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Normally, I don't name names, but lately, I've noticed a surprising amount of arrogance on the site. In one instance (Shaqua1973), the author does not particularly like my criticism (worded as tactfully as I can manage), and decides to degrade my ability as an author rather than take my words to heart. However, the question is raised. What is a poem? Is it a poem just because the author calls it such? Do loose, unconnected phrases that are thrown together actually constitute a poem, if no sense can be made of it? I don't think so, and I commented on Shaqua's "poem" for this. His reply can be found in my comment till, in which he effectively states that I have no skill as a writer. Oddly, his journal also comments upon writers who have no ability, an obvious allusion to his thoughts on me. It really is sad to think that a writer would be so insecure in his work, and so secure in his ability, when the true writer realizes that his work is always flawed, just in varying degrees. The true test of character is whether or not this person can field constructive, tactful criticism that might tell him the hard truth about his pieces. Sad to say, in this case, he couldn't.

In the second instance, I was blasted by another member (acommoncold) for my comment to another user. This instance is particularly odd, because my comment to the other user is blatantly positive, with the only negative issues being minor details, such as capitalization. In fact, I'm lambasted for being a "<BLEEP>-ing Elitist" who tries to impose my outdated stylistic preferences on other people, in this case, a reference to my preference for capitalization of the first letter of every line. Yet, in my comment, I clearly state that this is only my personal preference. In fact, I say that the lower-case idea in her poem is a strong idea, and should be followed more uniformly throughout. It is sad that someone, who doesn't even know who I am, would curse at me and insult me for my viewpoints on poetry, considering I have studied the craft for a number of years.

Overall, it's sad to see two writers too closed-minded to actually see what is going on. A shame, really. Is it worth closing your mind in order to make yourself look right on the Internet? Is confrontation necessary to bolster your self-esteem, and justify the idea that you're right even if someone else thinks you might be wrong?

A true shame.

-Chris