| Author | Message | ||
| Admin
Board Administrator Username: admin Post Number: 20001 Registered: 11-1998 |
Announcing our newest forum, Dream Interpretation. This forum is for interpretations of poems and not a critique forum. We will allow poets to post their poems here and in one of the critique forums as well. Note that poems and comments will be delayed up to 24 hours so that each person has the opportunity to interpret the piece without being influenced by other comments showing under that poem. The forum is open to reading by the public, but you must have a private membership here at Wild in order to post poems and interpretations in the new forum. If you have been able to access THERAPEUTIC TOUCH, then you have a private membership. If you do not have a private membership, but would like one, please write to us at adminwpf@wildpoetryforum.com. You must be 18 or older to receive a private membership. For further information, check out the forum and the sample interp in the first thread. As always, you can email us at moderators@wildpoetryforum.com with any questions you might have. thx much. Steve and M | ||
| Lazarus
Advanced Member Username: lazarus Post Number: 1274 Registered: 10-2005 |
I found it. I like it. I agree that not reading other's comments is a good idea. I'm not sure how I'm going to like not getting feedback from the author. Maybe it could be done via email? Or how about in a separate post, so as not to influence people coming in fresh to the poem. It could be named- (author's name) response to... I think we are onto something good, Wilders- A cutting edge idea. I'm glad I made such a fuss about it when it came up! (I can be very resistant to new ideas)  -Laz | ||
| LJ Cohen
Moderator Username: ljc Post Number: 7063 Registered: 07-2002 |
M--I posted under gary's poem and I see the post right away--is that b/c I posted it and if I wasn't logged in I might not see it? Or b/c I'm a mod? xo ljc Once in a Blue Muse Blog LJCohen | ||
| ~M~
Board Administrator Username: mjm Post Number: 25026 Registered: 11-1998 |
Thanks for welcoming the new forum, Laz. We hope you will find it of benefit to you. As to your points about feedback from the author, that's really beyond what the interpretation forum was intended to offer. Providing your interpretation is not like taking a test where there is one right answer (i.e., the author's intent for the poem) that you are trying to come close to in order to see if what he/she wrote is what you saw. The reader will see what he sees no matter the author's intent. When you comment in DREAM INTERPRETATION, you are giving the author a gift, i.e., the ability to see his/her own work through a reader's eyes. Whether or not that matches the author's intent (or even if the author wants it to) is something the author needs to address on his/her own. For example, let's say I write a poem about a horse. Readers who offer me interpretations see a dog, a cow, and a pig, but no horse. Now, it's up to me the author to decide in private whether I want to change my work so that the majority will see that horse. Or to decide that dogs, and cows, and pigs are cool and leave things as they are. I might even be pleased and grateful for these alternate visions that I myself didn't see or even know I wrote into the poem. No point in me telling them it was a horse and ruining it for them if they are happy with their dogs, and cows, and pigs. Not to mention that some authors prefer not to offer their own interpretations. They prefer that the piece be read by each reader in his/her own way based on individual experience, history, baggage, etc. All that said, there is nothing to stop you from contacting an author via e-mail and beginning a back and forth dialog about the poem's meaning if the author is open to discussing that. This forum is not like a game where everyone is competing to see if they got the answer right. It's a tool for professional authors (that's why we're restricting it to members 18 or older) to help them in their editing/revision process. We suspect this type of forum will appeal to pros for their multi-layered, complex, non-literal poems. Straightforward poems really don't require intense interpretation scrutiny. As I said, when you post an interpretation on someone's poem, you are giving that author a gift. When you post a poem in that forum, and readers give you interpretations, they are returning your gift in kind. We didn't want the forum to become a sort of pulpit from which an author would preach, "This is what it means!" That kind of defeats the purpose of reader interpretations. Hope that helps to explain things, but if you have further questions or comments, please do let us know. Love, M | ||
