©Crooked Door, by Suzette Richards – image generated 8 October 2023
IMPORTANT: Please see the updated introduction to the contest page and also the regular provisos, e.g. no identifying information on the poems entered for a contest. Please see my my update under NOTES.
I am looking forward to reading your poems.
What to submit? Post the FIRST DRAFT of ONE of your poems, or part of a longer poem, that you have not considered on par, or have failed in some aspect or other. You may use any poetic form and identify your chosen poem as such. On any topic, theme, or genre.
Warts and all: For example, incorrect syllable counts per the poetic form requirement (e.g. any syllabic verse); stanzas that did not conform to the rhyme scheme you had aimed for (e.g. stuck on a word with no natural rhyme); too many long words/tongue twisters* (e.g. the longest English word consisting entirely of vowels is uoiauai, meaning twin in old English), et cetera. Whatever YOU consider was the first draft which needs some form of recognition for its sheer audacity to exist. This does not include the worst poem that you have ever written (that was the subject of a contest held here on PoetrySoup some years ago).
Please keep it to a maximum of 14 lines.
Title: The title of your choice (no more than 5 words), followed by the words First Draft, therefore, no more than 7 words in total. For example, Crooked Door – First Draft (The capitalisation of the first letters here is the choice of the sponsor and you may elect your own style of writing the title of your poem).
Additional Information
EXAMPLES
*On a Thesaurus Diet - First Draft (poetrysoup.com)
A Cut Above the Rest (poetrysoup.com)
My poems are mostly works in progress. I have been editing the ABOVE poem, A Cut Above the Rest, since February 2021 … the final lines for X, Y, and Z, changed in the POV, and I don’t quite know how to fix it. Any suggestions under the comment section of that poem would be greatly appreciated.
Judging criteria: An engaging content.
It will be taken into account that it is not the final product but please conform to correct grammar and spelling. Punctuation and first-word capitalisation are the prerogatives of the poet.
Under 'Resources' there is a free spellchecker, and listed separately is the Grammar Check here on PoetrySoup.
Just for fun, and I can relate as I have made some of these mistakes over the years:
LANGUAGE, PER SE (poetrysoup.com)
See my blog & article for overviews
WRITING BADLY - Suzette Richards's Blog (poetrysoup.com)
Some Thoughts on How to Write Poetry | PoetrySoup.com
Questions relevant to this contest may be posted under comments on my following blog:
FIRST DRAFT - Wrapping it up - Suzette Richards's Blog (poetrysoup.com)
Prizes
First Prize, Glory
Second Prize, Glory
Third Prize, Glory
Twelve Honorable Mentions
Preparing Your Entry
Submit one copy of your poem online. Format your poem. Please make your entry easy to read — no illustrations or fancy fonts.
English Language
Poems should be in English. Poems translated from other languages are not eligible unless you wrote both the original poem and the translation.
A Note to Poetry Contestants
You are welcome to enter this contest, whether or not you won a prize in one of my previous contests.