Update: I have been concentrating on the Preditors and Editors Polls http://allpoetry.com/poem/2507046
The polls close Sunday at midnight, and then I will be able to get the entries judged. I appreciate your patience.
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Don’t enter this contest if you don’t read all the contest guidelines.
There are two kinds of poets. There are those poets who have something to say, who sweat out every poem, looking for the right image, the right metaphor, symbol, or simile to convey their thoughts to the reader. Those poets are always looking for critical feedback in order to help them grow as writers. They seek fresh perspectives of their poems in order to make improvements.
The second kind of poet is the one who posts every insane, inane cliché that dribbles from their brain. They don’t revise anything because they do not know how to use criticism to improve their writing. If you offer them a suggestion they become indignant and attack you for questioning their “art.”
If you are among the second kind of poet, don’t enter this contest. I spend a lot of time critiquing the poems that are entered in my contests, and I don’t like wasting my time on those who do not appreciate it.
I critique every poem with the idea of making it publishable. I use the things I have learned in college, from editing my own magazine, and from submitting my own poetry to publishers.
I am very specific about the kind of poetry I am looking for, as well as the fact that I will give the reader a critical comment. Still, every time I hold a contest, someone who entered gets offended because I make suggestions on how to improve their writing. I’ve even had people who go and rip my writing to shreds after I critique theirs- but I don’t claim that my writing is above critique. As a matter of fact, I always welcome a critical critique.
Below are the guidelines for entering this contest. I can’t stop you from entering something completely inappropriate, but I can and will remove any poems that do not follow the guidelines. I am very specific about what I want, and I am very specific about what I do not want.
Grammar
Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization count! Even in the title!
Show, Don't Tell
Poems that tell instead of show will be disqualified.
Be Original!
I tend to like things that make a statement about society, or help me to see something in a new light. I want poems that make me say, "Aha!"
Don’t be Cliché
Clichés offer prefabricated phrasing that may be used without effort on your part. They are thus used at the expense individuality. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. If you're depending on a stock phrase, you're letting someone else do half your thinking for you.
Don't be Preachy!
If I want a sermon, I will go to church. Good poetry allows the reader to draw their own conclusions, so please don't give me a poem with a moral.
Imagery
Imagery is important in poetry. It gives reader a mental picture of what's going on in the piece. You don't have to go overboard with description, but don't be too abstract either. The less I can picture what's happening, the less I can understand it, and the less I understand it, the lower your chances of winning.
Adjectives
Poems that use too many adjectives will be disqualified. People make the mistake of thinking that they are being descriptive when they use adjectives, but an adjective’s job is to tell. A poet’s job is to show.
Meaning!
You can't just pour in images for no reason. Everything that's in a piece needs to have a reason for being there, including the piece itself, and make the meaning universal. Something that has personal meaning to you, but makes no sense to anyone else, is not appropriate for this contest.
Getting It
I read each poem more than once, so I don't expect to understand it everything right away, but there should at least be a mood or a vibe that I can pick up right away. If it looks like random words on the page after I’ve read it to myself and out loud, then I’m going to treat it like random words.
Line Breaks
Line breaks are very important. Even freeform poetry has a pattern for line breaks. You can't just hit return whenever your line starts getting too long. If the line breaks are jarring and don't flow, it can ruin the piece.
Trim the Fat
Again, it's about meaning. If you get excessive with your words, you're probably veering off course. We've read pieces where whole stanzas could (and should) have been omitted without any loss to the piece.
You can usually cut out the majority of adjectives and adverbs, modifiers, conjunctions, present participles, definitive articles, and pronouns. When you have done that, what you have left is the imagery, which should be the backbone of your poem along with strong nouns and verbs.
Rhyme
My first reaction is to groan when I read something that rhymes. Yes, it is a valid feature of some poetry, but in the wrong hands it overpowers a poem and forces the poem to do its bidding, so enter rhyming poems at your own risk, and don‘t whine to me if I tell you it is forced.
Antique Language
It never fails to amaze me that some people feel throwing words like thy, thee, and thou into poetry makes it more poetic. People don't talk like that anymore, and so throwing antique language in becomes a mannerism, and that is not what poetry is about.
No Whining
If your dog just died, or you just lost your boyfriend, or your great aunt's second cousin was diagnosed with terminal ugly and you feel like you have to write about it, go right ahead, but don't enter it in this contest. Share it with your friends, your family or your therapist, but I don't want to see it.
