I found an old (1988) poetry judging critique checklist used to evaluate some poems I sent to the SD State Fair. Let me know, if you think this is still a good checklist for poetry in this century. Be specific about what you think should be included or eliminated or clarified. Thanks.
Judge’s critique sheet
Poetry checklist:
Significance and originality – 25 points
_____ Is an honest attempt to express a thought, belief or felling effectively.
_____Is a patterned unit of experience
_____Shows evidence of knowledge of subject.
Concreteness, Exactness, Intensity – 25 points
_____Concreteness controlled by good use of imagery, detail, and comparison.
_____Exactness controlled by truthful interpretation (Free of over exaggeration, etc.)
_____Achieves intensity through careful selection of details and compactness.
Use of Symbols – 15 points
_____Symbols show some indication of literal meaning of poem
_____Symbols are easily understood
Sound and rhythm – 15 points
_____Doesn’t let rhyme determine content
_____Follows an organized stanza rhyme pattern
_____Shows a fairly steady recurring rhythm.
Form – 15 points
_____Is a correct interpretation of category entered
_____Shows good use of mechanics
Miscellaneous – 5 points
_____No Errors
Total Points _______