Hi people. It is Duana here, for yet another fun creative original contest! If you don't believe me, check out all my other closed contests for all the fun everyone had.
Okay the form is called progressive metaphor, created by Melphleg. Don't let the name scare you- it's actually very simple, but fun.
Okay here is what you do people(step by step):
1)First come up with five different metaphors for any given concept you want to write about.
Write them down now, before you read on and chicken out!
You must write a 5 line stanza for each metaphor.
2)Now write your first 5 line stanza for your first metaphor.
Don't worry about dreaded meter(yeah!!!).
Rules for each stanza:
You must end every single sentence with a summary word of the metaphor itself,(hint: use your thesaurus)
your last word of every first line of each stanza must rhyme with each other, so choose your first sentence carefully. (hint, use: www.rhymezone.com)...
Your fifth line in each stanza must summarize the entire metaphore, and each final fifth line of every stanza must rhyme together.
3)Now for the sixth stanza join all the metaphors together. See example. This will be your hardest part of the whole poem.
4)Now write a 7th stanza. This last stanza must contain all the metaphors, and spell it out to the reader what you meant by each one. So lets say you use garden,house, heart, soul, ocean. You say, my garden is life, my house is love etc etc...whatever it was you were using the metaphor for.
5)Finally if you want to add to the form go ahead. IE add meter(if you are a meter genius), or use a pattern of alliteration, or use a progressive syllable count- whatever your mind can create- do this and you obviously gain an edge in winning.
I don't like rules so I won't state any. Just follow the form. I assume you will do your best if you want to win. Your poem will be judge on it's emotional depth and profoundity. But have fun
Here is an example by Mephleg himself, but please don't freak out. Just follow the steps, and you will be able to do.
In my garden of weeds
Grows a single flower
Its beauty contrasts
Against its life choking
Surrounding.
In my house of needs
I shelter all the pain
This world offers
To discourage hope
Resounding.
In my heart of adult concedes
Lives a little child
Wondering about my words
Forming delightful beauty
Sounding.
In my soul that bleeds
Harvests lives shared
Of friends and loved ones
Forming deepened roots
Grounding.
In my ocean deep
Are my salty tears
Of my joys and sorrows
Giving rise to mountains
Abounding.
My house stands by the ocean.
My soul is fueled by my heart.
By these my garden is nurtured.
My garden is life.
My house is love.
My heart is memory.
My soul is intimacy.
My ocean is hope.
If you need more examples look here allpoetry.com/list/7120
Good luck. Gold takes 400. Silver 200, and Bronze 100!
Okay the form is called progressive metaphor, created by Melphleg. Don't let the name scare you- it's actually very simple, but fun.
Okay here is what you do people(step by step):
1)First come up with five different metaphors for any given concept you want to write about.
Write them down now, before you read on and chicken out!
You must write a 5 line stanza for each metaphor.
2)Now write your first 5 line stanza for your first metaphor.
Don't worry about dreaded meter(yeah!!!).
Rules for each stanza:
You must end every single sentence with a summary word of the metaphor itself,(hint: use your thesaurus)
your last word of every first line of each stanza must rhyme with each other, so choose your first sentence carefully. (hint, use: www.rhymezone.com)...
Your fifth line in each stanza must summarize the entire metaphore, and each final fifth line of every stanza must rhyme together.
3)Now for the sixth stanza join all the metaphors together. See example. This will be your hardest part of the whole poem.
4)Now write a 7th stanza. This last stanza must contain all the metaphors, and spell it out to the reader what you meant by each one. So lets say you use garden,house, heart, soul, ocean. You say, my garden is life, my house is love etc etc...whatever it was you were using the metaphor for.
5)Finally if you want to add to the form go ahead. IE add meter(if you are a meter genius), or use a pattern of alliteration, or use a progressive syllable count- whatever your mind can create- do this and you obviously gain an edge in winning.
I don't like rules so I won't state any. Just follow the form. I assume you will do your best if you want to win. Your poem will be judge on it's emotional depth and profoundity. But have fun
Here is an example by Mephleg himself, but please don't freak out. Just follow the steps, and you will be able to do.
