Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

It was a privilege to read these 628 poems, and enjoy the range and
quality displayed. Regrettably space forced us to limit our choice to
about 60 items, one poem in ten. Believing “medium” to be as
important as “message”, I looked for lyrical and interesting language
to support narrative. Fully-formed poems recommended themselves
for inclusion, but many potentially good contributions had not been
through enough revisions to achieve their maximum impact. We all
need the constructive criticism of fellow poets available at the various
regular workshops operating throughout our region. These friendly
groups are always keen to welcome new members. My thanks to
every contributor for their imaginative insights and hard work—
I have gained a lot from reading these poems.

                                                                             R J Hansford

It was a tremendous stimulus to read so many poems in the space of
a relatively short time. High on my list of priorities was lyricism,
and the unexpected in language and ideas; the ideal poem contained
all these, plus a mufti-layered structure which gave fresh insights
each time it was read. Poems which were presented well and looked
good on the page also stood out; typographical and spelling errors
are a distraction to a reader, and can detract from a poem’s meaning. The poems selected bear evidence of having been worked on through many drafts; where each word and every punctuation mark is there because the form and ideas demand it.

                                                                            Sylvia Oldroyd

My first pass through the package concentrated on poems that made
me want to read and re-read them, in some way. Usually this was a
combination of perspective, craft, diligence and statement. These
are poems that have something to say and leave a mark on the reader.

The pleasure of co-editing lies in the consideration of individual
tastes, applied to objective assessments. Thus we found it a very
enriching experience to discuss those poems which had somehow
stood out for us individually and to weigh their relative merits for
inclusion.

We were delighted by the quality and variety of submissions which
made this a most rewarding exercise.

                                                                             David Wright