The May TPM Poetry Contest!

[Chris 2.1]

Hey everybody. March's fanfic Contest was a great sucess, and we decided to basically keep them every other month to save hassle and whatnot. Anyway, it's what, the third already? Geez, let's get down to business.

This is a variation on March's. This Contest will test your Poetry skills. Don't enter for the sake of entering, but if you're a budding poet you might want to give this a go.

Your 'assignment', should you choose to accept it, is this:

Write a Poem about the Summer. It's type is nonspecific (ie: Haikou, sonnet, ballard, limerick or whatever), but you must try and make it as appealing as possible.

Tip: A good idea is to make a Mind Map of summer to begin with. Span out the various words or phrases you associate with Summer and build the Poem on that

We'll give the results of it On the last day of May. As with March's contests, a banner is available for the one entrant who gets the best score. There is only one this time around, not two.

Ok? Are we all clear? I think I'll enlist some mod's help so I'm not left doing this myself >_<;;.

Good luck everyone!

-Chris

[achooxp]

So do you just post the poem in your own thread, is there a topic where the poems should be posted, or do you have to somehow get the poem to one of the modlings?

[DannyBoy]

You will probably post the poem in this topic. Last time all storys were posted in the thread started about it so I bet the same will go with poetry.

[Chris 2.1]

Yea, just post your Poem here. Any mods who are judging this with me will go over them and give you your results by May 31st, if there are 31 days in May. Alternatively the 30th, I can't remember the clever rhyme.

[FusionSonicX]

Well, this is really a song I wrote, but it was first an english poem, so here it is. You can also see it in my signature.

Nevermore

I'm lost in a void of eternity,
The eye of the storm, the depth of the sea,
This black hole rips me form inside out,
Gravity, ending me

[Oakbark]

Now I know you said not to enter for the sake of entering Chris, but I didn’t have too much time to spare, and this is the best I could do with the free time I’ve got.
This poem is a Shakespearean type sonnet, which means it follows strict guidelines. The poem is made using alternate rhyming lines for the first twelve, and finishes with a rhyming couplet. Furthermore, each line must have exactly ten beats/syllables. But I’m sure I’m only insulting the talented poets of Pokemasters by explaining it all. So, without further ado, my poetry entry for the 2004 May Writing Competition!!!
I'm afraid it's not very appealing, a bit mainstream, but i'd love comments/replies on it!

SUMMER

Oh summer is a time of happiness,
My childhood dreams flow sweetly from this time.
And though I cared for winter none the less,
For summer will my heart’s bell always chime.

I spent my days relaxing by the lake,
And finger-chasing water skater bugs.
Oh listen to the noises song-birds make!
The lovely sound of kisses and of hugs!

I climbed a hill to see a fox’s den,
His lonely figure lying in the sun.
I tried to catch him as he walked back in,
But tasted grass as he leapt back and won.

My childhood memories are but a few,
I won’t forget those summer skies of blue.

[Suite Madame Blue]

This untitled poem is one I wrote a few years ago, when I was feeling confined and trying to express my frustration about being landlocked.

Shadows cry out
to frantic raw burned summer feet.
A vision of cool water
flooding my head:
I ache for the sweet friendly sea.

Oakbark, I like your sonnet. The line about trying to catch the fox and tasting grass instead provided a nice bit of imagery.

[Tainted]

I wrote this song for our band, it's "subliminally" about summer, meaning I wrote it about the summer, about the spring turning into summer, yada yada, so it's under the inspiration of summer.
I suck at writing poems, just to warn you.

Left All Alone with Wounds Full of Salt
Where are we? Are we lost?
Deaf children forgetting the cost
Little ones, without mind
Bodies wasted, without time

Another one, left alone
Feeble aching in the cold
Where were we? Where were they?
How far were we thrown astray

Singled out, once again
Left with nothing, without a friend
Now we’re here, now we’re there
Why are our wounds never fair?

Blackened sun, will you ever come?
Dry away the rain
Blackened sun, will you ever come?
Take away my pain

Tainted sun, will you ever come?
The children'd like to see your face
Tainted sun, will you ever come?
Æ’uck it, corrupt some other place

[Oakbark]

Some brilliant poetry here....putting me to shame....

Suite Madame Blue: Thank you. Your poem is beautiful, short 'n' sweet. It provides wonderful afterthought!

[Chris 2.1]

Thanks for all the feedback guys!

Erm FusionSonicX, sorry but that Poem doesn't really clench summer, does it? You're welcome to submit a new Poem if you want.

We're gonna start judging soon, maybe, when we can get off our asses. Come on guys, more replies!

[mr_pikachu]

Huh?! You're gonna start judging already? It's the NINTH, for pete's sake! There's still 22 days left! Do we only have a few days left to enter? I just got done with finals... I haven't even started yet! *groans*

[Chris 2.1]

Mr_Pikachu: We are judging what is posted, myself and Mistysakura. The results of EVERYBODIES entries will be posted on the 31st, don't worry! We're just making sure we arent' buried under heaps of poetry when the 31'st comes around. No need to panic

Leon-IH: Lovely. That's a really good piece. It sounds based off reality....did you expirience this yourself? If not, you've done a good job adapting to how someone else may feel.