Tough Critiques
If you enter this contest, I assume you are prepared for a tough critique of your writing. Every contest I hold, someone gets upset because I tell them how to improve their poem. If you think your poetry is above revision, or you can't handle a tough critique of your poetry, then save yourself the grief of entering this contest.
Naturally you're thinking, that this is just my personal taste. You bet. All contest holders have their own personal opinions of what they want to see. If you don't like it, enter your in another contest. Better yet, start one of your own. You'll soon see you're no different.
If you don't follow the rules, your poem will be removed from the contest.
Now that you have read all the guidelines, here are the contest themes- write on any one of these choices:
Occam’s Razor
Déjà vu
Murphy’s Law
Laisser faire
Manifest Destiny
I prefer that you use them metaphorically rather than literally.
The polls close Sunday at midnight, and then I will be able to get the entries judged. I appreciate your patience.
______________________________________________
Don’t enter this contest if you don’t read all the contest guidelines.
There are two kinds of poets. There are those poets who have something to say, who sweat out every poem, looking for the right image, the right metaphor, symbol, or simile to convey their thoughts to the reader. Those poets are always looking for critical feedback in order to help them grow as writers. They seek fresh perspectives of their poems in order to make improvements.
The second kind of poet is the one who posts every insane, inane cliché that dribbles from their brain. They don’t revise anything because they do not know how to use criticism to improve their writing. If you offer them a suggestion they become indignant and attack you for questioning their “art.”
If you are among the second kind of poet, don’t enter this contest. I spend a lot of time critiquing the poems that are entered in my contests, and I don’t like wasting my time on those who do not appreciate it.
I critique every poem with the idea of making it publishable. I use the things I have learned in college, from editing my own magazine, and from submitting my own poetry to publishers.
I am very specific about the kind of poetry I am looking for, as well as the fact that I will give the reader a critical comment. Still, every time I hold a contest, someone who entered gets offended because I make suggestions on how to improve their writing. I’ve even had people who go and rip my writing to shreds after I critique theirs- but I don’t claim that my writing is above critique. As a matter of fact, I always welcome a critical critique.
Below are the guidelines for entering this contest. I can’t stop you from entering something completely inappropriate, but I can and will remove any poems that do not follow the guidelines. I am very specific about what I want, and I am very specific about what I do not want.
Grammar
Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization count! Even in the title!
Show, Don't Tell
Poems that tell instead of show will be disqualified.
Be Original!
I tend to like things that make a statement about society, or help me to see something in a new light. I want poems that make me say, "Aha!"
Don’t be Cliché
Clichés offer prefabricated phrasing that may be used without effort on your part. They are thus used at the expense individuality. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. If you're depending on a stock phrase, you're letting someone else do half your thinking for you.
Don't be Preachy!
If I want a sermon, I will go to church. Good poetry allows the reader to draw their own conclusions, so please don't give me a poem with a moral.
Imagery
Imagery is important in poetry. It gives reader a mental picture of what's going on in the piece. You don't have to go overboard with description, but don't be too abstract either. The less I can picture what's happening, the less I can understand it, and the less I understand it, the lower your chances of winning.
Adjectives
Poems that use too many adjectives will be disqualified. People make the mistake of thinking that they are being descriptive when they use adjectives, but an adjective’s job is to tell. A poet’s job is to show.
Meaning!
You can't just pour in images for no reason. Everything that's in a piece needs to have a reason for being there, including the piece itself, and make the meaning universal. Something that has personal meaning to you, but makes no sense to anyone else, is not appropriate for this contest.
Getting It
I read each poem more than once, so I don't expect to understand it everything right away, but there should at least be a mood or a vibe that I can pick up right away. If it looks like random words on the page after I’ve read it to myself and out loud, then I’m going to treat it like random words.
Line Breaks
Line breaks are very important. Even freeform poetry has a pattern for line breaks. You can't just hit return whenever your line starts getting too long. If the line breaks are jarring and don't flow, it can ruin the piece.
Trim the Fat
Again, it's about meaning. If you get excessive with your words, you're probably veering off course. We've read pieces where whole stanzas could (and should) have been omitted without any loss to the piece.
You can usually cut out the majority of adjectives and adverbs, modifiers, conjunctions, present participles, definitive articles, and pronouns. When you have done that, what you have left is the imagery, which should be the backbone of your poem along with strong nouns and verbs.
