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Poetry Judging Critique Checklist

I found an old (1988) poetry judging critique checklist used to evaluate some poems I sent to the SD State Fair. Let me know, if you think this is still a good checklist for poetry in this century. Be specific about what you think should be included or eliminated or clarified. Thanks.

Judge’s critique sheet

Poetry checklist:

Significance and originality – 25 points

 _____ Is an honest attempt to express a thought, belief or felling effectively.

_____Is a patterned unit of experience

_____Shows evidence of knowledge of subject.

Concreteness, Exactness, Intensity – 25 points

_____Concreteness controlled by good use of imagery, detail, and comparison.

_____Exactness controlled by truthful interpretation (Free of over exaggeration, etc.)

_____Achieves intensity through careful selection of details and compactness.

Use of Symbols – 15 points

_____Symbols show some indication of literal meaning of poem

_____Symbols are easily understood

Sound and rhythm – 15 points

_____Doesn’t let rhyme determine content

_____Follows an organized stanza rhyme pattern

_____Shows a fairly steady recurring rhythm.

Form – 15 points

_____Is a correct interpretation of category entered

_____Shows good use of mechanics

Miscellaneous – 5 points

_____No Errors

Total Points _______

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