In browsing through allpoetry.com, I have seen some pretty cliché poems lately. Many sound very similar, especially the dark ones (which is sad, because dark poetry can be great if you write it right). I hardly see anyone write in a rhyme scheme or say anything besides "I wanna die". Of course, many of my first poems sounded that way, but I was thirteen and I did not have the experience of a better poet. I know that beginning poets have troubles with writing but eventually you have to find a voice, a niche, if you will. I guess you get that online, being that online sources for ANYTHING don't usually have good material.
For those of you that say, "Hey, Someone, I write pretty good poetry. Who made you the lord of poetry? How can you know?" I invite you to enter this contest not for the points, but for the pride. You will get 350 points and an extra fifty will go to another who can break the typical (if the first place poem is really good, I will give the extra fifty to him/her). Besides, a trophy looks good on your page.
Here are the rules:
1)*NO CLICHÉS!!! I HATE THEM!!* The whole point of the contest is to find out which one of you can make a great poem, not just a good one. No "fire in her eyes" or "I'd do anything for you" and especially not "Cold as ice." They are horrible.
2)*NO EXPLETIVES!!!* Though I love angst poetry, there is more than one way to express loathing than saying FU or to make it rhyme with something other than s---. If you are a talented writer, you will be able to use other words (just look in a book filled with Shakespearean insults).
3)*NO PLAGIARISM!!!* If there is one thing that a writer should not do, it is take someone else's poem and publish it as his own. Seriously, there is a line between allusion and plagiarism. If you have a question, IM me.
Suggestions:
1)*Make your poem unique.* It does not have to be really strong or really short. Depending on the message of the poem, you may want to draft it more than once.
2)*Regarding love poems.* Everyone writes one of these eventually so you have to be careful when writing a love poem. Try to get away from young love that seems so perfect that it necessitates a cliché. Use a line like "She's cool like a soda can sitting on ice".**
3)*Regarding sex poems* Monitors get really iffy about these, so the best idea that I can give you is to make it ambiguous. If Dave Matthews serves as an example, you could say "And when I go down for you, I wanna blow your mind". Like I said, ambiguous.
4)*Regarding angst poems.* Make up new ways of describing hate, such as I have written here:
"You are like the fly that bites me,
Sinking below the skin,
Leaving me an ugly boil for others to stare at,
While you fly back to your dark home."
5)*Regarding depression poems.* Don't write these in five minutes like I did unless the emotion that you are feeling is strong and the words flow out of your mouth. Take some time to write.
6)*Ask me!* If you have any questions or suggestions, IM me. Please, give yourself a chance to win. If you are not sure of what I mean by anything that I say, just tell me the problem.
The contest is ends ON MAY 8, 2006. Get cracking.
**-"Save the day" by Train.
♫Just a note: you can write any type of poem that you want within the rules. I've been getting questions about that.♪
For those of you that say, "Hey, Someone, I write pretty good poetry. Who made you the lord of poetry? How can you know?" I invite you to enter this contest not for the points, but for the pride. You will get 350 points and an extra fifty will go to another who can break the typical (if the first place poem is really good, I will give the extra fifty to him/her). Besides, a trophy looks good on your page.
Here are the rules:
1)*NO CLICHÉS!!! I HATE THEM!!* The whole point of the contest is to find out which one of you can make a great poem, not just a good one. No "fire in her eyes" or "I'd do anything for you" and especially not "Cold as ice." They are horrible.
2)*NO EXPLETIVES!!!* Though I love angst poetry, there is more than one way to express loathing than saying FU or to make it rhyme with something other than s---. If you are a talented writer, you will be able to use other words (just look in a book filled with Shakespearean insults).
3)*NO PLAGIARISM!!!* If there is one thing that a writer should not do, it is take someone else's poem and publish it as his own. Seriously, there is a line between allusion and plagiarism. If you have a question, IM me.
Suggestions:
1)*Make your poem unique.* It does not have to be really strong or really short. Depending on the message of the poem, you may want to draft it more than once.
2)*Regarding love poems.* Everyone writes one of these eventually so you have to be careful when writing a love poem. Try to get away from young love that seems so perfect that it necessitates a cliché. Use a line like "She's cool like a soda can sitting on ice".**
3)*Regarding sex poems* Monitors get really iffy about these, so the best idea that I can give you is to make it ambiguous. If Dave Matthews serves as an example, you could say "And when I go down for you, I wanna blow your mind". Like I said, ambiguous.
4)*Regarding angst poems.* Make up new ways of describing hate, such as I have written here:
"You are like the fly that bites me,
Sinking below the skin,
Leaving me an ugly boil for others to stare at,
While you fly back to your dark home."
5)*Regarding depression poems.* Don't write these in five minutes like I did unless the emotion that you are feeling is strong and the words flow out of your mouth. Take some time to write.
6)*Ask me!* If you have any questions or suggestions, IM me. Please, give yourself a chance to win. If you are not sure of what I mean by anything that I say, just tell me the problem.