Rhyme
My first reaction is to groan when I read something that rhymes. Yes, it is a valid feature of some poetry, but in the wrong hands it overpowers a poem and forces the poem to do its bidding, so enter rhyming poems at your own risk, and don‘t whine to me if I tell you it is forced.
Antique Language
It never fails to amaze me that some people feel throwing words like thy, thee, and thou into poetry makes it more poetic. People don't talk like that anymore, and so throwing antique language in becomes a mannerism, and that is not what poetry is about.
No Whining
If your dog just died, or you just lost your boyfriend, or your great aunt's second cousin was diagnosed with terminal ugly and you feel like you have to write about it, go right ahead, but don't enter it in this contest. Share it with your friends, your family or your therapist, but I don't want to see it.
Tough Critiques
If you enter this contest, I assume you are prepared for a tough critique of your writing. Every contest I hold, someone gets upset because I tell them how to improve their poem. If you think your poetry is above revision, or you can't handle a tough critique of your poetry, then save yourself the grief of entering this contest.
Naturally you're thinking, that this is just my personal taste. You bet. All contest holders have their own personal opinions of what they want to see. If you don't like it, enter your in another contest. Better yet, start one of your own. You'll soon see you're no different.
If you don't follow the rules, your poem will be removed from the contest.
Now that you have read all the guidelines, here are the contest themes- write on any one of these choices:
Occam’s Razor
Déjà vu
Murphy’s Law
Laisser faire
Manifest Destiny
I prefer that you use them metaphorically rather than literally.
Contest is Over
- Contest was judged on January 17, 2007
- Rewards: Gold: 300, Silver: 75, Bronze: 50, Honorable mention: 3 people
- Final notes: Thanks to everyone who entered. I commented on everyone's poem, so I will keep this short. Thanks to everyone who entered.
Contest Winners
- Error: Unable to find finalist item 2454955, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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We moved in
under an arcade of• Commented on by judge. [remove] -
Greed’s Manifest Destiny, a convoy of oil tanks
led by Generals of renown, drunk on the blood of mankind,• Commented on by judge. [remove] -
Constructive critiques welcomed.by Annalise 118 lines, 26 comments, on Jan 1 12:04 PM 2007. In Contemporary, Odd Musings, Time-Line
Honorable mention
• Commented on by judge. [remove] -
• Commented on by judge. [remove]
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• Commented on by judge. [remove]
- Error: Unable to find finalist item 2499600, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
Silver trophy winner
Bronze trophy winner
Entries [15]
1 - 15 of 15
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Your Right Take away for your own use,steal awaywhat others prize,for it’s your rightunder your own hand. Claim your rights,fulfiby pattyann4500 27 lines, 19 comments, on Dec 26 10:41 PM 2006• Commented on by judge.
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I went for Deja Vu, it sounds more like Alzheimers. Hope you enjoyed, or tolerated it. I usually rhyme, but decided to go with the suggestiby AirTimmith 50 lines, 2 comments, on Jan 7 1:55 PM 2007• Commented on by judge.
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We all sat in rows like paragraphs
And we were read off, cast into unknown chapters• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
Future, at present, foretold in times past.
Lucid, Overt. Destiny manifest.by sheltered 10 lines, 2 comments, on Dec 28 7:18 PM 2006• Commented on by judge. -
this ones on the title Deja Vu...• Commented on by judge.
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Insanity in a huge heap,
Depressions knee deep,• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
Add a comment
Comments
1 - 25 of 25
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Great idea for a contest. Also, I agree with you on critiquing. If we post our poetry on this website aren't we basically telling people we want comments? It's not as if we are getting published on here and even if we were, we'd need opinions. Can't always get positive reviews. It's the only way to grow to get criticism and to give it. No matter how good the poet, the audience is his/her rarget and therefore their opinion counts tones. I love teaching people and being taught. I have learnt so much since being on this site and for that I am so greatful. Sorry for blabbering on, good contest idea. I'll see what I can do. Good luck judging all those 100! x x x
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You can blabber all you want
I look forward to your entry! 
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OKay I agree with critique and some rules but you are just being unfair and picky!!!
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I earned the points I am using for this contest, so I can be as unfair and picky as I want. If you don't like it, there are hundreds of other contests you can enter.
