All of the “fixing” contests and crude comments on very good poetry makes the good poets leave.
Does an imaginary trophy mean so much that people would cheat for it? Personally I wouldn’t get any pleasure from something that was won through dishonest measures.
In pondering all this sad mess I have come up with a theory. I have won numerous awards with my work, in many countries - no big deal…I was given my gift of poetry from a higher power. So, I entered a couple of gold medal winners in a couple of contests and they lost to drivel I couldn’t believe.
However, I think one of the problems is the disparity of age and talent gathered here. Everyone comes at a poem in their own way. Young ones may have no background to get the most from certain types of poetry. Us old fogies just can’t figure out what the young ones are talking about. Different generations, different slang and different perspectives.
Personally, when I hold a contest I hold it blind. I have a lot of friends here who I love dearly and I don’t want to be biased, and knowing how hard that is to resist, I don’t set myself up.
Judges pick winners for many reasons, not all of which are realized. One poet may lean toward sad poetry, another toward dark…and despite the pundits - “never the twain shall meet” is very true. What touches us as individuals is so very personal. Ten people looking at the same poem will come away with ten different ways of interpreting what the poet was saying.
To the majority I say, “Poetry is in the eye of the beholder”. Each of judges from our own space.
As to those who feel holding a contest gives them free reign to call contestants stupid, and speak to us as if we were comatose chickens is out of line. I have feelings. You can tell me what you want or don’t like in plain, civil language. There is absolutely no excuse for having a host say, “This is really junk.” One man’s junk. . .
I have encountered some of the rudest people here - sometimes they are spoiling for a tiff, want to disrupt and spew their rhetoric. I am sixty-three years old, don’t speak to me as I were a recalcitrant toddler. Give age its due respect - give all ages their due respect.
This is the place I came to be amongst my peers, people who love poetry. And that is not restricted by any age or other conditions. I want to say I never expected such behavior, but I know people are people and cursed with their foibles.
Judge a poem by its merit or don’t hold contests.
In a list
A contest entry
- Tell the judges what u think...click here and enter! by natchstucco.
700 points, ended March 14, 2008, 16 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 11 of 11
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I look at the age. I want to be judged well and honestly.
I think it may be best to enter contests of people on here who are the better poets, the ones who don't play games. Some of these poets are rather new to ap, and obscure.
Once someone has lots of friends on ap, it can get complicated. I'll even take the guy who writes insulting comments, but still picks the better poems to win.
Well written. I agree with the final line completely.
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I have read this over a couple of times, while I agree with what you are saying, that there should be respect, it should not matter if you are 100 or 14. we all want it. those who dont give it are the same to all and it wil l bite them back. this one is too long in the wind for me, just remember you are dealing with toddlers here alot. lol.
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What you have said is so true and I think many on AP would agree with you. What I have been doing lately, is if I am interested in a contest, I view the profile of the host and see their age etc...I bookmark it and then before they close, I go back and review the entries..If I see that all the entries are in the same age catagory, I do not enter..because it seems to me that there is a friend conspiracy. This may not always be the case, but I have been correct most of the time. I myself am in the "older mature" age bracket and respect the writings of the younger generation..and expect mine to be respected also.
Thank you for sharing your feelings.
Soulful Woman
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I just came from an interesting contest where they posted wanting one thing and got beautiful writes.
Talented writes from people who lived it led and wrote gifted poetry about it... some would say well just a little contest on ap... no it was a set up..to show case two writers of color I like people of all races .. this though was so unfair..just plain wrong. I caused a fuss they did not expect that and now have a "new contest" inviting the cowboys back I did not get an invatation go figure... sometimes though even if the cause is small and the contest is just ap we need to stand our ground... these cowboys still do not know any thing about it.. just me..I do not understand why people do these things it is just as hurtful as the discrimination to any color period and it makes me angry. I am always willing to walk from behind my key board I wish as the other lady says that others were.
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Contests like senseless comments have often been a source of annoyance when they are a display of rudeness, stupidity or a sheer lack of decency. It is a matter of (a lack of) awareness, just like any place outside this site is. A narrow awareness does not necessarily prevent a person from spewing rhetorics that impress those with an equal lack of awareness. If such 'poets' continue to gain support from similarly limited clowns they will continue their sad circus acts. Especially the braindead cowards that feel safe to write useless and rude comments from the safety behind their keyboard that they would not dare saying when standing face to face with others. AP is just a segment of a world that is ruined by deteriorating ethics and utter lack of perception. At times entering poems into contests is like throwing pearls before swine, so that is no longer the incentive to take part in them to me. Even idiots are capable of proposing platforms that challenge imagination, be it that they are not aware of it most of the time. Thank you for sharing your frank opinion. I enjoyed reading it. Take care,
Chris
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I say to your write, hear,hear! right on, for it is obvious some are bias, and favor their friends or family members, which is why I have no family, try to be unbiased and fair. I know few folks here and favor no one over another. some of us love this place, where we post our poems and look forward to upbuilding reviews and contests. all the best.
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Right on Mommie Wolfie. I always ee the same people winning contests. Ige constant rude comments that is far beyond constructive criticism. When I judge contests, I judge blindly. If I know the poem is from a friend, I am not going to be impartial.
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I agree... It's sad to think that this is going on in our own community. Truth be told, when I lose to 'drivel', I really do feel cheated, and I'm sure that I'm not alone in that... I pick my favourites based on the quality of their poetry, and the only advantage they might have in a contest is that they know to follow the rules and the kinds of poetry that I like. However, if I don't LOVE the entry, it won't impact my judging... I wish you the best of luck in this contest!
Laura xxx
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wowmommy your words so true and I have to agree with you on some of these lol.well done with this mommy
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your so right granny
i love you -
Why don't you say what you mean? lol. Seriously, though, I agree completely with what you say, especially about the age discrepancy between poets on this site (and many others). Also about the judging of poetic quality--it appears to be non-existent in some cases!
Strong and honest write--well done.
Bill
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