[John Whitworth]

The Torriano Poetry Competition closes at the end of the month. Details here. http://www.hearingeye.org/notices/to...petition-2016/

[Tim Love]

It's part of my plans to enter this. Because there are more UK submission windows and pamphlets comps than before, I'm trying to be more organised about my plans. FYI here's my poetry schedule.

And here's my story schedule.

[Janice D. Soderling]

That is very generous of you, Tim.

And BTW it's good to see you again.

[Alan Rain]

Tim, I think you need to check the closing date of Magma. I believe it's the 18th, not the 31st.

[Tim Love]

The competition deadline is the 18th. I was just meaning submissions.

[Alan Rain]

I read with interest the comments by last year's judge, Martyn Crucefix, on the judging of poetry competitions:

http://martyncrucefix.com/2015/02/22...-judge-a-poem/

This, in particular, is relevant to lovers of form and metre:
"Competitions are full of pieces where a particular verse form or rhyme pattern tyrannises the sentiment. The writer’s submission to this tyranny becomes clear quickly through the contortions imposed on the language to achieve a rhyme.
The writer’s choice of language can be devastating to the life of the poem. It just isn’t right to opt for forms of language or abbreviations that died out early in the nineteenth century."

I am relieved to see Mr. Crucefix is not this year's judge, and I don't need to submit to his idea of tyranny.

[Janice D. Soderling]

With respect, Alan, I think he speaks the simple truth.

Just look at some of the poems currently up for workshopping here and you will see instances of this very fault contorted, even tortured lines whose whole purpose seem to be to squeeze in that rhyme word or to adhere to the formal pattern.

Several Eratosphere members are often judges of contests and I'd be surprised if they weren't in general agreement with what he says.

But if you want to avoid his judgement, know that Martyn Crucifix is judge of The Teignmouth Poetry Festival 2016 Competition, deadline extended to the end of January.

Teignmouth Poetry Festival 2016 Poetry Competition is now open until 31st January 2016. Poems on any subject, not exceeding 35 lines. The judge is Martyn Crucefix. First prize £500, second £250 and third £100. Poems from local poets will be also be entered into the Keats' Footsteps competition judged by Jennie Osborne - First prize £100, second £50 and third £25. Shortlisted poets will be invited to read at Teignmouth Poetry Festival on 20 March 2016, and winning poems will be published on our website.
Entry Fee: £4 for the first poem, £3 for each subsequent poem Contact: For more details and to download rules and entry form http://www.poetryteignmouth.com/competition-2016.html

[Ann Drysdale]

Er - thank you. I think...

But to put this in some sort of perspective, the entrant to any competiton with a named adjudicator can increase their chances of winning by studying the work of the person sitting in judgement on the entries. Martyn does not do formal, rhyming poetry. On the other hand...

As a corollary, if the competition uses a sifting panel, you're stuffed.

[Alan Rain]

It's interesting, Janice, you mention Teignmouth. A week ago I took a look at this comp and was led to a linked blog of Mr Crucefix. There, he dismissed 'prosody', and I actually wrote to the competition administration to ask if there was any point in submitting a poem that wasn't free format. The answer I had declined to advise (or, significantly, counter my claim that Mr Crucefix might not appreciate formal poetry), and said I had taken a negative attitude.

Negative or not, I've taken the view that a lot of poetry comps use judges who are prejudiced against prosody, to varying degrees of course. I may be wrong about this, and I would genuinely like to be assured it isn't the case, but ... well, let's see.
Now, before entering any comp, I look at previous winners and the judges own poetry (Some don't offer this facility.) It does seem that free-formatters have a clean sweep of the prizes.

Regarding poems here, I'm still new, and not placed to make a judgement. Yes, it's a fault, I agree, and I strive to avoid lumpiness in my own work. Never would I submit a badly-metred poem to a comp, or one with contrived rhymes. But then, what's lumpy to one person is refreshingly quirky to another?

I digress. What I find disagreeable is the dismissal of everything traditional, and it seems to me Mr. Crucefix is in this category.

[John Whitworth]

I swear to God Crucefix gave me a prize once, which means he can't be against formal poetry since that's all that I do. But I may be wrong about that.