Rate-a-Poem: Golden Oldie

Rate it below, or expand if no choice applies to you:

  • 5 Stars: A masterpiece

    Votes: 1 6.3%
  • 4 Stars: A strong poem, but some elements didn't appeal to me

    Votes: 4 25.0%
  • 3 Stars: A good poem, but it didn't move me to any great extent

    Votes: 8 50.0%
  • 2 Stars: A flawed or uninspiring piece of work

    Votes: 2 12.5%
  • 1 Star: Does absolutely nothing for me

    Votes: 1 6.3%

  • Total voters
    16

William Haskins

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By Rita Dove
1952-

Golden Oldie


I made it home early, only to get
stalled in the driveway-swaying
at the wheel like a blind pianist caught in a tune
meant for more than two hands playing.
The words were easy, crooned
by a young girl dying to feel alive, to discover
a pain majestic enough
to live by. I turned the air conditioning off,
leaned back to float on a film of sweat,
and listened to her sentiment:
Baby, where did our love go?-a lament
I greedily took in
without a clue who my lover
might be, or where to start looking.
 

Sarita

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I thought this poem was very well done. It just didn't give me that emotional umph. I gave it 4 stars.
 

mkcbunny

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I'm just catching up today, last poll first. The Owen is my favorite, and I stopped there. I rated this 3, but now that I've read it again and thought more about it, I'd downgrade to a 2. It's just not meaning much more upon multiple readings than it did the first time; it's meaning less. I prefer a poem that makes me reinterpret a bit with each reading, do a double-take, make me think I don't have it down. This one is not doing that for me.
 

A. Hamilton

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I gave it three stars..I see a trend here, maybe I'm hard to impress?
It was just a nice poem, a quick reminisce to a moment anyone may have experienced on occasion. I'll probably remember the essence of it sometime when some song strikes some sentiment.
 

trumancoyote

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I'm not sure what to vote. I'll admit that the poem did give me the customary shiver that a good poem does, but there's something about it --her diction? I don't know-- that dulls it a bit.
 

Perks

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William, I think there needs to be a step between 'A Masterpiece' and 'A Strong Poem' with the caveat of disappointing elements. I gave it four, because I thoroughly enjoyed the poem, but "masterpiece" I want to reserve for things that inspire a profound reaction. I'm not let down in any way to accept the gift of a simple smile from a poem that makes so much sense to me.
 

Unique

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Funny you should say that...I was looking for the 2.5 choice. It isn't flawed. I just don't like it. It's difficult (for me, personally) to call something 'good' when I don't like it. I did read her other pieces - and I liked them better - so I think it's just this piece. It doesn't moooove me.
 

Perks

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Ha! Or are these nitpicky distinctions between your catagories just showing us up for girls?

ETA: William, these rate and discuss threads are really a great idea and they actually have something to do with <gasp> writing. Not to knock the silly stuff, but this sort of thing gives satisfaction to an otherwise dopey, but profound, addiction. A little meat with my marshmallows, please.
 
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William Haskins

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everything's for girls...

so i gave it some thought and plan to, for the short term anyway, keep them as they are. it gives some range, as opposed to the binary "good/bad", without too much nuance which, eventually, would obscure more than it would reveal.

also, in all fairness to me and my damaged brain, the poll is prefaced with:

Rate it below, or expand if no choice applies to you

so, really, the opportunity is there for anyone to qualify their choice (or not) to their heart's desire. this, i feel, will help stimulate some discussion.
 

Perks

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William Haskins said:
also, in all fairness to me and my damaged brain, the poll is prefaced with:

Rate it below, or expand if no choice applies to you

so, really, the opportunity is there for anyone to qualify their choice (or not) to their heart's desire. this, i feel, will help stimulate some discussion.

Stimulate discussion? I can't effing type! Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to crank out a coherent sentence without so many typos as to render it unreadable? I just want to click a button and be done with it.

But okay, I see your point. Thanks bundles for not doing all the work for us.
 

Ralyks

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Yeah, I keep rating "flawed" for some of these...but that isn't really it, unless "I don't like it" is a flaw.