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  #1  
Unread 11-26-2010, 07:35 AM
Maryann Corbett's Avatar
Maryann Corbett Maryann Corbett is online now
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Default Poetry Competition judged by John and Jayne

Okay, folks, special deal here. The Northampton Literature Group is running its annual competition, and the honorable judges are our own John and Jayne. This presents us with an interesting challenge and problem. They, and the Sphere, would like you all to be able to workshop poems for the contest with each other. The stumper is that they mustn't learn who wrote any given poem.

So here's what we're going to do. This is the thread where you can workshop those poems--but don't just put the poem up yourself!

Instead, send it to me. [Originally, this read: send by e-mail. I'm changing that. Send by PM.]


I'll post all the poems under my own logon, so no names will be attached to any of the poems. (And no, I won't be submitting.)

Make sure you check out all the other contest requirements, which are given on the page I've linked to.

I think John and Jayne will look in here for a day or so, in case you have questions for them. If you have questions about sending a poem to me, or can see some problem I haven't thought of, ask away.

Last edited by Maryann Corbett; 12-19-2010 at 02:16 PM. Reason: removal of e-mail address from public post
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  #2  
Unread 11-26-2010, 10:19 AM
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And we've got our first contestant!

Chicken

As in the movies when the traffic swerves
and skids to miss the hero in its way,
he ran among the cars as if to play
a game of chicken with his mothers nerves;
She wept to see him standing there across
the other side, her perfect, smiling boy,
all rosy-cheeked with death defying joy,
an icon of her momentary loss.
It wasn`t quite a miracle: not quite,
but close. Not Lazarus, or snake and rod,
or water into wine. But who`s to say?
She held him up just like an acolyte
would make an offering and thanking God
fell down upon her knees as if to pray.
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  #3  
Unread 11-26-2010, 11:05 AM
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John Whitworth John Whitworth is offline
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Whoever wrote that sonnet, let me tell you it's not only good it's a damn sight better than 90% of what I see in competitions that I judge, have judged. You just would not BELIEVE the dross people think will win them fame and money. Some of it in green ink. I joke not. Of course the good people of Northampton may be much better than that, particularly if they are beefed up with the good people of the Sphere and the WORLD!!!

Good start then.
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  #4  
Unread 11-26-2010, 12:50 PM
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I second that, John.

Just to reiterate Maryann's splendid intro, this is a great, genuine comp, folks (with better prize money than The Speccie and The Oldie!).

It's kicked off well (thank you, whoever you are) and we hope ALL of you will enter!

Free verse, Rhyming AND Humo(u)r - a category to please everyone.
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  #5  
Unread 11-26-2010, 05:36 PM
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Maryann Corbett Maryann Corbett is online now
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Contestant No. 2

“Look at Me— Look at Me” a Verse Maker Said...



“Look at me, look at me”- a verse—maker said

conjunctions proffered- as though by— rarities bred.

As he strode through intent- with mind’s— purpose of stride

Who, from amongst you, - gives a damn what I chide.



Poetry’s fine voice- is what we seek to append

its broken line tells us, - how it‘ll all end.

Though we are still gifted -with wit’s graceless pretence

cognition still poses -its own daedal of —sense.



Scènes à faire of free verse- its canvas crowded with prose

how vers libre does love— deconstruction of rows.

As retourner’s sub-verbal— lay voice on its vector.

A’vant gives its views based -on garde’s -trite —jecture.



So my fake Märchen ends-as my—metric verse do

Where caesura’s problems- presents quite a clue.

Though its seems I’ve lost -that wise poet’s repetend

I have yet to give up -mind’s patient and friend...



So let us not forget that- which our puirtith beget

as we cast there for pŏēsis, - with most versed of net.

Or—nurous path some- stoic readers endure

when we vainly search hope, - for some rich—sinecure.



Yet we will go to our grave- behesting naught

what strange symptoms- be ours if life’s vita needs taught

Where— raconteur’s worth, - saved ne’er sighted- a tale

whose fortunes are fed ill, - by glib— fervours and rail.



So thereon mason’s stone, - its marble slabb’d and bare

what fine minded words -will he cold chisel there

‘ad partes’ bold utterance- would he so it— dare

beseech them stay lusting— in Dante’s shared lair.



So who’d take Virgil’s hand- in such— journey of pain

to man’s deepest evil- and re-compass of Cain

Where dead poets sit- they- thorn- headed a lone

penning ever- their purpose- their prosed— propone.



With ne’er reason’s aether -or causes seek to complain.

when life’s endless search -it gave of verse little gain

and grieves a poets heart -with its own long searched cry

How can they now say that -such— makers words die...



When we through great auras -of our times living past

recall treasured moments- no others surpass

Or corrupts so an image, - own making fair cast.

we see worldly sins,-truth its— dark so a mass.



Sadly obolary—of -our promised lot

sees fabliau deprived -of its velour so sought

where once silken stature- could come to our aid

It’s now prose’s flatted cap-that they so parade.



