Suggestions

I completely agree with what has been said about the workshop checklist. I do see the usefulness in asking questions about a piece of writing, especially when it isn't yours. I also like how we get together and discuss our observations as a group, as this act of sharing ideas often sparks new ideas by students. However, some of the questions we are asked to answer in the checklist are not of much use to the author. I think that if the questions acted more as a guide, or a starting point, they may be more effective. From there, students could pick and choose which questions would be suitable, to the specific poem and poet, to be answered. A longer list of questions would be more interesting too. Some suggestions for questions that I have thought of include:

1. How emotionally attached to this poem are you? Does there need to be a deeper connection with the reader, or is it effective how it is?

2. How can the poet capture the reader's interest and attention more?

3. What kind of audience is the poem written for right now, and could the poet benefit from reworking the piece with other audiences in mind?

4. What specific techniques could be incorporated to enhance the poem?

5. Is the title appropriate? Does it give too much away? Or is it too vague?

These questions have come up in my mind as I was reading other classmate's poems. Does anyone else have any other suggestions for questions while workshopping??