Sue Cardwell and I (I am Cricketjeff) are partners in rhyme, and we are both rhymers!
We both write in rhyme most of the time and enjoy reading other rhyming poetry.
We feel that rhymers don’t always get the exposure they should on AP so we want to encourage you all to write in rhyme.
Good rhyming poetry uses a steady rhyming pattern and most flow like cream down a Christmas pudding, so this is what you will need to win, not just a bit of prose with random line breaks and a few random words that sound about the same.
To promote good rhyming poetry, Sue has put up 10,000 points for a series of contests to find the best rhyming poets on AP.
Since then with donations from PassionsPromise, Dragon tamer and a range of others who wish to remain anonymous the prize fund has topped 20,000 points.
We started with a 2000 point challenge to write the best Christmas poem on the site, and are moving through 8 more contests to a grand finale, with a 5000 point contest for new writes.
You may enter as few or as many contests as you wish.
If you can RHYME and SCAN these contests are for you
Contest 1 Christmas 2000 points
Contest 2 Children’s 1000 points
Contest 3 Nature 1000 points
Contest 4 Love! 1250 points
Contest 5 Fantasy 1500 points
Contest 6 Sensual 1500 points
Contest 7 Humour 1250(+) points
Contest 8 Sad/Nostalgia 1500 points
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Contest 9 Feelings 1250
GRAND FINALE 5000 points - This will be for fresh writes only and will include all the previous titles as options, or if there is something you think we have missed, please let Sue or I know and we'll add that as an option too. We will leave the finale open for two full weeks including three weekends, possibly longer to give everyone time to produce a great poem or two.
Each will be a separate contest, so please only post poems pertaining to the subject of that contest.
We will endeavour to interpret the themes quite widely.
Our aim is to see as much really GOOD rhyming poetry as we can.
We encourage you to read other entries and if you comment in rhyme, Jeff will be giving away bonus prizes as we go!
Rhyming poetry only!!!
======================
Rhyming means at least end rhyme and organised rhyming pattern.
A large element of how we judge each round will be on the quality of the rhyme, the flow and the poetry. HOWEVER and two or three entrants have commented on the winners. The best poem will win, not the best written poem, the most difficult poem or the cleverest poem. The poem that feels best to the judges, it will have to have nearly faultless rhyme and flow but after that content will count.
You are much more likely to win with a well written poem that skirts the topic, than a piece of prose with line breaks that is right on the theme, but you are most likely to win with rhyme and flow and emotion and content and word choice all combined into a truly great read.
We are judging all rounds on our own feelings about each poem. We are not implying that the winners are better than those who don't make the final what we are saying is the winners have written poems that appeal most to two inveterate rhymers. Look at the winners of the previous rounds if you want clues as to how to win I would suggest something along the lines of a poem with as near to perfect end rhyme as you can get (if you think your accent differs from two judges from Southern England suggest how any words you think could vary should be pronounced in your poem), wonderful flow, this means partly getting your syllable counts right but mainly read the poem out loud and listen to the result! And pour passion into the content, we are both somewhat sentimental!
For a guide on what we like please read this column
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CONTEST NUMBER 8
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The theme this time is
Sad and or Nostalgia
====================
It is also the place for poems that just "paint a picture" but the picture won't fit into any other category.
You can use the picture Sue has chosen to illustrate your poem or one of your own but no picture is necessary. Please try to make the poems readable!
Make us cry, make us sigh or make us smile with a fond memory. Tug heartstrings, pour on sentiment do whatever it takes.
Free verse can work well in this area, but not in our contest. Formal structures also suit this area well, and it is one round where we won't be likely to penalise you for using arcane language!
There are too many great poets in this area to single them out, and a few of the greatest around now are on AP!
Neither of us like really long poems that much but we will be very fogiving in this round if it is good!
Gold will win 1000 points and a trophy and get prosecuted for causing mass suicides amongst weeping poetry fans.
Silver 300 points and a trophy and shares in a tissue company
Bronze 200 points and a trophy and a sound track of deep sobs.
