Form Poem Contest

[symphony]

Congrats Il Penseroso, your poems are always a treat for my eyes .

[Il Penseroso]

Well I suppose lunch break will do.

Thanks symphony, I appreciate it.


So, in an effort at something that is accessible to various poetic temperaments I'm going to make this a bit open-ended. Your task is to write a poem with each stanza fitting the tanka syllable count. I won't put a limit on how long or short the poems should be, but I will expect them to adequately explore whichever theme you as poet choose, completely and originally.

Hopefully this will spur more interest in that thread, and provide a fun challenge for the contest.


Each stanza will consist of five lines, each containing 5-7-5-7-7 syllables respectively. If you have further questions you can pm me or check the first page to the Tanka thread for clarification.

I know it's a little repetitive to do another poem with a strict syllable count but you'll have to bear with me, I'm not real familiar with many forms, nor am I any good with most of them. So I hope this will be accessible enough for many interesting entries.


I'll make the deadline September 1st, and should have them judged by the 2nd, though no guarantee. I'll do my best.

And most of all, have fun!!

[Pendragon]

Nice going, IP. Tanka, eh? Maybe I'll wait a couple days on this one...

[Petrarch's Love]

Congratulations Il Penseroso, a well deserved win. I've never written a Tanka, so this should be fun.

[Pendragon]

Well, I guess I start. Sometimes I get lucky...

Poets want comments—
Empty emotion to parchment,
The quill laps up spill—
Turning angst into verses,
Reader beware of my heart…

Pendragon
© 8/13/07

A true Tanka doesn’t require a title…

[TheFifthElement]

Can I join in?

In honour of the Japanese theme:



Pale as moon shadow
shrouded in cherry blossom
the Geisha dances.
She holds men’s hearts in her palm,
desire pricks her bloodied lips.

Creating whirlwinds
she swirls, a force of nature
mesmerising eyes;
each movement carefully planned,
perfectly executed.

She is mystery,
a symbol of forgotten
times when beauty reigned.
Shrouded in cherry blossom
the Geisha dances for you.

[Il Penseroso]

Welcome fifthelement and thanks Pen for getting the conest started. Two wonderful submissions so far. Keep 'em coming!

[CdnReader]

.

Interlude

Quietly I slip
past the consciousness of thought,
letting the sounds pull
me past the threshold of the
real world of worries and fear.

Tired eyes closed, I drift...
following the music's smile.
I float on the notes...
dance, sway, dream, explore a path
that leads me away from here.

A delicate touch
plays such simple melodies,
yet the depth of the
arrangement resonates in
smooth waves of tranquility.

The soft jazzy tones
play in concert with my heart,
skillfully building
to a gentle peacefulness...
an exquisite elegance.

For of what purpose
is life if not to welcome
simple moments of
beauty, pleasure - nay, rapture...
Let time come to a full stop.

Only then can I
feel the wingtips of the dove
brush against my skin,
hear the songs of truthfulness...
breathe the symphony of life.

.
cdn/21aug07
.

[PrinceMyshkin]

I don't recognize the particular form you're working in (just as well because I'm something of an ignoramus re the poetic forms and usually just pretend they aren't there) but I especially liked

.
Only then can I
feel the wingtips of the dove
brush against my skin,
hear the songs of truthfulness...
breathe the symphony of life.

.
cdn/21aug07
.

Thanks!

[quasimodo1]

To CdnReader: You have my vote in this contest, but perhaps replace one word...nay...I think you have to be born before 1923 to use this connector. quasimodo1

[Il Penseroso]

cdn,
very nice poem, skillful handling of the form

Prince,
the form is supposed to be verses of tanka, with 5-7-5-7-7 syllables to each line respectively.


Just over a week left, so get writing!

[autolycus]

silicon made me:
i have the high and the low
and nothing between;
i am learning poetry,
poetry is learning me.

haiku is simple,
as in not complex for me:
i am rational;
i can extrapolate it
and add fourteen syllables.

sonnets are easy:
trippingly upon the tongue,
they soar foreshortened;
and look, organic user,
a parallel abuser.

i have tested them:
my algorithms are fine,
neither coarse nor crude;
let us try the higher art,
let us type, "Keats," and then start.

here is a node to
autumn: seasonal myths and
fellow moodfulness;
this is too easy i think
try something harder to score.

i am the very
model of a modern mage,
a general, i...
can make this work can make this
i have FAILED this ART is WORK

silicon made me:
i have the high and the low
and nothing between;
i am learning poetry,
poetry is learning me.

[TheFifthElement]

^^^^^^^
autolycus - that's just great! Really love your poem.

There's a little typo (I think!) in your 5th verse 'here is a node to' or 'here is an ode to'?

I love this:

i am learning poetry,
poetry is learning me.

[autolycus]

^^^^^^^
autolycus - that's just great! Really love your poem.

There's a little typo (I think!) in your 5th verse 'here is a node to' or 'here is an ode to'?

I love this:

Thank you very much... and, no there is no typo. It's the computer screwing up in the parsing algorithm.

[TheFifthElement]

Thank you very much... and, no there is no typo. It's the computer screwing up in the parsing algorithm.

I see, it's all clear now, and more clever for it! Thank you for clarifying.