Iron Pen 5: The Poetry Challenge!

[Blasph23]

I also write regular prose, typically fiction, which is where ideas and events from the life find their place.
For me, poetry is all about emotions, about using specific words to convey those emotions.
So, I start with a feeling, with some state of mind, like when I feel sad or disappointed or feel like dreaming about childhood, better days etc.
The beginning is usually a result of trying to pour that emotional turmoil into the written form directly, which becomes more vague, symbolic and metaphorical as I go.

 

[JohannaK]

I wonder though, where did Valka go? Did the other contender withdraw as well? If so, why didn't she say anything? If not, why hasn't she posted the new thread yet?

I am getting worried.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

The challenge will go ahead. Another person has stepped up to make this a proper contest, and I will be posting both writers' poems for reading, critique, and voting.

My thanks to Iron Pen Berryman for abiding by the rules of the challenge, and to Iron Pen Piranha Eel for volunteering to replace the person who withdrew.

Each writer's poems and poll will be in a separate thread, as the number of poll options available won't be sufficient for them to be in the same thread. I'll post links to both threads here.

 

[JohannaK]

Is it ever going to happen?

 

[Valka D'Ur]

The competition is going ahead. I've been absent from the forum for the past two months, dealing with RL issues.

The two writers' individual poem/critique/voting threads will be up shortly.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

The threads are posted:

Iron Pen Berryman

Iron Pen Piranha Eel

Please make sure to vote in BOTH threads, to ensure that each writer is treated fairly. You are asked to vote for each poem, for a total of 6 votes per writer.

The writers are welcome to vote and critique if they wish, but are asked not to reveal their identities until after the voting is over. The polls close on Monday, April 11.

 

[Cutlass]

I do plan to get to reading the submissions. But it may take me a few days.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Right now the poll is set to close shortly after midnight MDT (GMT-6) on Monday, April 11. I've PM'd Plotinus to ask for a week's extension to give people more time to read and comment on the entries. No word yet on that, but it's still night in his time zone.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

The poll has been extended. The new closing date is shortly after 1 am MDT/GMT-6, Monday, April 18.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

The polls are now closed. Thank you for voting. I will have the scores tallied and posted later today in each thread, and a summary here.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Hi, folks:

The poll for Iron Pen 5 is now closed, although comments are still certainly welcome (as is the case with all the Iron Pen contests). The votes have been tallied, and I can now announce the scores.


Six people voted, and the results are as follows:

Iron Pen Berryman received 111 points in total. The breakdown is as follows:

Haiku: 16
Cinquain: 21
Sonnet: 20
Short Free Verse: 18
Long Free Verse: 19
Author's Choice: 17


Iron Pen Piranha Eel received 115 points in total. The breakdown is as follows:

Haiku: 20
Cinquain: 19
Sonnet: 18
Short Free Verse: 22
Long Poem (Rhymed): 17
Author's Choice: 19

Therefore, it is my pleasure to declare that Iron Pen Piranha Eel is the winner of Iron Pen 5: The Poetry Challenge. Congratulations!

This is the first poetry challenge we've had, and it was definitely a learning experience for everyone. I would like to thank the authors who stepped forward and carried through with this challenge, as it wasn't an easy one by any means.


And now that the voting is concluded, it's time to reveal the authors' true identities:

Please welcome JohannaK, aka Berryman!
Please welcome jackelgull, aka Piranha Eel!


Thanks also to everyone who took the time to read the poems, offer feedback, and vote. Poetry is very subjective, and it's not easy to either write or judge.


Iron Pen 6 will be a short story challenge, and I'm looking at some time in May, depending on who signs up and what their schedules will permit. As always, anyone interested is asked to PM me and let me know. In the meantime, I invite everyone to visit the other writing threads in A&E.

 

[JohannaK]

I'd contend that while writing in general is highly subjective, fixed forms should be judged accordingly to, well, their adherence to the form.

And those were 2 haiku and a very wonky sonnet.

It's alright, though. For once I get acritical negative feedback instead of acritical positive feedback.

Buster's Uncle aside, of course. I have boatloads of other stuff if you want to check it out.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

You're right that fixed forms should be judged according to how well they adhere to the rules for that form, but the poem has to actually say something, as well.

I've seen haikus over the years that were nothing more than a bunch of words strung together to make the requisite number of syllables. They didn't actually say anything.

I'm pleased that neither of you took that way out.

 

[jackelgull]

TBH, I kind of regret not letting the second haiku stand alone like I was originally planning to. I think I might have not let it since I thought the preceding lines went together with the last haiku quite clearly, because in my head I was working on character for a story for whom those lines would apply well, but whatever. Once again, thanks everybody for the feedback.

 

[Cutlass]

Congrats to the both of you.

 

[Synobun]

Congrats to both contestants. Apologies if my input was mostly invalid in the entry threads. I'm not versed in the technical conditions of poetry styles at all.

 

[Buster's Uncle]

No bad poems in the bunch. :goodjob

-Johanna, Ms. D'ur can confirm that I did indeed clock you...

 

[JohannaK]

What a keen eye you have, sir!

 

[Valka D'Ur]

No bad poems in the bunch. :goodjob

-Johanna, Ms. D'ur can confirm that I did indeed clock you...

But please be assured that I neither confirm nor deny the identities of any Iron Pen participant until I post the results.

 

[Buster's Uncle]

She most assuredly did not confirm or deny the identities of any Iron Pen participant. -I said I didn't expect her to, and she explicitly refused anyway.