So yea, we're gonna start discussing whats already been put up, thats not to say you guys can't post. You can post poems way up until the 30th of May at 11:59.59, if you want.

I look forward to hearing more wonderful work from our aspiring poets on Tpm.

[Leon-IH]

yeah, it's based on how last year was for me, was good to get it out actually ^^

[Heald]

Barbeque

And so once again the door creaked open
Their heads all shot up
The footsteps approaching their enclosures
Like a metronome, or a bell, ding dong

But little did they know this was a knell

Edith, Edwina and Ella, the three chickens in the first cage
Unaware that, even though now they were pecking away
In a matter of days, that would change...

Can I have another wing daddy?

[Suite Madame Blue]

Ooooohhh! HPK, you evil evil person, writing about a barbeque from the chickens' POV! You even named them! That was a great poem. I'm hungry!

[DanceWithMe]

Hey, I am glad there is still time, here is my poem.


Fun Times:

Sun shines bright,
Down on me,
It feels good to be in the light,
It makes my body feel free.

Summer time,
Is just around the corner,
This makes me feel fine,
No more saying bur for sure.

Birds singing,
Water splashing,
Ice Cream Bells ringing,
Great to have this feeling.

Days feel longer,
School is over,
Sun much stronger,
Feeling better than ever!

[Oakbark]

Ooh...so litle time left...c'mon ppl start writing poetry and fill up a couple of more pages! My oh my where are all the poets from the Poetry thread?

[Chris 2.1]

Yea, well everyones Poem has been rated and reviewed by my good self, if any more come along i'll rate 'em!

Results are ready for tomorrow, the big 3-1! Thanks for all being so patient, only a little more time to go!


Edit: DAMN! I need to make my banner for the winner...

[DanceWithMe]

Uh...I don't know how to sya this but I edited mine today cause I fixed some things up and I don't know if thats against the rules or what but I thought I should mention that.

[Chris 2.1]

Duely noted. I'll go through it, Dancewithme, and re-review it for you.

[Darkmaster Kagemusha]

Spring to Summer

The days are heated,
Hot gets hotter,
Where you are seated.

The heat becomes flame,
In the hearts of youth,
Which shall never be the same.

Spring is the season of love,
Summer the season of heat,
Warmth rains from above.

The passion of spring,
Turns to the heat of summer,
Love is a wonderful thing.

[dratinihaunter13]

they're all really well done, good job everybody! my fave is oakbark's, but my opinion doesn't matter this time =( =( =(

[mr_pikachu]

*gasp* Yes! I beat the *wheeze* deadline!

This has an angsty feel to it, which pretty much explains the title.


A Darker Side

You peer out at the sun today
To see it is the start of May.
A month of games and childly fun
To party till the day is done.

But not all is perfect, not all is delight.
Parents have far different plans for you.
Though it may not be fair, it may not be right
You realize there’s still so much more you must do.
Rooms to be cleaned and the lawns to be mowed.
Even vacation brings quite a workload.

You gaze up at the summer’s moon
To find yourself’n the midst of June.
Relaxation is a delight
Under the starry summer night.

Though summer’s relaxing, it can be a pain
When stuck in the house with nothing to do.
You can’t go outside, just because of the rain
When will this hideous weather be through?
Lethargy sets in, everything is a bore.
Just forcing yourself to laugh is a chore.

The sky explodes in brilliant light
As if there is a firefight.
Cheers fill the air on Fourth of July
The entire country’s feeling the high.

The sun’s like a menace, annoying with care.
During the day, you are burning and roasting.
When the flames die away, you start scratching your hair
As hordes of great insects arrive for their feeding.
You sit there, in misery. When will it all end?
A new month, you think, will be a godsend.

The last month of your vacation
Will be spent in the warming sun.
Games played outside through this August
Will keep you happy and robust.

The weather is muggy, the bugs are obstinate.
Stepping outside is the ultimate torture.
But then you remember, there’s no time to wait
In just a few weeks comes another school year.
One period of misery just leads to another.
You want to enjoy life, but why do you bother?

[Chris 2.1]

Well first off, congratulations to everybody who participated. We clearly have some inspiring poets among us here at TPM, something which really does feel good knowing once in a while. Everybody's poems had something unique about them, and each was a pleasure to read. There can, however, only be one winner, as you are aware.

