[Siham Karami]

Thanks to the DG and congrats to the finalists! My mind keeps changing, but here are my picks:
1. X
2. Saturday Night in Kirriemuir
3. Garden Sonnet

As for who's who, I'm terrible at guessing. So I'll stand firmly with suspense.

[Brian Allgar]

Originally Posted by Alex Pepple

Just a reminder -- and you know who you are -- it's very poor etiquette to vote for your own finalist sonnet! --Alex

I agree with Alex. Voting for one's own sonnet gives it an unfair advantage over those who do NOT do so. I suggest that "own votes" be excluded from the final count.

[Birthe Myers]

Congratulations to all ten winners. There were ten lovely, clever, fun sonnets here, it was a good event. Thanks to Alex and to the mystery D.G. who must be on the other side of the Atlantic because I get up very early and every morning there were the day's two sonnets ready, with commentary by the D.G. who also did not grow up watching, I Love Lucy - but who, among the Forum's English - or Continental - Types the D.G. is, I can't guess.
My picks:

#1 Jitterbug
#2 Saturday Night in Kirriemuir
#3 X

[Martin Rocek]

1. X
2. Saturday Night in Kirriemuir
3. The Jitterbug

[Paddy Raghunathan]

Originally Posted by Top Secret DG

I must say I am glad this contest is a democracy instead of a monarchy. It is not up to me to decide which is the sweetest confection in the chocolate sampler.

The contest is at best a quasi-democracy...we don't get to see all the poems, and depend on the DG to select the top 10. Not that I have anything against the process...it is what has been agreed upon.

I have serious misgivings about the poems selected this year as "finalists," but then it could also be that the quality of poems submitted weren't top notch either.

That said, I don't agree with Alex's rant that folks shouldn't vote for their own poem, if the poem has made it to the top 10. In a democracy, one can vote for oneself...I doubt if Donald Trump is going to vote for Hillary or vice-versa!

However, I do agree that poems showcased here at erato shouldn't have been allowed as entrants...if that were the case, previously published sonnets, and those posted on other boards should also be allowed.

[Gail White]

1. Saturday Night
2. X
3. Desilu

[Tim Murphy]

In the new National Review our own Jenny Reeser shows us all how it's done: http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/441298/reeser-poem

[Aaron Poochigian]

Fascinating, Mr. Murphy. Our tastes are so different. That stilted poem would not have made my top ten.

Being a stranger here, I do not understand--to judge from your voting post above, there were "glory years" some time ago at Eratosphere and the forum is now in a state of decline?

[Charlie Southerland]

I've only been here for four years so I can apply what I know to that time. It seems that until this Bake-Off, that Sonnet Bake-Offs were conducted in the Spring. This one is so close to the Nemerov, perhaps some poets didn't wish to submit their best sonnets to the Bake-off, instead going after the top sonnet prize there is. I didn't submit my best sonnet because of this and my sonnet didn't make the cut here. In addition, there was the Maria Faust Sonnet Contest, the Flint Hills Sonnet Contest, The Schaible Sonnet Contest and perhaps others in close proximity to the Bake-Off and the Nemerov.


#1. X
#2. Saturday Night in Kirriemuir
#3. Fourth Dimension

[Alan Rain]

1. X

I'm not sufficiently enthused to vote for any of the others.

It's seems like sour grapes to moan about the quality of the finalists. They were this particular DG's picks, as the rules stated. Another DG would likely have picked a different 10, maybe with some crossover. All subjective.
What rant against self-voting? Self-voting is mean-spirited.