ThoughtfulJerk-Your Mix Tape

Titles Read: Just Another Cliche, The Tower, Insomniac Psycho, Jolly People and Fine Weather

Quick disclaimer: Thank you very much for letting me read your work! I have tried my best to follow the judging rubric set out for the competition. However I am human, and human perception is subjective. Please take what you can from my review, but don't let it break your confidence, or make you question your abilities, or stop writing, or anything like that. And above all please don't get angry at me!

Title 4 /5

I enjoyed the title. It had a retro, nostalgic feel to it. Because I mean who makes mix tapes anymore? Who even makes mix CDs?

Description/Blurb 8/10

The blurb opened with a brief section of poetry, and then gave a quick, accurate description of the contents of the collection. It was just the right amount of length and detail. Good job.

Cover 4/5

I liked the cover, I thought it was simple but effective, the image was pertinent and had a good contrast of color and was of decent quality. The author's name was a little bit difficult to read when the book is small though, so you might want to choose a different font for that?

Spelling & Grammar 15 /15

To my notice, correct spelling and grammar was employed in all poems I read.

Literary Devices 4/5

Yes, literary devices were used well. There were a lot of great examples in the first poem, 'Just Another Cliche', my favorite probably being the line 'She was like a a starry summer sky unveiling her beauty with every passing second.'

Description 4 /5

Yes, good description, particularly in the poem 'The Tower'. It really conjured up the image of a worn, old tower, and yet from certain lines, and the picture accompanying the poem, it seems as though it is an electric pylon tower being described. Very fun! I think some of the other poems, 'Insomniac Psycho' and 'Jolly People Fine Weather' could have benefited from even more concrete images and description.

Rhythm 3/5

I think this might be the poet's weakest area. I thought the rhythm of the first poem read, 'Just Another Cliche', was excellent, it flowed well, the rhythm was easy to find. Of the other three poems, although the rhythm was very apparent, it often felt forced or stilted, and it seems as though words were often chosen simply to adhere to the rhyme scheme. Don't be afraid to branch away from that traditional format of rhyme-line-rhyme. You do it very well in 'Just Another Cliche'!

Word Choice: 7 /10

The author's word choice was very basic, without too many unusual words or phrases. However, I think this is in keeping with the overall feeling the author was trying to achieve, like a high school mixtape, so I did not count it against them. If anything, I found the basic word choice a positive thing, in keeping with the mix-tape theme.

Creativity/ Originality 16 /20

The author shows a lot of creativity and originality in their poems 'Just Another Cliche' and 'The Tower'. In the first, the author describes the cliche romance, meet eyes, fall in love, get married, and yet they manage to do it with such warmth and give the cliche subject such a personal touch, that the reader cannot but help feel the positive feelings conveyed. In 'The Tower', the poet describes an electric pylon like they might describe a medieval tower, a really fun contrast.

Overall impact 7 /10

I felt the most response from the poem 'Just Another Cliche', which surprised me as I normally do not care for romantic, happy poems. I think the poet was able to describe the speaker's mindset with such authentic feeling, that anyone who reads the poem could not help but be moved.

Development of the poet's voice 8/10

I can see great changes in the poet's voice, particularly between their older poems, which were written some 5-6 years ago, and their newer poems, written last year. The author's voice has changed and developed immensely in those years, in this reader's humble opinion. Keep up the good work, don't stop writing!

Total : 80 /100