CRITICS CRITICIZED

Could someone explore my poetry and do a critique for use

by researchers in Indian English Writing?
Pl. visit http://collectedpoemsofrksingh.blogspot.in and
http://selectedpoemsofrksingh.blospot.in
Comments of members from various literary groups on LinkedIN:

I.

THE POETIC BOND: Poetry Review and Discuss

Ronnie
Ronnie Wilson
POET SONGWRITER @ aka VEEBDOSA the Doylestown Poet
Hare Krishna. As a USA poet for many years, I have to admit to caving in many times in my
early days of writing in attempts to please the "critics" (whatever the hell that is.) It did not
take me too long to understand that there is no way of pleasing allah the critics. It simply can
not be done. The more "educated" a critic is in the process of poetry writing, but more I
recognize that fact. Some wise jpoet once wrote, " education in the poetical process does
NOT a poet make ..." Words to remember when writing, and the fact is, if you like what you
have written, it is a good poem. That is a fact. Let no one take that away from you. If your
mother likes it also, it is a good poem. If your next door neighbor likes it, well, you should
get the picture, if one person likes it, then there are MILLIONS, yes MILLIONS of other
people who will also like it. Something else I keep in my mind, no critic in the world will
buy the book of poetry to do their dirty work on. If they do not get it free, you get no
Critique, good, bad, or indifferent. Forget the critics.

Ram Krishna Singh

Professor (Higher Academic Grade) at Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad
Thanks Ronnie. After four decades of writing and publishing 17 collections, I thought there
should be someone willing to critically comment on my creativity for reference in future. It's just
an academic expectation of a professor who teaches literature and guides postgraduate and
doctoral dissertations.
But what you say is equally correct for me to continue to write and stop bothering critics who
hardly matter as far as creative writing is concerned.
I value your support.
With best poetic wishes
RK

James
James Brown
Retired at Brown Enterprises Family Business
Hear, hear, Ronnie; & at the risk of repeating what you've already so eloquently stated: .Mr.
Singh, if you did find twelve critics who'd agree to critique your works, each one would have a
different opinion. The more educated would write longer critiques of course, commensurate with
that that is expected of one so educated & would assure you that you know nothing about the
creative process while never admitting that their own works are drivel. Poetry, to me, is the
outward expression of inner emotion that oft times can be expressed in no other way. If you look
back on your works & say to yourself, "That is exactly what I wanted to say." then, your work is
done no matter what anyone else says or thinks. I once in the early years asked an English
Professor to critique some my own works. She took them but I never heard back from her. Some
years later, she attended a program where I'd been invited to present several of my works & as I
made my presentation that was well received by the audience, I could see the amazement in her
face. To be honest, I don't believe she had ever looked at the things I'd so eagerly proffered.
Follow Ronnie's advice & good luck; we are with you.


Clark
Clark Cook
Published Poet, Writer, Communication Consultant
Surely some balance can be found here. I agree with Ronnie and James that self-serving,
egocentric critics and literary scholars, the worst of them bent on puffing up their own
reputations or parading the more irrelevant and arcane aspects of their education, can do
irreparable damage to a perfectly good body of poems. But is anti-intellectualism a completely
satisfactory response to bad use of the intellect? Is the 'popular vote' of family and friends all the
approbation a poet needs to convince him/her of the quality of their work? Ronnie's point is welltaken, that if the POET is satisfied with the work, then there's an end to it. That's all that
matters..........as long as there's only an audience of one, or perhaps a handful of loving family
and close friends.
But language is a public, shared expedient which we all use to bind our closed individual selves
to all the others in our group. That's how a culture is born; that's how a culture shapes itself and
sustains its values. i think that poetry is the highest, most intense, and most culturally valuable
use of language, and I would like to think it must be possible to find a way to talk about, even
illuminate, poetry without indulging in egotistical side-trips that say more about the critic's
inadequacies than they do about the poetry itself.
Seems to me that's what Ram Krishna is musing about too. He's published 17 collections of
poetry. He is understandably curious about what all those works say about his culture, about his
personal strengths as a poet, about where his work might be placed in the corpus of other poets in
his culture long dead, and contemporary to him. Being an academic and a scholar himself, he
knows he cannot write such an overview himself. The task needs someone sufficiently "outside"
the work itself to view it with a degree of objectivity simply not possible from the poet himself.
True, as Ronnie and James have said quite forcefully, Ram Krishna does not NEED a critic's
view or input to validate the quality of his work--17 collections is its OWN validation!
This poet has already declared the "why" of this post. He wonders how his work might be
regarded in the future. He would like someone to "......critically comment on [his] creativity for
reference in future. It's just an academic expectation of a professor." Exactly. Seventeen
collections of poetry is formidable. it deserves to be studied. It does NOT--as Ronnie and James
(quite justifiably) fear, deserve to be dismembered, analyzed into bloodied bits, and essentially
destroyed by one of those bad critics we started out talking about.
Maybe we could all put out heads together and offer suggestions about how Ram Krishna might
get than kind of study happening/


