Utilising Poetry Dynamic Criteria Mapping (PDCM) to analyse how comparable liberal arts institutions evaluate poetry

ABSTRACT

In We Need To Talk: A New Method for Evaluating Poetry (2018), Michael Theune and Bob Broad present a study that uses a version of their ‘Poetry Dynamic Criteria Mapping’ (PDCM) methodology to empirically and inductively investigate the implicit criteria in the selection of poems in creative arts journals. I employ a version of PDCM in my study. I coded and analysed 752 poems from the past three years’ issues of nine creative arts journals from liberal arts institutions in the same academic conference. Two important patterns emerged: (1) the vast majority of the poems are outgrowths of confessional poetry: free verse, serious, introspective, and focused on emotion; and (2) few poems seem aligned with other values, including those espoused by avant-garde, slam, and socially and politically engaged poetry.

KEYWORDS:

• Poetry Dynamic Criteria Mapping
• editing
• pedagogy
• poetry
• creative arts journals
• student journals

Acknowledgements

I am deeply indebted to Michael Theune, who served as my research advisor, as well as the faculty of the Illinois Wesleyan University Department of English, for their encouragement and support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Abigail Kauerauf is a 2019 graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University with a Bachelor's degree in English and German. As an undergraduate, she served as lead editor of her school's creative arts journal for three years.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by Illinois Wesleyan University through the Robert S. and Nell B. Eckley Scholars and Artists Program.