What is a 1-Minute Poem Report?

It’s like getting up in front of class to present a book report about your favorite poem, only without the quivering voice and weak knees: a chance to share (in just a few paragraphs) your thoughts on a favorite piece by a favorite poet. How did it make such an impact? What did your life look like just before and just after discovering this poem?

1-Minute Poem Reports don’t need to be heavy in theory; we’re not looking for literary criticism, explications, or annotations. Just a brief introduction to the poem for someone who’s sneaking a few minutes on the computer while the boss is away (and hopefully inspiring that reader to check out more of the poet’s work once they’ve settled in for some quiet time).

Also, feel free to review a poem that’s already been covered by another contributor. Just give us a new glimpse into that work.

See our archive of 1-Minute Poem Reports HERE.

A 1-Minute Poem Report should:

• be positive; if you hate Emily Dickinson or John Ashbery, pick a different poet to write about.
• give us a sense for the style, tone, vibe, and “context” (whatever you take that to mean) of the poem.
• be personal and unique without sounding too much like a diary entry.
• be quick, concise, and easy to read.
• be an introduction to a larger discussion.

What to send to us:

• Email your 1-Minute Poem Report to editor@YRTEOP.COM (That’s “POETRY” backwards!)
• Put “1-Minute Poem Report” in the subject line.
• NO ATTACHMENTS! If you’ve written your 1-Minute Poem Report in Word, please copy the text and paste it into the body of your email.
• The entirety of the poem you’re writing about. (if available)
• Include a couple sentences about you, and links to your own work, website, school, or mission.
• List any relevant links you think would make the piece more engaging. YouTube videos, online bios, etc.

Looking forward to reading your contributions. Please give me about 2 weeks to get back to you on whether we’d like to feature your 1-Minute Poem Report. Thanks, y’all.