Ram Krishna Singh
Professor (Higher Academic Grade) at Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad
Thanks Clark for your very empathetic observations vis-a-vis my expectation. Though as an
academic I tried to promote many new Indian English poets , neglected both by the academia and
media, I must admit the best verses continue to be written by non-academic poets, not only in
India but also in the the UK, US, NZ, Australia and elsewhere. The 'professional' reviewers and
critics have ignored many deserving poets and writers everywhere. I am grateful to you for
endorsing my valid academic desire for not being ignored even in this digital age when reaching
out to a larger audience is easier that what it was in the 1970s and 1980s.

Ronnie
Ronnie Wilson
POET SONGWRITER @ aka VEEBDOSA the Doylestown Poet
Good and relevant logic here, it all reminds me of Robert Haas telling Robert Pinksly that his
problem is that he just can not write For those who do not know they both became poets laurette
of the USA.LOL

Clark
Clark Cook
Published Poet, Writer, Communication Consultant
Ronnie -- apropos the power of the written word: Napoleon apparently needed to promote ONE
of two young officers to a senior field rank. The two officers were equal in ability, background,
education, and experience--absolutely nothing distinguished one over the other. He called in his

Aide, said, "bring me their dispatches," and finally made his decision on the strength and beauty
of the writing style of one of the candidates.
James
James Brown
Retired at Brown Enterprises Family Business
I believe Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "If you build a better mousetrap. though you live in a
wilderness, the world will beat a path to your door." By the same token, if you write good poetry
sooner or later those discerning readers & listeners will take notice. Perhaps its like Dave
Gardner once added to Emerson's quote: "Of course, advertising helps!"

II Language, Literature and Criticism

David
David Anstaett
Manager of Instructional Technology for the Kansas City Missouri Public Schools
I would suggest, after reading all of these rather quickly,taking a look at the persistent use of first
person pronouns an pronouns in general,especially the illusive "they" who do not seem to have
identity. Then consider the concept of "show, don't tell" that usually tightens poetry. There are
many promising poems here, but they do need editing.

FRANCES
FRANCES CRUM
Bespoke oral communications, Speech and Acting technique training; and Dramaturgy
pm me and let me know what you are looking for in the critique.

Ram Krishna Singh

Professor (Higher Academic Grade) at Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad
Thanks David for reading some of my poems and suggestion for editing. I will try to make
changes where possible.
And, thank you Frances for your query. Honestly, I am looking for a critical reading of my
poems with a clear theoretical approach, say pragmatic communicative, literary pragmatics,
postmodernist, discourse analysis, and such others as one may find relevant. Such an exercise
will contribute to development of Indian English Literary Criticism, which is the weakest area of
the genre of Indian Writing in English (IWE). The exercise will also draw the attention of the
media and academia towards NEW poets who have been neglected despite their considerable
output.

III.

Poems by members of Poetry Editors & Poets

a subgroup of Poetry Editors & Poets

Gael
Gael Bage
Poetry Workshop for Poetry Editors and Poets and Eastern Poetry Forms
Top Contributor

Hello Ram, your command of English is to be admired, but there are a lot of poems there and it
would take a lot of someones time to critique them all. I'm enthusiastic about research but these
forums keep me busy - so personally I can't spare the time.
This is an interactive group, please read our guidelines which you will find by clicking the small
i for information next to members in the top bar on the discussion page. You are welcome to post
them one at a timer for comment max alowed is 2 per week. :-)

Ram Krishna Singh

Professor (Higher Academic Grade) at Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad
I understand Gael, but I thought someone academically interested in my poetry in the group may
do a critical article for publication in a scholarly/research journal.

