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Thoughts On Poetry Contests

Someone inquired of me about poetry contests, And I shared some thoughts and considerations, The contests, I wrote, are an incentive to write Learning about poetry’s forms and foundations. Don’t enter a contest for an opinion of your work For your very best will sometimes go unnoticed Some sponsors recognize only what they like Their credentials for judging are clearly modest. I have learned which sponsors to take seriously The ones I want to give my very finest efforts, Knowing they recognize merit even if I don’t place I’ve learned few sponsors* are actually experts. Then, I cautioned, a few sponsors you must court For they only give placement to their best friend You’ll identify them right away, the **** for tats, I don’t take them seriously for any poems I send. The best poems I write are rarely contest entered And I enjoy most the poems I write for me alone So, remember you are writing what pleases you And if you win a trophy for it, that’s a milestone! If you enter my contests, I can assure you of this: I carefully consider the merit of every poem I get I don’t care who wrote it, whether friend or foe, When I post my placements, then I have no regret. [*including me!] Written July 10, 2022

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Bill Baker

Date: 7/12/2022 6:03:00 PM

Thank you for the info on contest here at poetry soup, Milt. I've thought about entering a few, I don't really care to compete with others, but thought it would help me write better poetry. I'm comfortable with the content of my poetry but am not as exacting as I think most contest require. I'd have to figure out how to use other cites for syllable count and format issues. Bill

L Milton Hankins
Date: 7/12/2022 6:41:00 PM

Bill, you write beautifully, and I'm sure you would do very well in any contest you enter. Give a few of them a try and see how they work for you. You'll either become addicted, or you'll say, "Not worth my time!" In any case, it'll be an experience that maybe you can write a poem about, eh?

Caren Krutsinger

Date: 7/11/2022 8:53:00 PM

I love poetry contests because they are such a fabulous source of ideas for me! It is nice when I get a win, but it's not my main goal. I never notice who wins, and I usually do not even check.

L Milton Hankins
Date: 7/12/2022 7:51:00 AM

Ha! I just noticed the phrase "tit for tat" got censored. Isn't that wild?

Jenna Logan

Date: 7/11/2022 6:33:00 AM

I apologize for taking up so much commenting space, but there are some things that I tried to make clear in a blog about the marathon and the reasons I decided to stop participating. Those comments were deleted by the sponsor. This is why I agree with Terry, who wrote, "There are certainly sponsors I wouldn't put pen to paper for."

Jenna Logan
Date: 7/11/2022 10:56:00 AM

Thank you for being supportive, Milt.

L Milton Hankins
Date: 7/11/2022 9:37:00 AM

Jenna, I'm personally pleased that you shared in detail your feelings about the current situation. It was a good thing to do, and I applaud you.

Jenna Logan

Date: 7/11/2022 6:11:00 AM

Additionally, if poets are not supposed to put their name on an entry, why would a sponsor make a comment on an entry days before he's judged his contest? I was shocked by that, and then later to discover that entry was placed 2nd. There are issues with contests, and yet they act as stimulus for many of us to write. As I commented on Tom's view, many sponsors are very good judges of poetry, and I appreciate the time they put forth in being fair to ALL poets.

L Milton Hankins
Date: 7/11/2022 9:35:00 AM

The example you have provided clearly shows that there is bias in the Marathon judging. I do not believe contests entries should be chosen as P.O.T.D., etc., before the contest is decided. I do not think the sponsor should know who wrote what, so this clearly shows that this judge is breaching an important rule in judging anything.

Jenna Logan

Date: 7/11/2022 6:05:00 AM

After reading comments I can see that many 'good' poets feel as I do about some sponsors who appoint themselves as 'judge' when they are not qualified to determine what makes a poem 'good.' Easy for me to say when I don't host contests, but honestly... if one fumbles the trophies by awarding them for poor grammar, changes in tense and/or person, misspelled words, NOT FOLLOWING THE RULES...etc. they shouldn't be holding contests. It's the reason I withdrew from the Marathon contest. It's flawed.

L Milton Hankins
Date: 7/11/2022 9:34:00 AM

Thank you, Jenna, for your extensive comment because you are standing by your principles, and you have shared information that needs to be shared.

Tom Cunningham

Date: 7/11/2022 3:48:00 AM

Since I joined soup I've found contests are a contentious issue, I was told to look at a certain contest a while back and the poet was spot on with her predictions on who would be at the top, it shocked me to be honest. Then there was a blog where a poet was holding a contest and a certain individual said place me high and I'll do the same for you, wow. That said there are many sponsors on here I've found to be fair in their judging. Tom

L Milton Hankins
Date: 7/11/2022 9:31:00 AM

Thanks so much for your thoughtful and meaningful comment, Tom. Your example is simply incredulous. I do my best to be completely fair in my judging. I look at each poem based on its merits without regard to who wrote it, since I judge blindly.

Jenna Logan
Date: 7/11/2022 6:07:00 AM

Goodness, Tom, that's blatant cheating! I agree that many who hold contests are capable to judge poetry very fairly.

Michael Tor

Date: 7/10/2022 9:49:00 PM

Ha so very true Milton. I use to enter contest and won quite a few but I realized that the Judge mostly control the theme and I wanted to put my efforts in what I liked. It is ok for others to participate if they enjoy to or for others to Judge also if they enjoy that. You are definitely correct in all that you have said. Glad you are a fair Judge. We need Judges to have this Standard you have expressed here so rightfully so. Poetry Soup should have all Judges read this Milton. Blessings.

L Milton Hankins
Date: 7/11/2022 9:32:00 AM

Thank you, Michael. I really appreciate your thoughts and your affirmative comments.

Unseeking Seeker

Date: 7/10/2022 9:04:00 PM

Very true, Milt. We each have our reasons for sponsoring or participating in contests. All said and done, contests liven up the atmosphere and induce us to pen our musings. In my case, I’m happy simply getting people to look within, without aid of mirrors. As for wins or losses, I guess most are past that now, although it feels good to be among the winners, no doubt!

L Milton Hankins
Date: 7/10/2022 9:18:00 PM

Indeed. I suppose I get asked about them by newbies because I comment on a lot of poems, and I both sponsor and, occasionally, win a contest. We all have our own ways of thinking about them, of course.

Terry Flood

Date: 7/10/2022 3:46:00 PM

There are certainly sponsors I wouldn't put pen to paper for, Milt. But my real pet hates are syllable counters, gramma checkers, and rhyme checkers. I use my fingers for syllables, my ears for rhyme and I refuse to worry about gramma if I’m writing deliberately bad gramma (for effect). It ain’t rocket science, you know what I mean like! Good write, Milt.

L Milton Hankins
Date: 7/10/2022 6:34:00 PM

Terry, you are a master at what you do, and I agree with you wholeheartedly. I, too, despise syllable requirements, period, and often ignore them at the expense of non-placement. No big problem. Real poets do not exist for contests; contests exist for poets! Get my drift? Thanks so much, Terry. And, if the requirements get too cumbersome for me, I generally pass on the contest.