The Challenges of Contest Sponsorship

As I've said before, peer sponsored contests have their inherent problems and challenges. My latest contest is no exception. How to rate and judge poetry written by poets whose skill set may, in some cases, exceed your own is both humbling as well as intimidating. So let me repeat a disclaimer, ie, my judging is as subjective as anyone else's and not necessarily any better. That having been said, the present contest is especially challenging, for several reasons: no specific form was required and no specific theme was proposed. In addition, there are fifty poets offering up their very best. This means that they're all winners in a sense, so... how to pick? However, the biggest challenge is found in these questions: What really is poetry? What should I expect to get out of reading a poem? Should my top choices be those that are elegantly written, flawless in grammar and punctuation? Or should the best poems be those that are true in every way to the form the poet opted to write in? Then again, maybe the choicest poems are those that make me feel something; a laugh, a cry, a gut punch, revulsion, fear, anger? To that end please note the following quote by Dr. Nicholas Mazza: "Poetry writing allows us to voice what feels inexpressible in a safe manner. You can respond to a poem or write a poem by taking some distance between yourself and the poem. Poetry is a healing therapy because it invisibly passes through the walls that we unknowingly put up to shield ourselves from such things as rejection, shame, fear, hurt and failure. Poetry writing and reading can put us in touch with our strengths, times of pain and wonder, times of promise, and forgotten smiles. It makes us think. It can reach into our hearts and awaken our emotions, thoughts and perspectives. It can inspire and provide hope in a special way." With this in mind, my top choices will be those that made me feel the most. I hope this blog helps all future sponsors in their approach to judging and assists entrants to understand the difficulties in judging someone else's poetry. Winners will be announced tomorrow. Thanks to all who participated. Tommy PS. I may do another in the future to give fifty different poets a chance

Please stay on topic with your comments. Off topics comments may be removed. Thanks.

Suzanne Delaney Date: 2/10/2025 3:20:00 AM As we read we bring our own life experiences to a poem so anything in a poem that resonates with our memories good or bad - positive or negatives is going to influence us unduly. Along with all that if the poem is written and executed well it puts it on top. Login to Reply Tom Woody Date: 2/10/2025 6:25:00 AM Easy peasy

Kim Rodrigues Date: 2/9/2025 10:14:00 AM Sometimes I just know who should place at top because I come back to it over and over. When I first started as a sponsor, I thought a certain person couldn’t always be at the top but when I blindly judged, there she was. Then there is a cluster to figure out. Sponsoring is a good way to stay humble and learn the lessons. Blessings, Tom! Login to Reply Tom Woody Date: 2/9/2025 12:19:00 PM Blessings back Kim

Edward Ibeh Date: 2/8/2025 5:50:00 AM " It can reach into our hearts and awaken our emotions, thoughts and perspectives." I couldn't agree more with this, Tom. When I'm judging a poem--which is a tough job!--I'm looking for clarity, depth, spelling, presentation, use of grammar, imagery, and metaphors. I give poets participating in my contests unfettered freedom; whatever form they choose to write in is fine by me. A poem, regardless of length, must make me feel something. Very short forms are risky because they tend to leave me wanting more. Poets have won my contests with a monoku. If a poem wows me, it's a winner. It's as simple as that. Awesome blog! Login to Reply Tom Woody Date: 2/8/2025 9:33:00 AM Appreciate your input Edward

Benjamin Bartley Date: 2/7/2025 3:16:00 PM So true. Me, a judge? Very informative. Thanks for sharing. Login to Reply Tom Woody Date: 2/7/2025 5:01:00 PM None of us are qualified, but keep that on the down low. Egos and what not

I Am Anaya Date: 2/7/2025 2:44:00 PM I can't find the form that enables me to become a sponsor....what do I click on?? help! Login to Reply Tom Woody Date: 2/8/2025 12:53:00 PM Kewl thx I Am Anaya Date: 2/8/2025 11:35:00 AM Love your BLOG <3 I Am Anaya Date: 2/8/2025 11:32:00 AM Now with the 'born in the USA' law...mass-deportation! Tom Woody Date: 2/7/2025 5:00:00 PM Go to member home, click on my contests, click on start a new contest

Constance La France Date: 2/6/2025 3:31:00 PM Tom, great blog, judging is not easy that is for sure, for me perfection is not always what connects with me when reading a poem ~ Login to Reply Tom Woody Date: 2/6/2025 3:47:00 PM Same, though I still shudder a bit at bad spelling or grammar, or sonnets not following form. It's a w.i.p