Gael
Gael Bage
Poetry Workshop for Poetry Editors and Poets and Eastern Poetry Forms
Top Contributor
Ram, perhaps if someone has the time. :-)

Manfred A.
Manfred A. A
Cardiac Support Adviser for Local Hospital
Having read some of your workI find it pretty good! You express yourself from experience and
you let out what is stored in your mind and, it has too be released otherwise you could just as
well kick yourself for not speaking your mind to paper or the internet.

One needs not to be a scholar to feel what you feel when you throw out the words that the world
needs to read or just a few enthusiastic poets that can say, some of your work is short but sweet
or even bitter at times 'What the hell I say, speak from the heart and carry on with what you love
to do' I wish you all the best with your written work.
Ps. Read your work to some of your colleagues and see how they respond.
Regards
Manfred

Ram Krishna Singh

Professor (Higher Academic Grade) at Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad
Dear Gael, I wish someone from the group has time to take interest in my poetry and helps
promote Criticism in the genre of Indian English Writing. After all, I have been writing for four
decades and deserve attention, don't I?
I am thankful to you, Manfred, for visiting my poetry pages and recording your comments. I
agree with you that one need not be a scholar to appreciate ones poems. Nor am I looking for
praise; it is rather a balanced criticism which has been somehow missing that I thought could be
done by anyone interested in Indian poetry in English.

J Phil
J Phil Gutierrez
Author / Composer at American Stories
Mr. Singh, it is I who would be honored to enjoy the criticism of such a distinguished scholar as
yourself. What poetry have you written of Punjab, the land of the Five Rivers, where you no
doubt have roots. I have Sikh friends and they are a proud people with a martial background. As
a military man myself, that history interests me very much.

Ram Krishna Singh

Professor (Higher Academic Grade) at Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad
Thank you, Phil, but I'm not from Punjab. I am from Varanasi (Banares) though I have been
working in Dhanbad, some four hundred km towards Calcutta, for the last four decades. Most of
my poems of the 1970s derive from the experiences of my city of birth, while those composed in
1980s onwards are rooted in my experiences in the coal city of Bihar/Jharkhand, my place of
work. However, it was great to spend a few weeks in Amritsar with the family of my son, who is
an Army officer.

Sheri Fresonke
Sheri Fresonke Harper
Various at St, Stephens Catholic Community
Hi Ram, I enjoyed reading your work. I'm working on some poetry essays but they deal with
specific topics so that is my primary basis for selecting pieces. I'll keep your work in mind.

Ram Krishna Singh

Professor (Higher Academic Grade) at Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad
Thanks Sheri. I'm sure you will find my work worth mentioning in your essays.

Allex
Allex Spires
Writing and Editing Professional

Professor:
I have collaborated with an Indian writer in the past. I have edited works by a Kenyan whose
command of English was very sub-par. Your English seems a little twisty. you say "400 miles
toward Calcutta" rather than "400 miles away from Calcutta"; "in the balcony" rather than "on
the balcony"; "the spider spinning waves" instead of "the spider spinning webs" and I do not
know if this is intentional or just something lost in translation.
What you are asking is somewhat underhanded. There is a correct way to do this.
Number 1:
Get an agent who will work for you. Without an agent, your work will be grueling. The art of
writing is the easy part. It is personal to you and you can do it forever. The business of writing is
the hard part. If you do not know the business you NEED an agent. You do not EVER pay your
agent. Your agent sells your work and gets the money for that, and pays you. If you are paying an
agent you are being robbed.
Number 2:
Find out what journals, magazines, newspapers, blogs, vlogs, and whatever else there is handles
critical reviews of poetry. I do not mean find a few, I mean find them all, everywhere (Google
makes this much easier and cheaper than it once was). An agent would just know this
information offhand or have it stored in an easily accessible database whereas you will have to
dig deep and search hard.
Number 3:
Digitally (when possible) submit your published book "New And Selected Poems: Tanka and
Haiku" this would be easier with an agent because such journals surely receive much from freeagent authors about whom little to nothing is known to give their work context and sentimental
value for the reader. Having an agent will instantly let the reviewer know that you are worth an
agent's time, and therefore assume your writing is probably worth the reviewer's time.
Number 4:
Receive numerous apologies that there is no room for such review right now; and two or three
acceptances. Most of the journals won't respond at all.
Number 5:
The reviews you receive should be dissected to find the shiniest bits. Even a single word.
"Wonderful" can be extracted as a complete review. Confirm from the reviewers that you have

permission to reproduce their reviews of your writing.

