Form Poem Contest

Much like our other contest, except instead of a picture to go by, we are using form poetry: Whatever form the judge wants the poem written in, say sonnet, villianelle, free verse, minimalism. limerick, etc. the writers must follow suit. A subject may be given, but doesn't have to be. A sample poem would be a good idea, to hrlp others see the form. I'll start with this form: The Perfect Reversible. Nine lines, then the same nine lines in perfect reverse, i.e. no shifting of words. The trick to to try to tell a poem from two different viewpoints by reversing perspective. You may play with punctuation to form new combinations of words, not word order. As this is the first contest, if anyone is interested, due date is by April 27. I will post the winner on April 30. They can chose the next form. If no one is interested, OK, I had to try... http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l1...ningSmiley.gif

Quote:

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The Hit

Gasping spirit leaves.
Crimson spurts, wounds mortal.
Covered knife. Slashed torso.
Blood-filled lungs gurgle.
Not enough time. Not enough time.
Sometimes help never comes…
Strikes are made quickly.
Alone: Wolf and Prey—
Cold killer cleans sharp blade…

Blade sharp cleans killer: cold—
Prey and Wolf: Alone…
Quickly made are strikes—
Comes never help—sometimes…
Time enough—not! … Time enough—not!
Gurgle lungs, blood-filled.
Torso slashed—knife covered
Mortal wounds—spurts crimson…
Leaves spirit, gasping…

Pendragon
© 3/26/07

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Edited by Logos 4 April 2007 to add:

This topic is started and participated in on a purely voluntary basis by members of The Literature Network and does not entail any prizes of any sort to be given by The Literature Network.

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Hey, that's a great idea Pen. I hope I have time with it all.

okay, I'll give it a shot. first is supposed to be end of love, second, hope for love. Do I have the right idea Pen?

Now, even
days require nights
separate we are, alone, divided,
still, sky and sea are attached
horizons pink and green
clouds and water
You and I;
The way our marked
eyes mirrored love.

Love mirrored eyes
marked our way, the
I and You;
clouds and water,
green and pink horizons,
attached are sea and sky still.
Divided, alone, are we separate?
Nights require days,
even now.

Indeed, Riesa! The right idea, and a well written poem! My example is first the victim, then the killer or vice-versa, it can be read either way, although I think the second verse shows the killer lying in wait, cleaning his knife, waiting to strike. The first after the strike. Well done! I hope you inspire others! http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l1...lies/panda.gif

looks like a great idea pen! and what an interesting style of poem to start with, ive got a good idea for one already! :)

great Idea..give me a minuet so I can write sth good...

oo... no insperation!!

Is Reisa going to be my only entry? http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l1...es/tearful.gif

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pendragon

Is Petra going to be my only entry? http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l1...es/tearful.gif

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Oh Pen you'll have to give me a few days. I'm not an on-the-spot poet. ;)

who is Petra?? :p

ah, there are weeks left yet. Patience, dear friend.

I'll try, if I can get some time, but I'm not much of a foresight poet, hence my preference for free-verse poems without a point.

:lol: awwwwww, come on.....lovely for lovely's sake, remember?

Wow.. I've never done anything like this in my life so this will naturally be terrible for a start. I won't edit this or give it much thought so I'll just write it in this quick reply. Here goes:..

The Perfect Reversible. Nine lines, then the same nine lines in perfect reverse, i.e. no shifting of words.

I tried to provoke some meaning in this. I hope some of you can discern it..

The Jekyll and Hyde in Mankind

Us in all,
perfect is the divide,
happiness to rapacity,
chide ourselves, we do
endless is grief
money is want,
love makes envy,
flaunting lives
please those who needn't be pleased
on it goes on and on...

all in us,
perfect is the divide,
rapacity to happines,
do we chide ourselves?
grief is endless,
want is money
envy makes love,
lives flaunting
please be needn't, those who are pleased,
on and on, goes it on.

This is extremely difficult to do... It's very hard and nearly impossible to make any sense at all writing a poem in this form. I like it because it is challenging though.

Boy and Girl

Action toys,
attraction and
repulsion ploys,
death beams and stardust,
statue boys
without play
and secret tissues,
flaws fatal
in the end.