HM’s and HMs plus points will be added depending on the quality of the entry and we hope will keep us sighing and a sobbing just like the birds of the air when cock Robin was shot.
Rules.
The usual site rules apply.
Please label all poems appropriately. This round is for
sad or nostalgic poetry so we are not really expecting any adult language or themes.
All the best -- Now Get Rhyming
We are bound to get over 50 entries so we will restrict all poets to a Maximum of TWO entries. This is to give us more time to read the others properly.
We will not give more than one major prize to any poet in any round.
Non-rhyming poetry will be DQ'd at once, good poets can read!
We both write in rhyme most of the time and enjoy reading other rhyming poetry.
We feel that rhymers don’t always get the exposure they should on AP so we want to encourage you all to write in rhyme.
Good rhyming poetry uses a steady rhyming pattern and most flow like cream down a Christmas pudding, so this is what you will need to win, not just a bit of prose with random line breaks and a few random words that sound about the same.
To promote good rhyming poetry, Sue has put up 10,000 points for a series of contests to find the best rhyming poets on AP.
Since then with donations from PassionsPromise, Dragon tamer and a range of others who wish to remain anonymous the prize fund has topped 20,000 points.
We started with a 2000 point challenge to write the best Christmas poem on the site, and are moving through 8 more contests to a grand finale, with a 5000 point contest for new writes.
You may enter as few or as many contests as you wish.
If you can RHYME and SCAN these contests are for you
Contest 1 Christmas 2000 points
Contest 2 Children’s 1000 points
Contest 3 Nature 1000 points
Contest 4 Love! 1250 points
Contest 5 Fantasy 1500 points
Contest 6 Sensual 1500 points
Contest 7 Humour 1250(+) points
Contest 8 Sad/Nostalgia 1500 points
=====================================
Contest 9 Feelings 1250
GRAND FINALE 5000 points - This will be for fresh writes only and will include all the previous titles as options, or if there is something you think we have missed, please let Sue or I know and we'll add that as an option too. We will leave the finale open for two full weeks including three weekends, possibly longer to give everyone time to produce a great poem or two.
Each will be a separate contest, so please only post poems pertaining to the subject of that contest.
We will endeavour to interpret the themes quite widely.
Our aim is to see as much really GOOD rhyming poetry as we can.
We encourage you to read other entries and if you comment in rhyme, Jeff will be giving away bonus prizes as we go!
Rhyming poetry only!!!
======================
Rhyming means at least end rhyme and organised rhyming pattern.
A large element of how we judge each round will be on the quality of the rhyme, the flow and the poetry. HOWEVER and two or three entrants have commented on the winners. The best poem will win, not the best written poem, the most difficult poem or the cleverest poem. The poem that feels best to the judges, it will have to have nearly faultless rhyme and flow but after that content will count.
You are much more likely to win with a well written poem that skirts the topic, than a piece of prose with line breaks that is right on the theme, but you are most likely to win with rhyme and flow and emotion and content and word choice all combined into a truly great read.
We are judging all rounds on our own feelings about each poem. We are not implying that the winners are better than those who don't make the final what we are saying is the winners have written poems that appeal most to two inveterate rhymers. Look at the winners of the previous rounds if you want clues as to how to win I would suggest something along the lines of a poem with as near to perfect end rhyme as you can get (if you think your accent differs from two judges from Southern England suggest how any words you think could vary should be pronounced in your poem), wonderful flow, this means partly getting your syllable counts right but mainly read the poem out loud and listen to the result! And pour passion into the content, we are both somewhat sentimental!
For a guide on what we like please read this column
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTEST NUMBER 8
==================
The theme this time is
Sad and or Nostalgia
====================
It is also the place for poems that just "paint a picture" but the picture won't fit into any other category.
You can use the picture Sue has chosen to illustrate your poem or one of your own but no picture is necessary. Please try to make the poems readable!
Make us cry, make us sigh or make us smile with a fond memory. Tug heartstrings, pour on sentiment do whatever it takes.
Free verse can work well in this area, but not in our contest. Formal structures also suit this area well, and it is one round where we won't be likely to penalise you for using arcane language!