Number 6:
Put only positive review content on the back of and at the opening of future editions of your
book. Put review content on the quality of your poetry at the opening of your next book.
Number 7:
Persevere.
Good luck,
Sincerely,
Allex Spires

Allex
Allex Spires
Writing and Editing Professional
The great difficulty of finding an agent to handle poetry does exist because of the financial needs
they do have; fiction and nonfiction sell better than poetry so most agents don't handle it.
Here's a pw.org database listing of two agents who handle poetry:
http://www.pw.org/literary_agents?
filter0=9681&field_electronic_submissions_value_many_to_one=All&perpage=6

Ram Krishna Singh

Professor (Higher Academic Grade) at Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad

Thanks Allex. I must revisit the poems you have referred to besides exploring the possibility of
an agent to help me promote my work.
You have been very helpful tome as an editing professional.
Best
RK

IV Poetry & Literature

joy
joy lennick
Freelance Writer at Self-employed
More people than care to admit it believe that 'heaven is a mirage in a human zoo'...
I have read several poems and short stories written by Indian people, and they often have a
beautiful way of expressing themselves. I shall return (very busy at present) and read some your
poems, sir.

Ram Krishna Singh

Professor (Higher Academic Grade) at Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad
Thank you Joy. Maybe, you find it possible to review my poetry as and when you are free.
-- R K

THOMAS

THOMAS AW
Serenity at FLOWING RIVER
Keep writing and enjoy the Fun of Life ---- * Ram

V.

LITERATURE

Obiwu
Obiwu Iwuanyanwu, Ph.D.
Faculty at Central State University
Hi Dr. Singh,
I really like the depth and rich texture of your poems of the 30 poems you've posted here. I
wonder if it would be possible to get a copy of The Collected Poems of R. K. Singh? I would
decide if it would be a worthwhile venture to an exploration of your poems, after I have read the
Collection.
Thank you.
Obiwu Iwuanyanwu, Ph.D. (Syracuse)

Ram Krishna Singh

Professor (Higher Academic Grade) at Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad
Thanks Dr Iwuanyanwu for taking note of some of my poems. The Collected Poems is available
from the publisher but it is also there on my blog. You may click the following link to see the
volume. http://collectedpoemsofrksingh.blogspot.in/2010/11/sense-and-silence-collected-poems-

of.html
Then, there is my another latest collection, also available on amazon.com . You may view the
book (perhaps download too):
http://issuu.com/kirim-tatar-kitaplari/docs/i_am_no_jesus?e=2254043/7342469
If you find the books interesting, you may be helping me not only personally but also
collectively in promoting the cause of many neglected Indian poets writing in English.
I value your support.
With best regards
RK

VI. World Literature,Languages, and Critical Theory

Angelique
Angelique Rockas
Intellectual, Actress, Activist : Owner Contemptus Mundi Films, Internationalist TheatreNominated for UNESCO arts board
Top Contributor
Dear Prof
there have been several posts on Indian writing - where were your comments on those. If you
expect members to show interest in your post then maybe you should show interest in theirs.
AR

Ram Krishna Singh

Professor (Higher Academic Grade) at Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad
Dear AR, I acknowledge I have not been a regular visitor but I thought someone in the group
might take interest in my poetry and do an academic study to promote the cause of Criticism. I
promise I would be more active now onward.

francesca
francesca barres
Writer
You don`t have to promise anything Prof- but there is a group ethos.

Ram Krishna Singh

Professor (Higher Academic Grade) at Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad
Thanks Francesca. I still hope someone willing to visit my blogs and share his/her comments
rather than ignoring my request.
RK

POETRY COLLECTIONS by R K SINGH, Dhanbad, India

Sense and Silence: Collected Poems. Jaipur: Yking Books. 2010. Pages 338. (All
previously published collections of poems with some new poems, haiku, and tanka)

New and Selected Poems Tanka and Haiku. New Delhi: Authors Press, 2012, pages 96.
(collection of poems)

I Am No Jesus and Other Selected Poems, Tanka and Haiku. Iasa: Editura StudIS,
2014, pages 54. (collection of poems with translation into Crimean Tatar by Taner Murat and
Illustrations by Alsou Shikhova Ildarovna)

My profile and other links may be viewed on:

http://pennyspoetry.wikia.com/wiki/R.K._Singh

New poems also available on:

http://rksingh.blogspot.in
http://profrksingh.blogspot.in