THE ULTIMATE BATTLE OF POETS: ROUND 3

ROUND 3 - IMAGE/QUOTE/TITLE

Below you will find the third round - although it seems like a regular round, it has a mysterious touch to it. Hidden, there are 6 pictures, 6 quotes, and 6 titles - of which have been given to you by the three judges. Images are numbered 1-6 - quotes are 7-12 - titles are 13-18. They are waiting for the remaining six poets to snatch them and begin writing.

Remaining poets - I would like you to message me with a number in each of those categories. Therefore, you will pick a number between 1-6, one between 7-12 and one between 13-18. I will then message you with the image you chose, quote, and title.

It is then your responsibility to take what you have been given and turn it into a masterpiece. You may use one, two, or all three. With each additional "theme" used, you will receive one bonus point. You may earn up to 2 bonus points for this. This is first come first serve, a number may not be chosen twice by two poets. Good luck!

Please format your PM to me like the one below:

Image # 2
Quote # 7
Title # 15

I will be posting up a list of numbers when they are taken, kind of similar to the form round...so pay close attention participants!

*POEMS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO ME BY 930PM CENTRAL TIME (US) THIS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28TH!*

BONUS POINTS:
*Usage of internal rhyme (+1 point)
*Each additional theme used (+1 point per additional theme)

PENALTIES:
*Writing a nature poem ( - 1 point)
*Last poem submitted ( - 1 point )

- - - - - - -

Taken:

Image
#1
#2
#3
#4
#6

Quote
#7
#8
#10
#11
#12

Title
#13
#14
#15
#16
#17

Whoa, this is insane!

I think a couple of more have been taken and I am very intrigued by this round as it is the first time for this as well. C'mon poets out there. Get off your lazy bum and pick one and start writing. Give your mind time to think about this piece then just rushing it in at the last minute. :]

What is the definition of "nature poem," I wonder? Is it one where the focus is on "nature as nature," or will any use of natural imagery class it so?

I think a nature as nature poem is what she was referring to but a PM to the host would give you a much better answer. :]

Nature as in what is outside your window. Obviously there is imagery when referring to nature. So I believe I'm referring to both. Does that answer your question?

Would you classify the sex or the sonnet poems from the last round as "nature" poetry?

I suppose what I'm asking is that almost anything can be seen as nature. So a "nature" poem, in my eyes, is something that only describes the natural world- trees, sky, lakes, animals- without relating it to any other genre.

Nature, the natural world, mother nature, I'm almost positive that's all the same thing. I understand what you're saying though, those poems however are a different type of nature to me. I already mentioned what I considered to be nature. Britt has the right point, something you would probably place under nature on the site.

Coolio. If you think the sex poem is not a nature poem just because it is all about nature, I'm happy.

^

Now that just confused me. :P XD

I think what she was trying to say that we thought the sex poem was about explicitcy but in reality it was all about nature but as long as no one knows its about nature then it shouldn't matter.

I think it's best to be dropped really. Sorry, guys. If it's that big of a deal, I can just remove it?

Eh, just use your judgment, Temps! Categorizations are less clear than 18th century scientists wished they were, but you won't have anyone after your head if you give them a negative point.

Yeah seriously, don't drop it, I didn't mean for that to happen at all.

I only thought it was interesting to discuss what constitutes a nature poem.

For example, Jad's nature poems are usually the puritan type. He describes a season, a tree, a rose- an image, and sometimes the feelings derived from that image. But it all revolves around the beauty or process of nature.

Much of Sib's poetry, for example, is also nature-enriched, but is actually relating it to love and life and spirituality and human-contrived perceptions.

That is the only distinction I think I was making.

I think it is clever that you are penalising the puritan nature stuff here... I am sure many of the image prompts will be of the natural world. In these sorts of challenges, the submitted poems usually tend to merely describe the image itself, instead of using it as inspiration for something else.

