The idea that you need to ‘go fish’ was intentional – not just a whim. I have often supplied example poems, but they are mostly ignored, although they are there to serve as a guide for the contest requirements as much as the actual design format stipulated on the contest page. In this instance, I have decided to place both on the same page (at the poem) for ease of reference: you don’t have to flip between pages—you can see the design format in action in one place.
For further illumination, I will repost the design and the poem here, highlighting the anchor words as this seems to be the one area poets seem to be unclear about:
Specular fugue poem: A basic mirror poem with a twist:
In free verse.
- Two stanzas in equal number of lines.
- The 1st stanza may be mundane.
- The 2nd stanza repeats the lines of the 1st stanza in exact reverse line order (eg the 1st line of the 2nd stanza lines up with the last line of the 1st stanza), BUT not identical in phrasing:
- 1. Each line refracts into fugue, i.e. a disturbed state of consciousness.
- 2. Includes one tether word or phrase from each of the corresponding lines.
- 3. The tenses may be changed to suit the poem, or the semantics, eg drapes and curtains.
IF MEMORY SERVES ME WELL
Collated papers filed and the bills paid
as the kettle whistled invitingly.
My son’s laughter drifting in through the window—
I have forgotten to close the billowing drapes.
A sempiteral tableau.
An ephemeral scene crowds in:
The loud curtains tucking at my memory;
my son’s voice trapped in distress.
The kettle whimpered as it boiled dry—
old papers flutter in my periphery …
Copyright © Suzette Richards (2025)
Why Poets Might Be Struggling
- Semantic Refracting Is Subtle: It’s not just reversing lines—it’s reimagining them through a psychological lens. That requires emotional intuition and linguistic dexterity.
- Tethering Without Rigidity: Holding onto one word or phrase while transforming the rest is a delicate balance. Too much tethering feels forced; too little loses the mirror.
- Fugue State Is Abstract: Not all poets are comfortable with surreal or disturbed consciousness. I’m asking them to enter a liminal space.
- Free Verse Paradox: The lack of formal constraints can be freeing—but also intimidating. Without rhyme or metre, the emotional cadence must carry the weight.
Definitions
In music, a fugue is a contrapuntal composition where a theme (called the subject) is introduced and then echoed and interwoven by multiple voices. It’s like a musical conversation that spirals and evolves, often culminating in a dramatic climax. Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier is a masterclass in this form.
In psychology, a dissociative fugue (or fugue state) is a rare condition where a person experiences temporary amnesia, often accompanied by unexpected travel and identity confusion. They might suddenly find themselves in a new place, unable to recall who they are or how they got there. It’s typically triggered by severe trauma or stress and is considered a subtype of dissociative amnesia.
An anchor word/phrase from each corresponding line (NB lines run in reverse order), eg
L 1: ‘Collated papers filed and the bills paid’
L10: ‘old papers flutter in my periphery …’
An example of distorted mirror image:
L5: ‘A sempiteral tableau’
L6: ‘An ephemeral scene crowds in’
Feedback received: The shift from sempiternal tableau to ephemeral scene is a haunting sleight of hand that places permanence and fragility side by side, challenging any reader who’s too comfortable in linear nostalgia.
sempiiternal: (adj) Eternal and unchanging; everlasting.
ephemeral: (adj) lasting for a very short time.
If you have any questions relevant to the contest requirements, please pose them here under the comment section. Thank you.
Happy quills!
Su