It is often a lot more helpful to ask "What would Jesus do?" than "what would a critic do" or "what would my ego do"?.
Likewise in the context of poetry, it is often a lot more helpful to ask "What would Shakespeare do?" "What would Pushkin do?" "What would Emily Dickinson do"? rather than "what would a critic do" or "what would my ego do"?
The key is keeping your ego and the critics on the side, and the guidance and example of those who have already done better and stood the test of time in the center.
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