In my garden of weeds
Grows a single flower
Its beauty contrasts
Against its life choking
Surrounding.
In my house of needs
I shelter all the pain
This world offers
To discourage hope
Resounding.
In my heart of adult concedes
Lives a little child
Wondering about my words
Forming delightful beauty
Sounding.
In my soul that bleeds
Harvests lives shared
Of friends and loved ones
Forming deepened roots
Grounding.
In my ocean deep
Are my salty tears
Of my joys and sorrows
Giving rise to mountains
Abounding.
My house stands by the ocean.
My soul is fueled by my heart.
By these my garden is nurtured.
My garden is life.
My house is love.
My heart is memory.
My soul is intimacy.
My ocean is hope.
If you need more examples look here allpoetry.com/list/7120
Good luck. Gold takes 400. Silver 200, and Bronze 100!
Contest is Over
- Contest was judged on October 3, 2004
- Rewards: Gold: 400
- Final notes: Everyone submitted wonderful poems making it very hard to judge. Everyone deserves much credit for taking up the challenge. We enjoyed reading some very excellent poems. It was a great pleasure seeing poets use this form. A few went beyond the original form adding more rhyme. We were very impressed. That is not an easy thing to do.
Our final choices were
Gold - Outside My Window - This piece followed the form perfectly and added to it by adding a rhyme scheme. The metaphors were excellent and progressive.
Silver - Colours of the Night - This piece had wonderful imagery and followed the form well. While it deviated slightly from the original form, it did so in a way that added to it.
Bronze - Where Night Dreams Play - This piece also followed the form perfectly. The metaphors were excellent and painted good pictures.
In a close 4th and 5th place were
Love Storm
and
Reflections
These two we decided to award honorable mentions and 50 points each.
All poems were wonderful and so we decided to applaud every poem for the great effort and achievement.
Entries [2]
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• Commented on by judge.
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The backyard is my place,
To shed all the fears.by Forgotten Heartbeat 30 lines, 10 comments, on Sep 29 8:47 PM 2004. In Personal, Dark, Hope
Gold trophy winner
• Commented on by judge.
Silver trophy winner
Add a comment
Comments
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well that is a very well thought out contest and description. The required form is interesting as well.
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Yikes! Sounds like a well thought out contest.. but I am not sure I can do it, lol. This will certainly be a challange. I'll give it my best shot, but I can't garantee any poem of high quality, lol.
Edited on Sep 14, 11:29 p.m. because 'typo'. -
This sounds like a very challenging contest indeed. I really like the idea of contests that challenge the mind and the poetic expression of writers. I will definitely give it a go, if I find the right words to write. I can’t make any promises, of course.
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Interesting. I think it's great to see someone actually trying to develop another style. Somebody developed the others so why can't you? I will be watching this one.
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Not usually my type of poetry, but it never hurts to try. I think it's an interesting contest idea to say the least, and I hope you get tons and tons of entries.
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hehehe...HELLO, my Friend!!! I'll see what I can do...still moving, though...we'll see...glad to have 'been of service' in whatever remote manner you perceived...(nuh uh! WAS ALL YOU...) 
Wanda
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ok. That was a cryptic comment
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It is definitily an interesting poem style. Your example was both emotional and profound I think. Um . . . I'm gonna try to think of one that works but I can't gaurentee anything. Tons of Luck.
Keep On x x (Bottled) -
sounds interesting, i shall have to see if i can come up with something.
the example was lovely, by the way.
elizabeth -
I so love metaphors. Like ice cream for breakfast
And I liked your example as well.
I will be submitting something!!! -
interesting style. the only thing i did NOT like was the where you had to state what the metaphors at the end. thats spoils the fun for me, i like making my readers think over all a great idea!
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You don't have to make the last lines clear. It just adds more explanation. See some of the other examples. I'd be interested in seeing you entry and interpretation of the style.
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Wow, if I had any confidence with metaphor I would jump at this, it is a tremendous form.