Without further ado, here are the results posted for your reading needs:

Name - Fusion Sonix X
Poem Name - Nevermore
Notes: This is quite short. It is hard to appreciate and wanders too far from the idea of Summer. I see no traces of Summer here.
Mark: 2.8/10 - 28%


Name - Oakbark
Poem Name - Summer
Notes: A very jolly Poem. It gives a clear idea of Summer, and is very descriptive. The Sonnet follows the rhyme pattern, and is very intriguing.
Mark: 9/10 - 90%


Name - Suite Madam Blue
Poem Name - Untitled
Notes - This poem's structure is very jumbled, but in that way displays the complexity of the human mind. It sounds as if it was written as it was thought, as if this is going through the Poet's mind right onto the paper. It uses interesting words such as 'ache' to great effect.
Mark - 7.8/10 - 78%


Name - Skullfire
Poem Name - Left All Alone with Wounds Full of Salt
Notes - Very strong. The song gives a distinct sense of lonliness and emotion. Skullfire has written more about the lack of Summer than the actual joys of it, but nonetheless it is an effective idea. The title alone is very strong, but it seems to have a different meaning. Not written solely for the topic, and being sligjtly off the topic, this song is marked down. It does, however, recieve a good mark.
Mark - 8.2/10 - 82%

Name - Leon-IH
Poem Name - Chilling Summertime
Notes - It has some good use of words. The overall feel, however, is that words are used solely for rhyming with previous ones. Stanza 1 is a good example, but 'wind' and 'bind' don't rhyme to my knowledge. The metaphor in Stanza2 is effective, but seems rushed. The overall feel is that is has been done quickly. Nonetheless, it message is both original and creative.
Mark - 7.4/10 - 74%

Name - Herald PK
Poem Name - Barbeque
Notes - overall a very humerous Poem. It has a unique structure - a non-existant one, to be precise. The word 'BBQ' does have connotations of heat and summer, so the poem has stuck to the specificiations. It is lighthearted, but needs balanced with some better describing words.
Mark - 7/10 - 70%


Name - Dancewithme
Poem Name - Fun Times
Notes - The poem has a rhyming structure, but the beat is thrown around as some lines don't work very well. Some, however, work fine, which suggests more thought could have been put into the poem. It gives off a good mood, with words such as 'splashing', 'stronger' and 'ringing' all give a summery feel. Overall if Dancewithme had structured it more precisely it would be even better.
Mark - 6.9/10 - 69%

Name - Darkmaster Kagemusha
Poem Name - Spring to Summer
Notes - Very impressive. Darkmaster seems to already be very 'in-the-know' when it comes to poetry, and really gets the feel of Summer across. Justifying its comparison to spring is impressively done, and the words described are greatly chosen. Great work!
Mark - 8.8/10 - 88%

Name - Mr_Pikachu
Poem Name - A Darker Side
Notes - I was blown away! A VERY Impressive piece here, clearly someone is after two signature prizes! ^^ I do feel, however, some parts were a little out of rhythm, which put this impressive piece down too much. You certainly have the Poetic Flair, so don't give up!
Mark - 8.7/10 - 87%


And, I have the honour to announce that...

The Winner....

....Of the May TPM Poetry Contest.....

.....Is......

.................
........
.................
........
.................


Oakbark!

Congratulations Oakbark, your piece was a brilliant read. Mr_Pikachu was VERY close competition, but you got the edge...somehow!

I'll PM you with your signature thingamabob, Oakbark!

We'll keep this open a little longer, so you guys can all chit-chat and whatnot.

And Martin...

The July Contest is JUST around the corner!

[mr_pikachu]

Well, congrats, Oakbark! You deserve that prize! Though I have to say your character is careless to dive after a fox! ^_^ It fills me with pride to say I lost to a poem like that!

I'll see you all in July! Don't miss it!

[Suite Madame Blue]

Congratulations Oakbark! I love sonnets, and applaud you for writing such a good one. Great job!

[mistysakura]

Congrats Oakbark, didn't end up rating the thing cause of exams and stuff, but blhe. Great sonnet, and the words weren't forced into the rhyming pattern; good job!

[Leon-IH]

Cheers folks, mine was actually rushed but thats no real excuse, would be nice to see another contest sometime.

[Chris 2.1]

Leon: There is a Contest every other Month, until I get too busy or run out of ideas! Glad you all had a good time, and congratulations again, Oakbark!

[Oakbark]

*GASP*

OMG, i never thought that there'd be a proper time or place to say this, but i'm as giddy as a schoolgirl!!!
Erm..well, what can i say?? Thank you very much to Chris for choosing me as winner, but with such incredible talent i am very surprised that i pipped the others and won the contest!
Mr_Pikachu, the person in the poem is me, so i guess i would be careless to do something stupid like that. Of course, there would never be a realistic chance of catching one - must be the summer heat gone to my head!
Thank you to everyone else for congratulating me, and to everyone that entered! Really, there is so much more talent in some of you ppl than there is in me...i guess this contest will spur us on to do better in the July competition!

Thanks again, and look forward to competing with you next time!

Damien!

[Leon-IH]

^^ im actually pretty new to the fanfic side of this place, but hey we all need to learn some new tricks!