Ten-Finger Exercises

And you thought her first response was strange...

Got another email from the Poetry Editor about the poems I submitted. She had said they give preference to pieces about writing, so I sent her my Meter Family poem. I tried to follow her advice as I revised it, and added another without rhyme since she had said that rhymes always sounded so contrived.

The Meter Family  (E) Learning names: trochee, iamb, anapest, dactyl #1133485 by Wren

Here's her response. It's clear she's rejecting them, but trying hard not to be discouraging.

         I do think these might be an improvement in terms of "story," but I still don't think
         they quite meet ByLine's needs at this time. Rhyme is always difficult
         to do because the form tends to pull so hard against the "message," sometimes causing
         "forced rhymes" or awkward language. Because you are already limiting yourself by trying to play
         with metered feet, adding the rhyme is making your task even more constraining and difficult.

         Even in the second poem, I feel your form is dictating what you're
         saying, which may not be a bad thing -- given what you're trying to
         do. It's just not something that fit our needs right now. You could
         consider submitting these elsewhere or begin to do a whole series on
         "the meter family" for the fun and practice of it.

         These still feel a little rough to me. Byline publishes monthly issues, so it isn't like you're trying
         to meet a fixed deadline. Make sure your poems say what you want to say and say it the best
         way you can. No writer should change her work simply to please an editor and your
         poems certainly have enough merit that you could send them to other publications.

         If, you choose to send your poems off elsewhere "as is," that might
         actually be a good thing. Another editor may be delighted with them
         and accept them for immediate publication. Or give you feedback
         different from mine. Sometimes, editorial decisions are made based on
         the current needs and the preferences of individual editors and really
         don't speak to the writer's needs or have anything to do with the quality of the poem.

         Your work has a delightful playfulness to it and is really quite fun.
         Don't ever accept one editor's opinion as the final, definitive
         answer. Keep on writing. Keep on submitting.

The Good News Is: Bill's Doctor Said "Terrific!"