Who Will Win?....thoughts of a contest judge

How to judge a contest

As a high school English teacher I constantly judge the works of others. I find that there are similarities and differences between grading assignments and judging AllPoetry contests.

There are three basic elements that define a good judge:

1) Clear and consistent requirements,
2) Helpful critiques, and
3) Open mindedness

1) I think the most important thing is a clear statement of the requirements of a contest. It can be as simple or as complex as needed, but it should contain any guidelines that will affect the final judgement. If the contest calls for a specific form, be it rhymed or unrhymed, then the specifics of that form should be given. If the judge is a stickler for grammar and punctuation (as I am) that should be mentioned also. The rules should be clear and easy to understand so that each poet has a chance of placing in the contest. If in doubt, err on the side of caution. It is better to put everything in writing than to assume that the entrant will automatically understand what is desired.

I feel that comments such as "Wow me" or "Amaze me" are vague and off-putting, but others such as "Show, don't tell" or "Good use of metaphor appreciated" give the entrant a feel for the judges' preferences. If the judge has a strong perference for rhyme or meter that should be mentioned too. It is a waste of everyone's time if a poet writes a poem with end rhyme when the judge clearly feels strongly about non-rhyming poems.

2) My critiques of student work are more detailed than that of poets on this site, but I feel it is fair to let the poet know what items may have prevented the poem from placing in the contest. If every poem receives fulsome praise or a generic, "This was great" then it is difficult to know why one poem wins and another does not. Taking the advice of a poet I respect, I start a critique with the positive aspects of the work, perhaps pointing out a line that is particularly memorable. Then I will suggest a way in which the poem could be stronger (grammar, forced rhyme, inconsistent meter, improper use of language). If the poem is good but not great I try not to raise the expectations of the author by giving the work too much acclaim. I think it is nice to thank the author for taking time to enter the contest.

3) It is only natural that a judge will have favorites whose works always seem to please. Even in a blind contest it is possible to discern the words of particular writers. As we all enter each other's contests, it is imperative to judge each poem on its individual merits and not on the body of work of the poet. Often it is necessary to avoid contests because the judge always favors a certain few poets whether or not their particular entry is exceptional. Each poem that meets the contest requirements should be read at least twice. When I have devised a short list of potential winners I will read the poems again before final judging.

I am not a fan of the "Preliminary Finalist" option until the contest is closed. I think it deters other entries and is disheartening to contestants to know that they no longer stand a chance of placing. I will read the entries, but I do not comment on them until the contest is closed.

I believe such things as points, HM's, pre-writes and number of entrants will vary with each contest and the personality of each judge.

I think pre-writes are acceptable under certain conditions. I dislike seeing a poem that has been entered in ten contests, but if a poem has a particular relevance to the contest at hand then I will accept it. Each judge must decide if they wish to receive only new poems or not.

I also find it helpful to limit the number of entrants. Some prompts or topics will generate more poems than others, but in the interest of giving each poem a thorough vetting I think a limit of 20 - 25 is helpful. I have found that judges who allow unlimited entries often are not able to give thoughtful and complete critiques to each poem.

I prefer each contest to award three places with HM's to be added if the number of entrants and the quality of the poems merit. HM's lose their meaning if every contestant receives one.

Judging contests is a big responsibility. They make this site more fun and allow poets to receive helpful critiques.