Loud— shouting is theirs –and new ventures they claim

though we see little sense- in those lines they— rename

When mulct’s malediction -is rough thought we abhor

what use they. - To them- that reads— poetry no more.
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Unread 11-26-2010, 06:06 PM
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I must give a gentle reminder to please read the rules, folks, before you actually submit your entries. This one would be disqualified as it exceeds the '40 lines max'.
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Unread 11-26-2010, 10:44 PM
Julie Steiner Julie Steiner is offline
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I'm not so sure this is a great idea, John and Jayne.

How would you feel if you entered a poetry contest that had promised blind judging...but the judges had a means of identifying which entries came from folks who were members of the same brass band (or cat fanciers' club, or what have you) to which they, too, belonged?

Even if the judges couldn't be sure exactly which member of their own clique had sent in which poem...wouldn't you object that the judging had not truly been blind, but only myopic?

We've frequently complained on Eratosphere about contests that supposedly had blind judging, but the winner just coincidentally turned out to be someone the judge knows...a former student, say, or the editor of a journal that often publishes the judge's work. This coincidence is probably due to a shared affinity for a certain style of work, of course, but the losers always suspect something more sinister. And a thread such as this one would be considered damning evidence of premeditated intent to keep the prize in the family, so to speak.

If Sphereans should be well-represented in the winners' circle (as well they might), and the judges' participation on this thread comes to light, how do you think the non-Spherean contestants might explain that coincidence?

Just sayin' it smells a bit off.

Last edited by Julie Steiner; 11-26-2010 at 11:16 PM.
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Unread 11-27-2010, 02:14 AM
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John Whitworth John Whitworth is offline
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I see what you are saying, Julie, but the same problem obtains in ANY competition over here, since the Brit poetry world is a small place, and the South East England poetry world - where many of the competitions I have judged are organised, is still smaller. I have quite often suspected (and quite often found my suspicions to be correct) the identity of a contestant. And, frankly, any poem of mine entered for a competition might smell strongly of Whitworth, which might be to my advantage, or might not. As for Spherians being among the winners, I hope they are, but it will be by merit unless currency notes are slipped in my direction and, alas, I don't think that will get under the wire.

Spherians consistently win Speccie competitions and Lucy could often recognise where they come from. She knows all about this thread. But, as far as I can see, she doen't allow this knowledge to have any bearing on her choices.

Have I ever known/suspected the provenance of a poem and given it a prize? Yes I have. Does that bother me? No it doesn't.

And finally, the only Spherian I actually know (I mean I have met) is Sam Gwynn. Whereas I know many of the people who will enter this competition from over here. And some of them I quite like.
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Unread 11-27-2010, 07:17 AM
Martin Parker Martin Parker is offline
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I am with Julie in thinking that this is, perhaps, a not entirely proper matter for a thread though perhaps for a different reason.

A poem that has been heavily workshopped surely can no longer claim to be entirely the work of the author (of the rest of it!). This should surely disqualify it from eligibility for entry to a competition -- most of which require that entries are solely the work of he/she who submits it.

People who want to win comps. should learn by reading the work of those who already can and do, and thus develop the skill and confidence to submit their OWN work. Minor suggestions by friends may be ok; but committee-type workshopping of comp. entries is, for me, bordering on misrepresentation as well as being all too likely to produce the proverbial lumpy camel rather than an elegant horse.

I suspect this theory will not go down well on a site which goes in for a lot of serious workshopping. But I have raised my head over the parapet -- with tin hat in place -- and await incoming fire!
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  #10  
Unread 11-27-2010, 07:38 AM
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John and I have, naturally, discussed this very issue, and we're in complete agreement that the poems we award prizes to will be judged entirely on their merit.

There is an elderly lady poet of my acquaintance who wins LOTS of poetry comps. She doesn't own a computer and all her entries are type-written, in exactly the same layout - and honestly, I know I could pick out an entry by her out of tens of thousands! She'll be entering this comp; she always has. If her poem is the best it will win, and I won't be swayed because I know who wrote it.

As for workshopping them, how many poems have been workshopped on the sphere and gone on to win prizes/be published? No-one has ever said (to my knowledge) that they aren't eligible because they've got a word or phrase suggested by someone else.
Come on, folks, stop nit-picking about this.

John and I are full of integrity, which you don't need to question, I promise!
If you don't trust us to do the job properly, then don't enter. On the other hand, if you want to take part, have no worries about posting your poems here, via Maryann (whose endorsement counts for a lot, surely?).

Hope this puts your minds at rest.

Edited in: We'll just steer clear of this thread if you wish; you can always PM with any queries etc. Or just submit your poems directly to the administrator if you'd rather not post here. Do please enter, though - and good luck!

Last edited by Jayne Osborn; 11-27-2010 at 10:19 AM. Reason: Took out an errant comma
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