| ~M~
Board Administrator Username: mjm Post Number: 25027 Registered: 11-1998 |
Dearest Lisa -- it's because you are a mod, hon. We figure mods are going to model good behavior. *grin* We're letting the mod's comments through immediately in these beginning stages until everyone gets comfortable with this new forum and how it works. We may decide to delay mod comments once things get rolling. Love, M | ||
| LJ Cohen
Moderator Username: ljc Post Number: 7064 Registered: 07-2002 |
LOL--model good behavior? Me????  Thanks for 'splaining. xo ljc Once in a Blue Muse Blog LJCohen | ||
| ~M~
Board Administrator Username: mjm Post Number: 25028 Registered: 11-1998 |
P.S. Honestly, this new forum was my crazy idea (with further refinement provided by steve and the mods). I don't believe anything like this is available or has ever even been tried before. I really have no model to copy. The reward (or punishment) for experimentation is not knowing beforehand exactly how things will work. But growth is worth the risk. As people start participating and getting used to how it works (or doesn't -- let's face it, it may be a total bomb -- it wouldn't be the first time an idea of mine has bombed *LOL*), we'll then decide how to further refine this forum's operations. So, please do continue to give us ideas and feedback. You can write to us any time at moderators@wildpoetryforum.com. Love, M | ||
| Bren
Intermediate Member Username: bren Post Number: 686 Registered: 12-2001 |
I want to say that I LOVE your crazy idea and I think it will fly and I love what you said about there being no right or wrong answer because it's so true. I think this forum will confirm that by allowing the reader to be open without fear. I hope so anyway. You're also so right about the author being open as well. It won't work otherwise. I say Thank you, Thank you for opening it up!  | ||
| Vienna
Senior Member Username: vienna Post Number: 608 Registered: 11-1998 |
I agree, although I do not know exactly how I will use this forum right now, but I have some work that my tutors obviously didnt 'get' so I'm pretty sure this will be of help. And..it will be interesting to provide a less than scholarly impression of folks' poetry. A fab idea! V | ||
| GA Sunshine
Intermediate Member Username: ga_sunshine Post Number: 620 Registered: 06-2006 |
As is normal for me, I found the new forum and posted. Then, I found the "read this first" and lastly this. I was just wondering Saturday what had happened to this idea. I love it and I am looking forward from learning by reading other's posts. I agree that the author shouldn't defend or explain the poem, but would it be ok for them to say a thank you for commenting? In that way the people responding would know that their comments had been read. I'm heading down there to see what's new. *Hugs* GA | ||
| ~M~
Board Administrator Username: mjm Post Number: 25062 Registered: 11-1998 |
A couple of people have asked about the ability of the author to comment in order to say a "thank you" to those who have offered interpretations in this forum. We'd rather have no author response for the reasons we listed above, even to say thank you. To expand further, while it is a natural human inclination to wish to express gratitude for a kindness, it is also a natural human inclination to want to explain oneself. Therefore, we're afraid simple thank you's could progress quite naturally and quickly into an author giving his/her interpretation (explanation) of the work. This could make those whose interpretations run far afield or counter to the author's interpretation feel silly or embarrassed that they didn't get it "right" even though we've all agreed there is no right or wrong when it comes to interpretations. Feeling that they'd been incorrect in their interpretations would make those individuals potentially less likely to want to offer interpretations in the future. This would slowly degrade the activity in the forum. Think of the DREAM INTERPRETATION forum as a "pay it forward" system. The best way to say thank you to people who've been generous to you, rather than to offer sometimes hollow words, is to offer them feedback on their poem(s), either those you find in DREAM INTERP or any other forum at Wild. In most charitable situations, the recipient of the donation is often unable to thank the donor directly. I'm sure what the donor hopes (at least I know I do) is that the recipient will pay the kindness forward when he/she is able. The "pay it forward" system also has the benefit of increasing rather than decreasing activity in the forum. DREAM INTERPRETATION is going where no poetry forum we know of has gone before. It will take awhile to get used to the differences. Love, M | ||