Puritan type, eh. I take it as a compliment! :]

Don't remove it, Temps. I don't think it is that hard, we(or I) like making things sound complicated. I think we all get the idea of what you want! :]

Alright go on, I don't mind a discussion. I would say Jad is a great example of what a nature poem is.

I just realised Sib implied that I'm an 18th century scientist.

So true. They really knew what science meant then.

Ha! I wasn't consciously implying that, but I suppose it works. I just have fond phantom memories of times when men and women sat around their parlours and had lengthy, minutely detailed discussions about the categorical divisions within science, philosophy, and rhetoric. All full of wit and insight, of course.

Maybe those times never actually happened how I picture, but they're absolutely a part of my confabulated ancestral memory.

My fellow tries to have these discussions with me sometimes, but they are about physics and I listen intently for two minutes before being distracted by shiny/colorful things.

Yeah, my Nature poems are about as Nature as they get! :] Also C'mon peeps. Get those spots reserved and start working on those poems. Deadlines people! Deadlines!

Awesome, now all that remains is for these poets to get their poems written so I can have a look at the variety of poems! :]

Now that I think about it. We should be able to read the poems tomorrow! :] That is the deadline and I would expect the poems to be up for viewing. Can't wait! :] Unless I am wrongly lead, which is a large possibility. XD

Here are the poems for round 3. 4 of the 5 poets have submitted their poem thus far. Listed after each poem is the inspiration for the poem. Each poet picked a random number for a image, quote, and title at the beginning of this round and this is what they were given as a result. Still waiting on one last poet, you have 15 hours to make something happen, if not you will be eliminated!

Midnight Mourning

Each night he visits her
in sleepless dreams.

Woefully -
revolving around visions of remembrance,
perishing within bleak spirals of mourning.
Aching to hold -
the silhouette of his imagination.

Oh how beautiful she was -
Center stage,
a gentle breeze of pretty pink wings.
A beauty - a butterfly
that fluttered in his world
for merely a breath.
A decade - but yet a moment

(He closes his eyes)
And beneath the breath
of a distant whisper
he awakens - the profound dream.

I am the gentle petals
that dance in the breeze ...
The shadow of the moon
that peaks through the trees ...
A honey suckled rain drop
that falls to the ground ...
Your sweet fairy princess
that can always be found ...

Daddy,
I am ... everywhere !

http://www.flickr.com/photos/massimobarbieri/2685812402/
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Warp and Weft

There are lines that cross the void between the stars
and shape them to their fates-
patterns that drop like meteors
and bed themselves
in the corners of our eyes.

Lines are drawn between this hilltop and the next,
binding them together in a web
that throbs and wavers,
and is matched
by the tapestry of our veins.

A path crosses over the swift flurry of a river
and joins the near bank to the far
by a stone path that arches
and becomes the way
for our souls, wandering like little waifs in sleep.

A thread of light ties the cosmos to the atom:
twin mirrors with images
receding into the abyss.

My lips are the last pink of sunset.
My arms are the chalky shores.
My dreams are the deep shadows of myth.
My feet follow the lines from star to star, and

I unfurl my hand, as
I feel the universe blossom.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2291/2170153872_e747245445.jpg?v=0

-------

It Blazes Everywhere

We walk down streets
stuffed with houses, rows and rows
of terraced twins, symmetrical like
paper chain dolls, uniform brick brothers
squatting shoulder to shoulder, glued wall to wall,
their chimneys standing at attention.

Their open windows pass us by
and we glimpse their yellow insides, warm and alive-
a student hunched on his desk,
a family eating dinner,
a cello in the corner,
a cat on the sill. The houses spread
their yards to us, too, the little squares
laid like patterned napkins.
One is spilling lavendar and daisies to the street,
while another is already crammed with Christmas,
its lime green lights glowing in the fading day.
You point, delighted, at a bench on a porch,
missing from the park some days ago.

There is a fat man smoking
at his gate, nodding at us.
The window behind him is dark and still.
I smile and he says, "You're quite the pair, aren't ya"
and goes inside.

