EDITS REMOVED as to level the playing field - i.e. for those contestants that posted their entries BEFORE the edits were noted here. ~Suzette
TOPIC: Phantom/spirit of someone
TITLE: Like haiku, the alexandrine is usually left untitled. Therefore, you may use a title of your choice.
In ancient Greek literature, an eidolon was a spirit-image of a living or dead person, a shade or phantom look-alike of the human form. In keeping with the spirit of Halloween at month end, you may include a psychopomp* – a type of symbolism (see my 2nd example below). Furthermore, ravens in stories often act as psychopomps, connecting the material world with the world of spirits. A classic example is the American Gothic masterpiece, The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe, where the raven symbolises various things, including death, darkness, and the unending nature of grief.
What to submit:
Write ONE unrhymed alexandrine couplet (ie the two lines do not rhyme in their end words), but it includes an internal rhyme scheme, on the topic of the phantom/spirit of someone. I am chiefly looking for originality in content, and SHOW, don’t tell; as well as the following points need to be adhered to:
- Syllable count per line: The alexandrine is always exactly 12 syllables per line.
- It includes an enjambment (run-on line) between the two lines of the couplet.
- RHYME SCHEME: Either single perfect† or syllabic rhyme‡ in the rhyme scheme: a1–a2; b1–b2. Only use [edit] polysyllabic/multi-syllabic words in the rhymes, and NO identical rhyme, slant/near/half rhymes, or clichés, please.
- Please check grammar and spelling.
EXAMPLES (stressed syllables are in boldface)
Option 1:
Internal single perfect rhyme
A crystal laugh delights, engenders some highlights
in eyes that oft endear, outshine a chandelier.
Option 2:
Internal syllabic rhyme
Ever restless spirit manifests and merits
baleful portent even denounced by the raven.
Glossary
*Psychopomps (from the Greek word psychopompós, literally meaning the guide of souls) are creatures, spirits, angels, or deities in many religions whose responsibility is to escort newly deceased souls from Earth to the afterlife. Useful link: Top 10 Psychopomps of Ancient and Modern Mythology, by Michael Van Duisen, 15 June 2013
†A single perfect rhyme is a rhyme in which the stress is on the final syllable of the words, ie the accented vowels: rhyme/sublime, kite/height, etc, as well as the succeeding consonants match, ie ‘m’, ‘t’ in these examples.
‡A syllabic rhyme – considered less than perfect rhyme – is a rhyme in which the last syllable of each word sounds the same, but does not contain stressed vowels, for example, cleaver/silver/ever, stutter/pattermutter (error - should be 'mitre') etc. In other words, it does NOT comprise of a stem/root word with an added suffix, for example, plural (-es) and past tense (-ed) where these are pronounced in certain words; present particle and gerund (-ing), but to name a few.
Checking the number of syllables in a word/line: You may use syllable counters at your own risk. If there is a dispute, for example where dialect comes into play, the Merriam-Webster and the Cambridge/Oxford Unabridged dictionaries have the final say insofar as syllable counts and stressed syllables are concerned. Yes, really (see footnote) has either two or three syllables, and the first syllable is stressed. You might be tempted to pronounce a word such as rhythm as having two syllables, but all sources that I have consulted state that it has only one syllable: ˈri-t͟həm (per merriam-webster.com, Oxford Online Dictionary, etc). Unusual or foreign words need to be researched as the syllable count might not be immediately obvious, for example, azulejo (from my poem, Out my Window), has 2 syllables. Et cetera.
You may use apps such as howmanysyllables.com, wordhelp.com, rhymefinder.net, etc, or the myriad online dictionaries at your disposal. Recommended app for finding words with specific end syllable rhymes: wordfinder.yourdictionary.com.
Also see my blog, dated 25 September, here on Poetry Soup:
Symbolism in Poetry - Suzette Richards's Blog (poetrysoup.com)
THE USUAL DO’S AND DON’TS
Poems, and nothing but poems on the page.
Do not centre your poem. Do not use boldface or italicise your poem. Do not use all caps. Only use a single space between each line.
As per usual, please use the relevant BLOG to pose questions or make suggestions.
Eidolon – the Halloween edition – NEW CONTEST - Suzette Richards's Blog (poetrysoup.com)
LATEST BLOG: EIDOLON – UPDATE: Glossary of terminology - Suzette Richards's Blog (poetrysoup.com)
For those who are unclear on the terminology: Poetry Soup has an excellent Dictionary.
ALSO: Poem Analysis | A Database of Poetry Analysis and Summaries
Have fun!
Suzette
TICK LIST
□ Title: Of your choice
□ Form: Alexandrine
□ Topic: Phantom/spirit of someone
□ A psychopomp – it falls under the poetic device SYMBOLISM
□ ONE unrhymed alexandrine couplet of exactly 12 syllables per line
□ It MUST include an enjambment between the two lines of the couplet, ie they are NOT two standalone lines
□ Mid-verse & End Word Rhyme scheme: a1–a2; b1–b2, USING either Single perfect rhyme OR syllabic rhyme [IT IS NOT FEMININE RHYME - there is a difference] AND only using polysyllabic/multi-syllabic words in the rhymes
□ Grammar & spelling checked (Standard American OR British, but NOT mixed up in the same poem)
□ Complied with ALL the rules (PS’s and mine)
CORRECTED POEM AFTER IT HAS BEEN READ: THE OLD CRONE - Suzette Richards's Blog (poetrysoup.com)
*In online dictionaries one will find not only the definitions, synonyms and antonyms of words, but it will also indicate the number of syllables in a word. However, it might vary when you consult different dictionaries, for example, really (stress on the 1st syllable): per Howmanysyllables.com, as well as the Syllable Counter here at Poetry Soup = 3 syllables; per the Oxford dictionary = [ˈrɪəli] (2 syllables); per Merriam-Webster dictionary = [ˈri·ə·li, ˈri·li] (either two or three syllables, depending on dialect). To assist with the pronunciation of words in the English language, symbols are used in dictionaries, for example, an unstressed vowel = ͝ ; to indicate a long sounding vowel = ¯ , for example, āge, ABOVE each syllable; and BEFORE a stressed vowel = '. Therefore, poetry would scan: pō′étrў (‘e’ = stressed, ‘y’ = unstressed, & ‘o’ would be a long sound), and it is generally accepted to have three syllables.
Prizes
First Prize, Glory
Second Prize, Glory
Third Prize, Glory
4th - 10th places 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.