Dear Fellow Writer,

Millions of people write poetry and wish to be taken seriously as poets.  Some dream of fame and fortune, while others would be grateful for the smiles and praise of their friends and loved ones.

Sadly, many of these fine, admirable people pursue their beautiful poetic dream down hopeless, dangerous paths and become the victims of heartless, greedy robbers who lurk along the way.  Those robbers are shrewd and know exactly how to get the poets to hand over their money.  The weapons they use are praise and publication--the very things that the poets have been wishing and praying for!  But, as the poets usually learn too late--after they have been parted from their money--the praise is false and the publication is of questionable value.

As a general rule, don't deal with any publisher or poetry contest company that praises your poetry unreservedly and wants you to pay to have your poems published.  Although they are not illegal, such companies are fundamentally dishonest because they lie to poets about the quality of their poetry.  (To read more about such unethical businesses, click on my "Sites and Sound-offs" link, then click on the "Would-be poets and scam artists" link in the paragraph under "Beware of SCAMS!")

Many non-professional poets do not know how to objectively determine the quality of their poetry.  They are "too close" to their poems and love them too well to even consider that they might be faulty and amateurish.  So when a "poetry contest" company sends them a letter saying such things as, "Your poem is beautiful, we have awarded it a prize, it should be published, and we will publish it in a book and sell you the book for a certain price (typically about fifty dollars)," the poet is likely to believe the false praise and purchase the book.  He or she might never realize that every poet who entered the "contest" received the same "praise," the same "award," and the same "publication" offer.

You might think that's not a bad deal for the poet.  At least he or she will have a book with one of his or her poems in it--plus many hundreds of other poems by other people who also paid their fifty dollars to have a poem printed.  And if those poets have been deceived about the quality of their poetry, you might say, isn't it obvious that they wanted to be deceived?

That is probably true, but that doesn't make it right.  A business based on lies is, by definition, fraudulent and deserves to be shut down.  At the very least, it deserves not to succeed.  And an amateur poet deserves an honest appraisal of his or her poetry.

I will provide you with an honest appraisal of your poetry (see options #1 and #2, below).  However, before I describe my poetry criticism service, let me state this clearly and unequivocally: I do not want to write a detailed critique (option #2) for someone who is poorly prepared to receive it and benefit from it.  Before you submit your work to me for detailed criticism, ask yourself if you have made a sincere and determined effort to learn how to write poetry.  If your answer is "no," then I do not want your business until after you make such an effort.

And how do you go about that?  How does one try to learn how to become a good poet?

I'm tempted to answer that question with Louis Armstrong's famous reply to the question, "What is jazz?"  Satchmo told the questioner, "If you gotta ask, you'll never know!"

A person who "has what it takes" to become a highly skilled poet usually doesn't have to ask "What is poetry?" or "How do I become a poet?"  Why?  Because such a person loves good poetry so much that he or she seeks out the best poetry to read.  For the acquisition of poetry-writing skills, there is no substitute for the habitual, passionate, and intelligent reading of thousands of poems by hundreds of poets.  While you enjoy the works of highly acclaimed major and minor poets, you can observe and learn their techniques.  Reading biographies of the poets can also provide insights into how they prepared themselves to practice the art and craft of poetry.

Of course, a devoted lover of good poetry has usually had some positive influences, usually in childhood, that pointed him or her in the right direction.  Many people, through no fault of their own, did not have such benefits.

For those deprived of early exposure to good poetry, a thorough reading of Judson Jerome's The Poet and the Poem might be especially beneficial.  Although it is not an "elementary level" introduction to poetry, it communicates clearly and effectively.  I consider it "required reading" for every aspiring poet.  One of the pages on my site (see below) displays the complete Table of Contents, the Preface, and the first three chapters of this major contribution to the education of poets.

About my service...

I offer two basic formats of poetry criticism.  Here are your options:

(1) A "publishability" appraisal of a poetry book manuscript.  This is a good, inexpensive starting point for anyone considering "subsidy publication" of a book of poems.  If you choose this option, DO NOT E-MAIL THE MANUSCRIPT!  Send me an e-mail describing the manuscript (number of pages, whether single-spaced or double-spaced, rough estimate of average line-length).  I'll reply with a price quote and submission requirements.  This option includes error-spotting so you can correct the manuscript before committing it to print.  It also includes a general critique of your poetry.

(2) A detailed critique of one or more poems.  This is advisable for anyone who wants to learn how to revise existing poems and improve the quality of future poems.  The next four paragraphs and all of the text under the blue heading "Critique Fee and Manuscript Preparation"(below) apply to option #2.

When you submit your poetry for my comments, I'll read it several times to study its theme, form, symbolism, style, meter, rhymes, imagery, logic, and dramatic strategy.  Then I'll write you a letter about it, emphasizing problems: trite phrases, flaws in form and meter, excessive abstractions and generalities, and any other weaknesses I notice.

If I also find good things in your poetry, I will point them out; after all, it is as important for you to know what you are doing right as it is for you to know what you are doing wrong.

I am friendly, patient, and deeply involved in this work.  I want to help sincere poets make genuine progress.  My advice could prevent some poets from wasting a lot of money.

As a practicing poet for over thirty years, I know what it's like to struggle toward that elusive goal, the good poem.  If you want to bring your poetry to the attention of someone who understands and cares about poets and their work, let me be your critic.  You might end up thanking me; and I will thank you.

