Judging Poetry

I love poetry.  No surprise there, eh?  But how, really, do you judge poetry if you love it?  Does one judge what they love?   Well, of course, as with anything, to judge poetry you need a system that is built of criteria.  What are your criteria?  

My criteria for publication in this magazine are:  

• No errors 
• Vivid imagery that communicates feelings or emotions 
• Poetry that fits comfortably within its own form, or transcends its form  

I am not a judge for the Eye On Life poetry contest.  For that I choose a panel of poets, journalists and academics who volunteer to read and score the poems.  I am extremely grateful for them for helping out Eye On Life with this difficult work.  They are applying their own criteria fairly and impartially to what they love: poetry.  Amazing.  

Thank you, judges.