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oh....wow...
i would really love to enter this contest, but im scared stiff...over all, i love the idea and your introduction tickeled me...best of luck in your contest!!! hope u recieve what your looking for!!
~Jalisa -
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My bark is worse than my bite.
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thank you
I am so thankful there are talented poets willing to take the time to help us write better. I am not saying this for brownie point cause I know that wouldn't work with you - you are honest and I appreciate that so much! -
ARGH
This is so awesome. I love this contest. I would enter if it weren't for the terrible timing! SOOOO busy. Can't wait to read some of the entries though.
-Nick
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Don't worry, I host contests like this all the time You can catch the next one.
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Oh! I just love the beginning of this contest.
I just held a contest, and made it as open as possible. I only asked 3 simple things. More than a few people still entered blindly...
This is bookmarked. I don't think I have a prewrite that would fit... so that means I'm off to think up something fresh.
Which just gave me an idea for this contest.
See? These contests are inspiring from the get-go.
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Thank you for the invite.
I will keep this contest in mind, should I have something appropriate~ -
Agreement of your contest
rI agree Danna,,,
Seeing those Old English words like 'thee' or 'thy' has gotten to the point of being not only over-rated but entirely cliche. I will try to enter a fresh write before the contest ends (it'll be somewhat hard to do seeing how my birthday is that sunday)
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Picking up the gauntlet....
Would love to get into this contest, because I welcome and need the critique from someone with some intelligence, talent and experience. Want to enter a recent prewrite, but doesn't really fit your themes. Need to contemplate the possibilities further...Keep fighting the good fight for quality poetry. -
oh wow i never saw a contest like this! lol.. it looks very challenging.. and very intresting! lol... sorry i dont mean to go on and on... but i like the idea that you know what your looking for... and you're very straight fwd abt it! best of luck in hosting this contest! ive enterd... but i dont think im gud enuf fer u yet! lol. well cheerz!
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Well poo, I was so hoping to enter this contest because I agree with every statement regarding critiques that you've made, but then you have themes! And I have nothing to offer to your themes, but a lot to offer that would follow your critiquing guidelines. So can you tell me if you're going to be offering anything like this contest but with more theme variety? I was even so happy to see that you were allowing pre-writes.
Well, good luck in with your contest. We need more like this.
Nick -
I won't be entering this contest because I find I don't write as well as I should when given a theme and made to write about it. Rather, these themes will stick in my head and maybe someday I will write a poem freely thanks to this inspiration.
I just wanted to tell you that I think you holding a contest like this with all the specifcs written out is really what this site needs. I was really on board with everything you wrote in the guidelines and even though I am just a teenager, I agree with everything you said and I only wish I could get some solid critiques once in awhile. Too many times I've heard WOW THIS IS GREAT when I know it's not completely great. There's always room for improvement and I've found the reason I haven't edited a lot of my poetry is because I don't know how to make it better. That's why I know there's tons of benefit letting others read what you've written. An outside eye can see things that could be fixed and made better that sometimes the writer cannot.
so I was hoping, if you have the time, to check out some of my works. I really am set on improving. I'm always told I'm a really good writer, but I'm never told what I can improve on.
And if you do get the chance to critique any of my things, I'm ready for a challenging critique. I won't get mad or upset because someone finally said something wasn't up to scratch.
I hope the contest goes well
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I agree. I got a lot out of reading the contest requirements.
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Congratulations to all winners. I am surprised and honoured with HM. Thanks Danna.
~Sonja~ -
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Thanks for entering.
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Thank you for the HM
and congrats to the trophy winners... especially Cherokee, who was merely hoping for a green trophy and ended up with the gold!
Thanks for another great contest!
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That's the truth! I told Annalise last night that I was shootin' for Preliminary Finalist.
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This is the first of my contests in a long time that you did not win. I guess it was time to give someone else a chance. Tiffany and I are talking about holding another one together, so we hope you will enter.
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LOL Yeah, I was getting spoiled.
Yep. I'll be entering as long as you guys keep posting contests.
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No freakin' way...
I don't even know what to say. I am friggin'flabbergasted! I'm just glad this message isn't being critiqued. 
But, seriously, thank you so much. I am so happy! First, I get a day off work for snow and now this! Congratulations to everybody. I'm glad I didn't have to judge.
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I just hope that you will keep entering such great poems into my contests. You guys all inspired me this time around.
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Adding your comment:
1 - 25 of 25