There are too many great poets in this area to single them out, and a few of the greatest around now are on AP!
Neither of us like really long poems that much but we will be very fogiving in this round if it is good!
Gold will win 1000 points and a trophy and get prosecuted for causing mass suicides amongst weeping poetry fans.
Silver 300 points and a trophy and shares in a tissue company
Bronze 200 points and a trophy and a sound track of deep sobs.
HM’s and HMs plus points will be added depending on the quality of the entry and we hope will keep us sighing and a sobbing just like the birds of the air when cock Robin was shot.
Rules.
The usual site rules apply.
Please label all poems appropriately. This round is for
sad or nostalgic poetry so we are not really expecting any adult language or themes.
All the best -- Now Get Rhyming
We are bound to get over 50 entries so we will restrict all poets to a Maximum of TWO entries. This is to give us more time to read the others properly.
We will not give more than one major prize to any poet in any round.
Non-rhyming poetry will be DQ'd at once, good poets can read!
Contest is Over
- Contest was judged on January 24, 2008
- Rewards: Gold: 1000, Silver: 300, Bronze: 200, Honorable mention: 28 people
- Final notes: Since you have given us such joy with your poems, I shall repay with one of my own to start this week.
The battle of the Elves and Wizards
We set two themes for all to use this time
Sad was one, nostalgia number two
We know that all you poets love to rhyme
And now we know what else it is you do
Legend set the hottest early pace
Little Emma makes a dead man cry
But now his poem's down to second place
Amera's Loneness is the reason why
The same two poets would be fourth and third
But our rules say that this cannot be
So bronze is now Potanical's best word
A name that we are very glad to see
HMs we will be giving out a few
And also lots of thanks to all of you
This was amongst the hardest contests to decide the gold for. The top four poems emerged very early, the first time in all the rounds that two poets have produced the top four, and quite clearly. So the next job was to pick the best from each and compare those for gold. It wasn't easy to chose the best for each poet and comparing them was harder still. Little Emma is beautifully written and such a powerful tear inducer that it could be used to replace CS gas. However Amera's poem was perfectly on theme, both themes actually, and is also near to perfection on every other count. So if you really want a sad sad poem that is still beautiful read Legend's, but Amera's was in the end a clear gold. Please read it, all of you. Only read Legend's if you have tissues to hand!
Anne Potts has supported us all the way through so it is with particular pleasure we give her a proper cup this time. This poem in almost any AP contest would be a worthy gold winner, and will finish your box of tissues. Including Amera and Legend's second poems there are 9 HM+s, any one of these poems we would have been proud to award a gold to in any other contest, they will each receive 60 points. There are another 19, yes count them 19!!! HMs, many other finallists could have been given cups too but these 19 are especially noteworthy, either wonderfully sad or nostalgic or superbly written.
We now have a very clear leader in the overall standings, but the second place runner can still catch up and take gold. Anyone else, even a new entrant can capture second place. The overall best poem has four outstanding contenders, but we are not say which. I am tempted after judging this marathon to beg none of you to enter any later rounds but in the end the total delight that the poetry has given us both overcomes that, please enter your very best "feelings poem in round 9 or 9a (only one poem in each please!) don't enter one poem twice and note that no-one will win two major cups. Then start to write for us the very best rhyming poem you have ever heard of and enter it into round 10, this is for fresh writes only.