The contest is ends ON MAY 8, 2006. Get cracking.
**-"Save the day" by Train.
♫Just a note: you can write any type of poem that you want within the rules. I've been getting questions about that.♪
Contest is Over
- Contest was judged on May 26, 2006
- Rewards: Gold: 350
- Final notes: I never expected so many entries, and I cannot believe how long that it took me to finish this contest. I only wish that I has more time, but I am beginning to fear reprocussions by AP. Instead of taking this contest as a judgment, just take it as my opinion of your work. After all, points don't get you anywhere in life.
Because of the limited time that I had on this (and because I was beginning to lose my critical mind-I could not "get in" to the poems near the end), I did not leave a comment on all of your poems like I wanted to. So, if you want a comment on your poem, just let me know by IMing me. Now that this is over, I will re-read some of the best poems and decide who gets the extra fifty points by next week (I am leaving for Washington, D.C. tomorrow, thus no computer access).
~David "Someone"
Entries [21]
1 - 21 of 21
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Ur a liar,
a user,by Empty Closet 43 lines, 1 comment, on Apr 24 5:08 PM 2006. In Personal• Commented on by judge. -
Laugh my tears, dearest
Drink the pain on my lips• Commented on by judge. -
Last night as i tried to sleep,
yet sleep forsake my eyes,• Commented on by judge. -
The black queen, the cruel king,
And the collapse of the universe.• Commented on by judge. -
This is my quest, to win your heartThis is my dream, to be only yoursThis is my destiny, my heart in your handsThis is m• Commented on by judge.
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the weeds grow past your headby Sadistic Lavender 14 lines, 2 comments, on May 6 5:45 PM 2006. In Fantasy• Commented on by judge.
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And although I only sought to read
It grabbed at me inside• Commented on by judge. -
During the year’s final chapter, he comes
out from beneath the sky’s knitted garment.• Commented on by judge. -
Eh...I hope you like it.by Poettramp 42 lines, 2 comments, on May 8 9:30 AM 2006. In Contemporary• Commented on by judge.
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Madge, you don't have the balls
And I suppose you do Betty• Commented on by judge. -
Brought down
By a road side bombby Alvinbenat 16 lines, on May 8 1:16 PM 2006. In Other• Commented on by judge. -
There was a little bunny
Who was hopping home one day• Commented on by judge. -
I don’t want to be normal - what a boring drag I say.
I only have one little waning life and I live it my way.• Commented on by judge. -
Jack says they’re just a pair of shoes
They lie on the tile floor by the stairs• Commented on by judge. -
The rain is falling, he's calling, but he's all alone
And cracks spread fast in the glass and stone• Commented on by judge. -
He always believed that emotions and beliefs were a waste of time.
With nothingness you can only be spared the rawness of everything.• Commented on by judge. -
Trying not to try
is the hardest thing I've ever tried to do.• Commented on by judge. -
(Conor clasped his hand in my mind;
Or at least I pretended.)• Commented on by judge. -
For when a boy is a manby jocelynclaire 25 lines, 2 comments, on May 8 8:19 PM 2006. In Sad• Commented on by judge. -
by pyropoetic 19 lines, 2 comments, on May 8 9:17 PM 2006. In Love• Commented on by judge.
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24 minutes for the non-clicheby wbiro 651 lines, 5 comments, on May 8 11:37 PM 2006. In Contemporary• Commented on by judge.
Bronze trophy winner
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Comments
1 - 12 of 12
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Good idea for a contest! I am so sorry of all this cliché. There is much too much! Hope you have a good turn out for this one.
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Are love, depression and angst the only kind you want or is it open if it is not cliche?
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Hi, I have never written an angst poem or a poem on depression, oh I know what depression is, but don't think it is my scene to write about it, if you decide to do other subjects in another comp let me know, all the best with your comp ,you are bound to have a lot of entries due to the subjects,Di
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One of the things I discovered while in love was that it was almost impossible to be be completely free of cliche. It's a harder trap to get out of than you'd think. Good luck on your contest, though. I'm sure you'll get many a quality poem.
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You can enter any subject that you want, not just the ones that I have listed. All that you need to do is follow the rules and keep it real.
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not guilty
I will return with something "away from the cliche." Until then ... -
It's nice that you have found out about acute accents. However, this sadly does not prevent you from using cliché as a verb and/or an adjective. It is a noun and nothing else. I recommend you to correct this. Let he who is without f*cking sin cast the first f*cking stone.
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I would enter--- y work is by no means cliche-- but I only rhyme, when writing form poetry.
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I think most of what I write contains some cliche or other and I don't care LOL. I just wanted to wish you well with your judging. I hope you find what you were looking for. Good luck
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Good luck to everyone. I didn't use any cliche but does it have to rhyme?
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Thank you so much for chosing my poem!!! This is the first contest I ever won. Congratulations to the 2nd and 3rd place winners. Keep writing!
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congrats to you but I don't think I will ever win these things.
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