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I have been looking at this contest for days.. I find it almost dauting, lol. I am still unsure if I'll give it a try or not. Very challangeing indeed.
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My first contestant was only 12 years old. If she can meet the challenge, so can you. Besides, to be good contest. I need more than 2 entries
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If you're still planning to enter (and I hope you ARE), you are running out of time. I'd love to read what you can produce.
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ooooh, i'm not good with metaphors, but really, i loved the example that was given. very beautiful!
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OOPS I thought this was a different contest, I already commented that metaphor is one of my weaknesses!
BTW I used to be Peaseeker, so I'm letting you know about my name change as a way to get more points on my comment!
If I have a brain wave, I'll be back.
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hehe seems like I was in the process of writing my poem when this contest changed..hope it still fits!
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I clicked because it sounded interesting... I honestly don't know if I'm up to the challenge, it's been a while since I wrote anything good... let alone an original for a contest. Well, I am good with metaphors, and I'm familiar with both thesaurus.com and rhymezone.com so perhaps I can scrape up an idea or two. I did have on question- if we're supposed to use 5 metaphors wouldn't the whole poem be 6 total stanzas? One per metaphor and then the final one tying them together? Anyways great challenge!
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What happened to step three, about the last lines of each stanza all rhyming?
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That last word in each stanza does not have to rhyme. See the other examples in the link. Only the last word of the first line needs to rhyme. See step 2
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I wrote my poem before the full rules were posting..hope it still fits!
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It should fit. Duana just tried to make the style easier to understand. Nothing has really changed. She was just clarifying the explanation.
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No, it's 7 stanzas. The first 5 are the metaphors. The 6ths joins the metaphors. The last is a final summary, explanation, or defining of the metaphors
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Interesting, but I think I'll stick to my typical style!
In Power and Honor,
-Everyones Dead -
great contest but i don't think i could write anything gooid enough
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Oh, my wondrous Friends!!! 
melphleg asked me to consider entering...but I am still just swamped!!! Still finishing up at the old house...my Time is not my own...& only one day left to enter? Rhyming is NOT my strong suit...nor is structured form...which is why I write mostly free verse...some rhymes, some forms, yes...but not in a long time...I'm afraid I cannot enter this one...wish I could & felt comfortable with the form...which is melphleg's strong suit...& Duana writes sonnets like I do free verse!!! I must humbly decline, this time, my Friends...next time, I Hope!!! Bet you'll have fun judging, though!!! Be well, my Friends...Hope to be able to get back online more consistently soon...but after the house gets done & put up for sale...then the job hunt ensues 24/7 until I get one... Wanda
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I would like to enter. But I agree with freewill, i dont htink I could write anything good enough. But good contest!
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This looks very interesting!
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Very creative contest! I'm not sure I'm up to the challenge. lol. Such strict adherence to form seems so... I don't know....restricting to me. I don't want to have to think to hard on making words rhyme. lol. But, if I find inspiration, I'll check back with you and submit something.
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LOL. NO wonder this seemed familiar. I had already commented on this once! lol. Now I really WILL have to give this a try.
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heya mom (duana)
sorry i would join -n- everything...its just...ITS COMPLICATED lol u know me...i only do easy stuff this sounds hard i'm 13 -n- u guys used 2 many big words! lol 5 letters -n- up is BIG lol so sorry but maybe next time!
Chloe Michele
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Hello again,
Will you accept a poem with just 6 stanzas? I find that I have only come up with 4 metaphores that work with my piece. I have been trying to come up with a 5th, but I am stuck.
Let me know whatcha think.
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I love your comments, Wanda! I hope everything works out for you as far as the job. I hope they aren't too hard to find with the economy!
best of luck, my friend!
-->aref -
Thanks, my Friend...appreciate your support!!! Wanda
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wow thank you for my silver. I don't know which bit deviated from the form but never mind - silver is well coooool!!! thank you!!
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Congrats to all the winners.
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Thanks very much for my placing and congrats to all the winners!!
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