1 original, newly-written OTTAVA RIMA, subject of your choosing. Only one Ottava Rima stanza of eight 11-syllable lines will be read. All other poetry formats will be disqualified. I've written several Ottava Rimas, so you might want to check those listed below. For this contest, I will be accepting Near Rhymes; however, I expect the rhymes to be reasonable. I do NOT consider "ing" on the end of the word a rhyme with all other "ing"-ending words, or "ly" to rhyme with all other "ly"-ending words period! Best to check your rhymes with Rhyme Zone.com. Syllable counts should be verified by How Many Syllables.com or Poetry Soup's syllable counter. I generally count syllables on my fingers, but if I have any doubts, I will be checking How Many Syllables.com.
My examples are "Anticipating Spring" "Last Words" and "Danger Zone."
PLEASE READ ALL OF THE CONTEST INSTRUCTIONS TO THE END if you expect to do well in the contest.
Prizes
First Prize, Trophy Winner
Second Prize, Podium Position
Third Prize, Podium Positiion
4th-10th Places, Notable Entries
Preparing Your Entry
Submit one copy of your poem online. Format your poem. Please make your entry easy to read. Put the date your Ottava Rima was written. It must have been written on or after September 2, 2022. Only new poems, please! I do check copyright dates at the bottom of the entries. Please do not re-date and submit a poem that has been a previous contest winner!
English Language
Poems MUST be in English. Poems translated from other languages are not eligible.
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. I DO judge my contests blind, so please do not identify yourself in any way on your entry. DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME ON THE ENTRY. Under no circumstance will I discuss your entry with you via Soup Mail. If you have any questions about what an Ottava Rima is, consult "Types of Poetry" on Poetry Soup. If I find an obvious grammar, spelling, punctuation, or lack of proofreading error, your entry may be eliminated. I am very strict about this! Proofreading is absolutely essential when submitting poems for publication or contests.
NOTE: Until my contest is over, I will NOT be reading any Ottava Rimas in the New Poems listing. The Ottava Rima is a reasonably complicated poetry form, and it does have some specific syllabic and rhyme rules. I will be looking for a substantive theme, rhyme, rhythm, subject matter, imagery, precision in execution, and proper word usage. Let's write some fine Ottava Rimas. Best wishes to everyone!