admit, though, I did laugh a little.

I also really like the repetition of "camping." It works really well.

Great job!
Athena




momonster says...


thanks for the review!




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