Keith D Trestrail Date: 2/5/2025 5:19:00 AM Hey, where’s my placement? Askin’ for a friend of a friend. Login to Reply Tom Woody Date: 2/5/2025 6:01:00 AM GAAA! It sucks being a sponsor. That's my 7th death threat and it's only 9am! Keith D Trestrail Date: 2/5/2025 5:43:00 AM Careful. The D stands for danger. It’s my middle name. Tom Woody Date: 2/5/2025 5:39:00 AM Pretty sure yours was #11. Dangit

Robert James Liguori Date: 2/4/2025 11:36:00 PM I didn’t win!!!! I should have submitted one of my Glenn Hughes poems… that surely would have made the top ten. Maybe next time. Thanks for hosting the contest. The winners were nice. Login to Reply Tom Woody Date: 2/5/2025 5:17:00 AM We appreciate you Robert

Ink Empress Date: 2/4/2025 7:59:00 PM Thank you for my placement in your very tough contest. Yes, you are right about how judges place poems based on what resonates with them, and sometimes as someone that loves writing for prompts, i look at the judge and their work to see whether they would be able to comprehend what i go on about and if i think they wont i dont write for their contests. I have limited time, and i use time wisely. I didnt get yet time to read your winners, but im sure you would have picked what you liked. Congratulations to all the winners, and we should appreciate differences in style of writing, every poem comes from the soul of a poet, i dont believe in criticism, unless it is with good intention: Login to Reply Tom Woody Date: 2/5/2025 5:17:00 AM I hope you find time to read and congratulate the winners. I'm sure they'd appreciate your support. Thanks for commenting here

Charlotte Puddifoot Date: 2/4/2025 3:10:00 PM thanks for my placement; was gonna enter one about periwinkles & fluffy unicorns, but, well..it's not easy judging fifty poems; interestingly, when a 'professional' judge was asked what makes a competition winning poem she replied "just luck, there's no sense in it." greg's is a phenomenal piece of writing, gut-wrenching, a poem you're glad to have read but wish you hadn't Login to Reply Tom Woody Date: 2/4/2025 3:35:00 PM Both of yours fit that category. Some will naturally take issue with the choices but my justification comes from the quote above as well as my personal feelings, expressed on yours and his poems. Or it could have just been my mood lol

Andrea Dietrich Date: 2/4/2025 1:03:00 PM Because of the way things are done here, I find contest judging very difficult. If there were a way to be anonymous both as entrant and as judge, I would love that. but that will never work here. Anyway, thanks for that last contest. I hope you will let 50 others do it and tell the winners of last contest not to enter so you can different people this time. Login to Reply Tom Woody Date: 2/4/2025 1:46:00 PM Yes that's what I'm thinking

John Lawless Date: 2/4/2025 6:49:00 AM "judge not...lest ye be judged"...I wonder what the most forgettable poem ever written is or was....let me check my files. oftentimes the poems I didn't like the first time I read them i liked the second time...therefore, on any given Tuesday you could be number ONE or...not Login to Reply Tom Woody Date: 2/4/2025 6:52:00 AM It's all relative. Fosho. I tell everyone willing to listen not to take peer sponsored contests too seriously, including my own. Just have fun writing

Connie Pachecho Date: 2/3/2025 1:55:00 PM Tom, I read your blog and see your conundrum. All the the poets and poems that you selected from are all like ballerinas on ice. They're all good. But if you asked me which poem I'll remember 10 years from now, I'd say Gaul's, mostly because it paints a picture outside the box and apart from being well writen the poem tugs on my emotions. Login to Reply Keith D Trestrail Date: 2/6/2025 11:23:00 PM Okay, plan B, locked in a room for 24 hours with eyes sown open forced to watch Adam Sandler movies. Personally I’d rather lose the use of my legs. Tom Woody Date: 2/6/2025 6:20:00 AM But... I like my kneecaps (sniff) Keith D Trestrail Date: 2/6/2025 2:44:00 AM Don’t fret, Connie, at worst a couple kneecaps. Tom Woody Date: 2/5/2025 3:00:00 PM Haha I like a rebel with a cause. No just joking wit da Keefer Connie Pachecho Date: 2/5/2025 11:26:00 AM I read your comments to Keith, regarding death threats, which may be facetious. But if its not will I also suffer collateral damage for agreeing with you? I hope so, because I'm my own person and don't unneccesarily side with the status quo. Tom Woody Date: 2/3/2025 3:22:00 PM Whew! Isn't that the truth. I actually woke up this morning thinking about his and Charlotte's. What a world we live in