Open Poetry Contest Judged (harshly!)

Arrange a way so that all of my poems are automatically entered into your contest as I write them. I would gladly give you my permission. jthorn5656atgmail.com That is my email address you can use but had to write it in such a way so it doesn't confuse Poetry Soup.

Arrange a way so that all of my poems are automatically entered into your contest as I write them. I would gladly give you my permission. jthorn5656atgmail.com That is my email address you can use but had to write it in such a way so it doesn't confuse Poetry Soup.

Charlotte, I was just wondering how you summoned up the energy required for hosting a contest, while being so ill with all those health issues. I don't know, if the responses you got made you feel better or worse. Anyway, tell me in advance when you host the next one. I will have no complaints if i get rejected bc i know the high calibre you possess as a poet and judge which only a handful in PS would be able to measure up to.

regarding re post of poems in contest. , esp. ones that won a contest in the past. what purpose does it serve to the poet? what challenge does it serve? than to placate their ego, rack up leaderboard points. in brian's last contest i saw an entrant do such. it doesnt make sense. the rules didnt state any guidelines. but still. it didnt state give me your best poem of the past. but still. its that important to her, im guessing. c's contest and most others state current poems which to me fits the most logic.

Charlotte ! What is bad grammar ? I make words look different by adding a different end like " Velour'd " ...now I love how this word both sounds and looks...but know it's incorrect...would you bomb me or take the word in context and say " yeah, that works" ...this is my only fear that the precision of the judges cloth doesn't suit...x ( see what I did there ?)

so mediocrity is caused by a poetry contest on a web site and not the lack of skill by the poet who creates bad poetry..and if a judge deemed their work worthy of being mentioned it now lifts itself into the realm of being good..at some point the complaint is exposed by the poetry not the arguments to defend it ....let final judgement be by those that judge there own contests not by those who want them to conform to those posting in the contest or they may take their poems and go home..

Charlotte...I regret having missed entering your contest and will look for the next one. I appreciate constructive criticism. I feel it helps the writer grow and improve. I am glad to read that I can expect this from you. I look forward to hearing from you with helpful comments towards improvement, should the instance arise. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and compassion for the genre. Big Hugggs deb

I think "harshly" sounds too unpleasant, rather than just "in a strict, even-handed manner," or the like. This effect may be magnified by the difference between judging a contest and PoetrySoup's policy on comments - which seems to be tilted well to the "encouraging" side of things versus being critical. It only makes sense for the contest judge(s) to be coolly serious about things, even "brutal" if need be. I agree with Chris Aechtner on Brian Strand's blog - our biases definitely come into play. Then there are the things Charlotte mentions - bad grammar, etc. Either way, contest judging isn't about bending over backwards to avoid disappointing people.

I respect Charlotte's work enough, and know her as an amazing poet, that I personally would always trust her judgment and expectations to be higher than most. Of course personal taste is a factor in every contest. If one reads her work, or past winners in her other contests, perhaps one will get a better idea of what she is looking for, and strive for it. Or decide this contest is not for you. I would be honored to have her judge and cut me out if I didn't meet the mark. It might mean there is more for me to learn :)

Oh dear,dear,dear...perhaps next time Charlotte you limit the winners to just 3 as in any podium, ..I didn't see this contest but will certainly take a look at your next one, too many hark the dove in flight to be disappointed she doesn't land in their garden...better seeds garden lovers, better seeds indeed...you will either love or hate my gothic palette , but you will not be disappointed....xdrifter

people know when they enter my contests that i am a tough, exacting judge; i read each entry with an editor's eye, asking myself "would this poem stand up out in the wider world of publishing, under an editor's scrutiny?"...in this particular contest the overall standard was unusually poor, and i can't pretend otherwise; poems contained predictable cliched lines, archaisms, bad grammar, and there were very few original ideas, or ideas expressed in an original, refreshing way

Judging contests that one sponsors on PS is indeed very subjective, and what appeals to one does not to another.I used the fixed 1-10 place format,open subject to a line max For my part I felt that if 30 + folk troubled to enter then the least I could do was to place 10 of them.In most contests my problem was who to leave out.

All judgements in amateur contests are subject to the bias of the sponsor. "Harsh" suggests there was something wrong with 30 poets' work, which there wasn't.

"One of the better entries" you said to Broken Wings. There was nothing wrong with my "Annoying Annette" Triolet, either in form or in interesting content. I have since removed the date so as to not earmark it out as being for a contest, but it was there when the contest was in play.

Did you come across a poem called Images?

Constance - she may have felt the sadness, the disappointment had to do with other issues. Study her winner's list and see those in contrast to the usual fare. It is more than just difference in style, there are many layers there. She is a tough judge, but it is good. I am glad she is being honest.

Congrats to all the winners - will try harder for the next contest:-) hugs Jan xxx

Charlotte, thanks for the inspiration and congrats to your winners ~