| Gary Blankenship
Senior Member Username: garydawg Post Number: 987538 Registered: 07-2001 |
The Dawg bows to the wisdom of The M. Smiles. Me | ||
| Vienna
Senior Member Username: vienna Post Number: 613 Registered: 11-1998 |
So,.... about that dream I had where all my teeth fell out and I was running down the street naked and an unseen monster was chasing me? Do I post that there ?  If wishes were horses..... | ||
| Bren
Intermediate Member Username: bren Post Number: 697 Registered: 12-2001 |
yes please!  | ||
| KA
Valued Member Username: kerryann Post Number: 264 Registered: 10-2002 |
I just posted my first interpretation, of Bren's poem, and I must say that it was really fun. It really makes you think hard! Thanks for this fun new forum, M. I'm sure I'll get many a crick in the neck perusing the poems and posting my silly ideas. | ||
| ~M~
Board Administrator Username: mjm Post Number: 25065 Registered: 11-1998 |
Sometimes I get it right, Mr. B. More often, I don't.  I hate to tell you this, my sister, but that wasn't a dream. You're just a peeping tom, Bren.  Glad you're enjoying it, KA. Thanks for participating! Love, M | ||
| Frances
New member Username: ffyredrop Post Number: 38 Registered: 12-2003 |
Without reponses to responses- wondering WHAT to worry about. In any case, I feel Dream Interpretation is Well Worth a little bother in becoming comfortable with the difference (rearranged,inverted, restiction-openess) . I hadn't anticipated what it would feel like to not respond to those who responed to me-haha- to mine, to my poem. Of course we can email- and I suppose in this- General Discussion- comments to comments are permissable? Because of the nature of my poem's content I found THIS interesting: After reading comments I wanted to reply that- my poem was really more symbolic less actual.I began to see it was actual, and then full circle again. I see this new forum could become very interesting indeed. I look forward to more, expect Other Sorts ,of experiences with this new place. It has a very great potential, wonderful idea, and I thank you for thinking of , and trying it f. or c.  (Message edited by ffyredrop on April 15, 2007) (Message edited by ffyredrop on April 15, 2007) (Message edited by ffyredrop on April 16, 2007) | ||
| KA
Valued Member Username: kerryann Post Number: 292 Registered: 10-2002 |
I'm finding it hard not being able to say thank you to those who read and respond to Dream Interpretation poems. | ||
| Zephyr
Advanced Member Username: zephyr Post Number: 1975 Registered: 07-2003 |
M this makes for an extra and very useful facility, fun too. Just wondered why the new poems come in at the bottom rather than at the top like all the other forums? | ||
| ~M~
Board Administrator Username: mjm Post Number: 25088 Registered: 11-1998 |
We're running this forum upside-down, Zephyr, because we wanted people to pay particular attention to the initial thread that outlines the forum guidelines. In addition, we wanted to make sure that people read the older threads first before jumping into the new ones to get a clear picture of what is expected of comments and commenters by reading some examples since this forum is quite different than anything we've tried before. We figured people would just naturally click on the first few threads since this is what they're accustomed to doing and they'd learn by accident if not design. Also, let's face it -- we just wanted to make sure you're all awake and paying attention. Nothing like shuffling things up to make certain of that! *smile* Love, M | ||
| steve williams
Board Administrator Username: twobyfour Post Number: 1095 Registered: 01-2003 |
Hey KA say thank you by posting your thoughts on someone else's poem. if you want, you can thank them in the post under their poem. See gary's post under my poem here: http://wildpoetryforum.com/~wildpoet/discus/messages/47110/47115.html?1176441732 | ||
| KA
Valued Member Username: kerryann Post Number: 294 Registered: 10-2002 |
Good idea steve. Thanks for the heads up. |