Toys action
and attraction,
ploys repulsion stars,
dust and beams deathboys,
statues,
play without
tissues, secret and
fatal flaws
in the end.



That was tough.

so how many days are left?

Until the due date April 27. I will post the winner on April 30. IP, um, yours is done wrong... Absolute reversible, which means you start the second stanza with the last line of the first in perfect reverse. http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l1...omKane/Fly.gif

Hmmm, well if mine's done wrong, so is Adol and Riesa's. I think we all got a little confused, this is new.

Yes, Il Pen is right... If mine is done wrong I think I'll have to drop out because this might just be too challenging for me. But wait a second.... The poem you posted yourself doesn't seem to comply with the rules of the contest, Pendragon. look:

Gasping spirit leaves.
Crimson spurts, wounds mortal.
Covered knife. Slashed torso.
Blood-filled lungs gurgle.
Not enough time. Not enough time.
Sometimes help never comes…
Strikes are made quickly.
Alone: Wolf and Prey—
Cold killer cleans sharp blade…

Blade sharp cleans killer: cold—
Prey and Wolf: Alone…
Quickly made are strikes—
Never comes help! Sometimes,
Time not enough… Time not enough!
Gurgle lungs, blood-filled.
Torso slashed—knife covered
Mortal wounds—spurts crimson…
Leaves spirit, gasping…

^^^If the rules of the contest imply direct reversibility in every line of the second stanza shouldn't the lines "Not enough time. Not enough time" be exactly reversed to "Time enough not. Time enough not"? As I said it's very difficult making sense when the direct reversibility rule is implied... Look at the other line you changed a little..: "Sometimes help never comes" should reverse directly to "Comes never help sometimes"...

If I am wrong about this and it is ok to "tweek" directly reversible lines then I'm sorry about this little confusion. But then again most of your other lines in the poem directly reverse so it is evident that some of the poem's lines are changed around and some are direct

Please excuse me if I got this all wrong. I'm a n00b at poetry styles. I'm not trying to start any row here, I'm just stating my views on this matter..

:eek: yes, I see now, I was most definitely confused. ah, it's all new. I'll try to edit, see what happens.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Riesa

who is Petra?? :p

ah, there are weeks left yet. Patience, dear friend.

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My mistake, among many, Riesa. And your poem requires no edits. http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l1...milies/shy.gif

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adolescent09

Yes, Il Pen is right... If mine is done wrong I think I'll have to drop out because this might just be too challenging for me. But wait a second.... The poem you posted yourself doesn't seem to comply with the rules of the contest, Pendragon. look:



Gasping spirit leaves.
Crimson spurts, wounds mortal.
Covered knife. Slashed torso.
Blood-filled lungs gurgle.
Not enough time. Not enough time.
Sometimes help never comes…
Strikes are made quickly.
Alone: Wolf and Prey—
Cold killer cleans sharp blade…

Blade sharp cleans killer: cold—
Prey and Wolf: Alone…
Quickly made are strikes—
Comes never help—sometimes…
Time enough—not! … Time enough—not!
Gurgle lungs, blood-filled.
Torso slashed—knife covered
Mortal wounds—spurts crimson…
Leaves spirit, gasping…


^^^If the rules of the contest imply direct reversibility in every line of the second stanza shouldn't the lines "Not enough time. Not enough time" be exactly reversed to "Time enough not. Time enough not"? As I said it's very difficult making sense when the direct reversibility rule is implied... Look at the other line you changed a little..: "Sometimes help never comes" should reverse directly to "Comes never help sometimes"...

If I am wrong about this and it is ok to "tweek" directly reversible lines then I'm sorry about this little confusion. But then again most of your other lines in the poem directly reverse so it is evident that some of the poem's lines are changed around and some are direct

Please excuse me if I got this all wrong. I'm a n00b at poetry styles. I'm not trying to start any row here, I'm just stating my views on this matter..

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Caught me in a mistake. Now taKen care of. 'Dole yours is fine except for reverseing the next to last line. IP, you reverse from the wrong end! Sorry for the mix-up, and I invented this bloody form! http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l1...milies/shy.gif

Aww. This thread is slipping away. Doesn't anyone else wish to post poems on this ingenious new idea and bump this thread to the front lines? :)

I intend to Adolescent. But I haven't gotten an idea yet.