Contest Winners
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• Viewed by judge. Prewrite [remove]
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Your memories are many,
locked up inside your head.by annamoy 48 lines, 21 comments, on Mar 1 1:51 PM 2006. In Sad, Society, Alzheimers
Bronze trophy winner
• Viewed by judge. Prewrite [remove] -
• Viewed by judge. Prewrite [remove]
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by amaranthine lover 24 lines, 2 comments, on Jan 16 10:58 PM 2008. In Contemporary, Contest, Abstract, Fantasy, Dark, meditative ballad, noguest
Honorable mention
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Alas once more, aged fingers clasp
his pen, his key, to open hasp• Viewed by judge. Prewrite [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item 3807661, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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Looking through the window of a taxi
The last time i would see your face• Viewed by judge. Prewrite [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item 3804257, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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Speeding, to the cornershop,,
on my brand, new bike,• Viewed by judge. [remove] -
This walk he’d walked so many times
a young man working on the lines,by Haunted-Memory 31 lines, 9 comments, on Jan 11 9:49 AM 2008. In Life, Other, Thoughts, Sad, Lost in thought Honorable mention
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He had a hundred heartbeats stuck inside his throat,
eyes devouring words upon the paper that she wrote.by jamiedoring 36 lines, 23 comments, on Dec 14 10:50 AM 2007. In pain, miscarriage, infertility, suicide, angst Honorable mention
• Viewed by judge. Prewrite [remove] -
A love story set in the first world war.• Viewed by judge. [remove]
- Error: Unable to find finalist item 230978, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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I'm waiting here to die
why don't you look and see,• Viewed by judge. Prewrite [remove] -
From the pasture she heard their call, Horses running to their stall.• Viewed by judge. [remove]
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In this accurséd den,
at the whim of lustful men,• Viewed by judge. Prewrite [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item 3795931, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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As days go by,
it is a shame,• Viewed by judge. Prewrite [remove] -
I never thought I could be free / Now I can see / All of this pain / wasn't in vain / A reason to believe it's true / It will be you / holdby Billythekid 14 lines, 7 comments, on Jun 2 12:55 PM 2007. In Personal• Viewed by judge. Prewrite [remove]
- Error: Unable to find finalist item 3806991, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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What it's like to trip through a world of illusion and reality mixed toghether...by AutumnsFlame 33 lines, 12 comments, on Apr 30 9:40 PM 2007• Viewed by judge. Prewrite [remove]
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A love with flaws can still sustain.
A crazed jug holds the brew that heals.• Viewed by judge. Prewrite [remove] -
Into the cemetery of broken hearts
Lies the shadows jumping out of the grave• Viewed by judge. Prewrite [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item 2263350, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
Gold trophy winner
Silver trophy winner
Entries [51]
1 - 51 of 51
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God’s embodied word,
A miracle occurred.• Viewed by judge. Prewrite -
What would happen in heaven above
If all the angels died,• Viewed by judge. Prewrite -
Pondering visit through deaths door
Distant feelings, burnt out pour,by Blankscreen2222 41 lines, 13 comments, on Jan 14 6:09 PM 2007. In Dark rambling, Lost in thought, The past. Life, Personal Sadness, Pain, Loss• Viewed by judge. Prewrite -
Mother's Day approaches / it comes so fast this year / with ever passing spring time / it leaves behind more tears / No matter how many yeby jacbgd2 31 lines, 1 comment, on Apr 26 11:36 PM 2007. In My life, Lost in thought, My own style, Personal, Love, Inspirational, Message• Viewed by judge. Prewrite
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Have I told you, mother, I love you today?• Viewed by judge. Prewrite
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I want to hover back upon the train tracks
Of our robbery run, where our crazed stacks• Viewed by judge. -
inspired by "the story of my life"• Viewed by judge. Prewrite
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You had before you a bride of blue sky
Blossoming cherry torch to her bright sideby BermudaHighway 19 lines, 9 comments, on Jan 11 10:26 PM 2008• Viewed by judge. Prewrite -
We once were jovial youths stamping and stealing soft hearts,
Upon the fields of mysterial sinning and crime-spinning.by nunchaks 36 lines, 4 comments, on Dec 19 1:58 PM 2007• Viewed by judge. Prewrite -
Grew up with an uncle whose veins flowed with spaghetti and clams
He yelled “”AY”” when you approached him and spit words with his hands• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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Comments
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Nostalgia
I'll see if I can come up with something.. -
How much longer is this open? Or is it closed?
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I thought it closed tonight, but I think I got the date wrong and it will close tomorrow night. Either way a part of me doesn't want it to close because the marking for this round is going to be VERY tough! very very high standard.
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Thank You
Once again another brilliant contest both Sue and Jeff supplied us with here Thanks for the Hm all my best wishes Brian.
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