Cordially,

Hayes Walker

Please see "Critique Fee and Manuscript Preparation" below for information on my rates and instructions for submitting your poetry.

Click on Testimonials for poets' comments on my critiques.

Sites & Sound-offs is a miscellany of suggested viewing, reading, cautions, and opinions.

Click on Feeling Expansive? to view a brief informal essay on the"Expansive Poetry" movement.

Hayes Walker's Poems displays a generous selection of my poems.  If you'd like a larger selection of my poetry--plus my song lyrics--in book form, please order my 62-page softcover book, Selected Poetry and Song Lyrics, available from Mathom Bookshop, POB 161, Dresden Mills ME 04342-0161.  Cost is $7.50 plus shipping and handling.  (More about Mathom Bookshop at the "Sites and Sound-offs" link above.)  If you'd like to purchase an autographed copy, send me an e-mail for details.

The Art of Angst is a poem by my younger daughter, Arran.  She presented it to me about fourteen years ago when she was about sixteen.  When you read it, I think you'll have some idea of the astonishment and pride that I felt then and still feel now.  Arran is now preoccupied with furthering her career; but I believe there is a poetic spirit in her that will show itself again, however privately.

Arran says the poem "is about 'industrial mope rock' or 'angst rock'. These days it could almost be said to describe the rave scene, as well as some 'emo' music."

Three Song Lyrics features three of my song lyrics.

Click on Judson Jerome's Poetry to access the only extensive Internet site devoted to the work of this remarkable poet and teacher.

Click on The Poet and the Poem to read--and print, if you wish--the complete Table of Contents, the Preface, and the first three chapters of a great book by Judson Jerome.

ATTENTION, SONGWRITERS: I offer assistance with song lyrics, but there are special considerations.  Please inquire by e-mail only.

ATTENTION, PROSE WRITERS: If you are considering any type of vanity publication of a novel or other prose work, be aware that vanity publishers typically do not edit manuscripts.  What you type is what they print.  They'll assume that the author wants the book published "as is," and they might even praise it, ignoring typos and other errors.  The Web sites and other materials promoting these companies are usually quite forthright about these facts.  Please take their caveats and disclaimers seriously.  I will examine any manuscript for errors--for a fee, of course.  Please inquire by e-mail only.

ATTENTION, STUDENTS: I do NOT offer assistance with homework or research papers.  If you write poetry, I hope you will strongly consider bringing it to my attention.  I thank you for viewing my web site, and I invite you to print this page and place it in the hands of anyone you know who is interested in writing poetry.

Please note: This site cannot generate sufficient income to justify the expense of a credit card merchant account.  The effort required to write and mail a check is minimal.  You do it for less-important reasons than improving your poetry.

Do not send any handwritten material, only typed.  This applies to letters as well as poems.

Check your spelling and punctuation, not only in your poems but in your e-mail messages.  If you are in the habit of making the types of writing errors that are rampant in e-mail, then you probably should not be writing poetry.

After you finish reading my web site, if you wish to use my service, please send me an e-mail containing the following information: your name, the number of poems you want me to critique, the number of lines OR words in the poems (which you will need to determine for the purpose of fee calculation), and the amount of the fee that you will mail to me in the form of a check or money order.  Also, I'd appreciate some information about you--anything you'd like to tell me.  Information that would be helpful to me in evaluating your poetry includes your age, how long you have been writing poetry, how much poetry you have read (by major or minor poets), and whose poetry you have preferred.  You may include your poems in your e-mail, or you can mail them along with your payment to the "snail mail" address at the bottom of the page.  In either case, I will send the critique in a reply to your e-mail unless you have some special reason for wanting me to mail the critique back with your poems.  Of course, I will not send you the critique by any means until I have received your payment.

My fee is $1.50 per line of poetry, or twenty cents per word, whichever results in the better deal for you.  The per-word rate will be cheaper for poems averaging fewer than 7.5 words per line.  (I don't want to make fee computation difficult, but I want to be fair to poets who write in shorter lines than iambic pentameter.)  If you send a long-line poem and a short-line poem, you may use the line rate for one and the word rate for the other.  Do not use a combination of both rates for the same poem; choose one rate or the other.

There is no minimum number of lines to submit, therefore no minimum fee, but a very brief sample is not likely to reveal very much about the qualities or the defects of your writing.  Please send complete poems.

If you mail your poems, be sure to enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) for the return of the poems and my critique.  Send copies that you won't mind having marked up.  Send typed copies, double-spaced.  Do not send any handwritten material, only typed.  Multiple-page poems should have pages numbered and the title at the top of each page, OR the pages should be stapled in correct sequence.  It's a good idea to include your name and your address on the manuscript.  (If you have e-mail, it's obviously an easier option than going through all this.)

Due to the nature of criticism, some of my comments might not please you.  I am not in the business of praising poetry to please poets who only want praise.  It is my job to inform you of problems that prevent your poetry from being the best you can make it.  Do not expect me to refund a fee that I have earned by giving you my honest opinion and advice.  If any of my comments are disagreeable to you, write to me about them in detail.  I do not charge for follow-up discussions.

Send your e-mail message to:  hwalker@poetrycritic.com   In the subject line, please enter a pertinent subject such as "Request for poetry criticism" or "I want comments on my poem."  I delete e-mails with suspicious subjects such as "Hi" or "Read this" unless I recognize the address from which it was sent.