Critique only narrows the scope of poetry if the poet feels bound to revise based on the critique. If the poet is confident enough to reject or dismiss all comments and opinions and suggestions with which he disagrees, then critique can only be a good thing, or a neutral thing at worst. Post your poems, then sit back and see how people react, then come to your own conclusion and don't change a word if you don't want to, but maybe allow your critiquers to raise concerns that lead you to make changes where appropriate (with you the absolute judge of what's appropriate).
I've quoted these words of Richard Hugo more than once before on this forum, but they are apropos now. Anyone who posts a poem for workshopping here at Erato ought to pretend that every critique ends with the following admonition:
Quote:
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You’ll never be a poet until you realize that everything I say today and this quarter is wrong. It may be right for me, but it is wrong for you. Every moment, I am, without wanting or trying to, telling you to write like me. I hope you learn to write like you. In a sense, I hope I don’t teach you how to write but how to teach yourself how to write. At all times keep your crap detector on. If I say something that helps, good. If what I say is of no help, let it go.
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