Song and Silence

Music turned arithmetic
and in the end
pattern in transistors
radio programming
syllables in a common
counting scale
that turns records
spun into hip-hop stretch
scratching pullovers.

pullovers scratching
stretch hip-hop into spun
records turn that
scale counting
common in a syllable,
programming radio
transistors in pattern,
end in the
arithmetic turned music.

*Awe and admiration*

well, here is mine then...

Courage. I had courage.
Now? Perhaps then.
Wolves. My help. I would
act surprised. Nevertheless,
no surprise. This I knew:
Help was there.
Rustling dark leaves.
Fearful, this hate.
Enough despair. I was alone, now.

Now, alone was I. Despair, enough!
Hate this. Fearful
Leaves, dark rustling.
There was help!
Knew I this surprise? No.
Nevertheless, act surprised!
Would I help my wolves
Then? Perhaps now?
Courage, had I courage...!

my contrabution. (not good at all but fun to do!and took a while to figure it out.)

Forever walking, Slowly by
stop to think, wonder why.
Sky darkens, it amazed!
lonely wandering clouds
world is sleeping still
Quiet everything goes bye
good say i, nomore time
to live, to go alone
alas cried i, tonight!

Tonight, I cried alas,
Alone go to live, to
time, nomore i say good
bye...goes everything quiet.
Still Sleeping is world...
Clouds wandering lonely,
amazed it darkens sky.
why wonder..think to stop
by, slowly walking forever.

Great one, IP! Now you catch on, and it is a great poem! http://www.cosgan.de/images/midi/froehlich/k015.gif

Kandaurov, also a good poem, way to write the form! http://www.cosgan.de/images/midi/froehlich/k015.gif


Niamh, don't be so hard on yourself! Good poem! http://www.cosgan.de/images/midi/froehlich/k015.gif


I thank everyone who has participated so far and hope others follow. I know this is a tough form. But I've never submitted one for publication that was refused. The unusualness of the form catches the eyes of editors, I guess. ;)

Just a question on the form, Pen. The nine lines can be of any length? Is that correct?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Virgil

Just a question on the form, Pen. The nine lines can be of any length? Is that correct?

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Certainly! Shorter ones are easier to reverse, but length is up to the poet. Whatever you can do, let it show! Go for it! http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l1...s/clerical.gif

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pendragon

Certainly! Shorter ones are easier to reverse, but length is up to the poet. Whatever you can do, let it show! Go for it! http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l1...s/clerical.gif

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Thanks Pen, but I got to say, this is hard. ;)

This form is intriguing! Kudos to the OP for posting it and I wish it success like the haiku threads :)

Hi Pen, I just found this thread you started and since there are still a few weeks left to submit I'll give it a go, but it will take a little time. Looks very tricky. Only our Pendragon's clever noodle could come up with such a form! :)

O.K., Pen. I gave it a try. This turned out to be fun. Neat form.

Again paradise lost. Open gates closed. Once possible, it is now
Ending. Never renewed kisses, and
Again once spoken
Promises forgotten, and
Again once open
Blossoms closed,
And spring turned
Winter-like.
Is love perfect ever?

Ever perfect love is
Like winter
Turned spring, and
Closed blossoms
Open once again,
And forgotten promises
Spoken once again,
And kisses renewed, never-ending.
Now is it possible? Once closed gates open lost paradise again.

I'm seeing some great stuff here. Try it guys. You may find you have written one of your best poems. I am stunned by the talent so far. Amazing what you people have done with this form! Wow! http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l1...ane/inlove.gif

There is still plenty of time left for other entries. Any takers, please? http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l1...ane/Cheers.gif

I'm getting there Pen. A little at a time. ;)

I already threw one away. So I'll try again. Where in the world do you get those very cool GIFs?

Orion. I have Smiley Central downloaded. I chose the ones I really liked, sent them to my Photobucket account and copied the shortcuts. Took time, but it was worth it! http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l1...ilies/Rock.gif

You do indeed!:thumbs_up :p

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pendragon

Orion. I have Smiley Central downloaded. I chose the ones I really liked, sent them to my Photobucket account and copied the shortcuts. Took time, but it was worth it! http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l1...ilies/Rock.gif

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You've got a million of them.. lol. Every single one you post is different from the last... so intereting :)