We laugh and link arms and you
smell like lavendar and plant daisies in my hair and we
head home with my hand hot in your pocket,
leaving the staring houses behind us
with smoke rising from their chimneys.

"One may have a blazing hearth in one's soul and yet no one ever came to sit by it. Passers-by see only a wisp of smoke from the chimney and continue on their way."
- Vincent Van Gogh

-------

On I Must Go

There I laid my weatherbeaten horse to rest
on a desert by the sea of final turnings,
as my crooked hand clutched at my chest,
and found I wandering at distant yearnings.

A hesitant gunshot to end my giant's pain,
passing glances toward the crashing waves,
whistfully stroked once more his scruffy mane,
to find me hunched in a rut of rows of graves.

Last I found myself lulling through stones,
kicking up rocks in a frenzy of letting go,
my father had bronze flesh around his bones,
that was warm and molded like living dough.

He held true to the ground with aging roots,
wrinkles that mapped out a lingering smile,
proud of the girl standing in her cowboy boots;
she had journeyed beside him for every mile.

'Daughter,' he said, 'Now you understand loss,
the power of hope and what winning can cost.
Someday I won't be here to watch you grow -
Someday I must stop, but on you must go.'

And in this spot, in these graves by the sea,
on a desert of ruin, with my horse now expired,
long after my father, to his honest decree,
had stopped in his tracks; he had grown very tired...

I stood long and hard, my own roots digging in,
with loss in my eyes and tears filling my heart,
but off in the shadows, a light bloomed therein,
and I quickly remembered, we are never apart.

"Fathers are like a lighthouse when there is fog his children can always depend on seeing the light."
- Christy Borgeld

http://www.artnivo.nl/kunst-bio/Dali-Salvador.jpg

Only one more! I bet it's gonna be a whammy.

Tremendous poems thus far. I really have to say the judges are going to have fun with this round. :]

Round 3 is now officially closed. Only 4 poems were submitted - results will be posted in a few days!

Wow.

This almost looks like the final round. There is much cream in this tight little crop.

Only four poems! Temps you are awesome of how you make this contest so prompt and also keeping to the rules you have posted. Very nice. I can't wait to see the judges comments on these poems.

Is internal rhyming within the poem or within a single line? I alway thought it was the former...

In poetry, internal rhyme, or middle rhyme, is rhyme which occurs within a single line of verse.

examples:

:Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary.

I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers

http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/internal-rhyme/examples.html

Gotcha!

THE RESULTS ARE IN!!!!

I must say I was quite pleased with the poems entered in this round, they were of great quality and all of you should be proud of yourself whether you move on or not. However, there has to be a winner and one of you has to be eliminated. I will first start out with some general comments from the judges, I am still awaiting one, but will post that when I receive it...then the results will follow.

-------

Judges comments:

"I want to start out by saying, this is by far the most difficult round I've ever judged, and most of my comments may seem they are full of praise everywhere - it was a matter of figuring out which one I liked more, and it was not an easy task at all!

"First I must say how impressed I am by the quality of the poems in this round, all poets should be justly proud of their submitted work... well done. What an enjoyable round to judge, hats off to the 4 poets! The integration of the themes added to the flavour of the round, and maybe something that could be incorporated in future contests."

"Just like the other judges, I found this to be the most difficult round. Every poem had impacted me in some way. It Blazes Everywhere that reminds me of realistic art; Warp and Weft's beauty; Midnight Mourning's emotion and On We Must Go's familiarity. These poems had such quality that it left me blank for a whole day. Keep up the great work!"

--------

RESULTS:

The winner of this round went to.....

It Blazes Everywhere!

Congratulations you did a wonderful job!

The poem with the lowest score has been eliminated - thank you for participating! But...don't go away yet! What will follow round 3? Will it be the final round or will there still be an opportunity to make it to the final round? I guess only time will tell! Tune in later today to find out!

27 points (10+10+7):
It Blazes Everywhere

"Very realistic, at times perhaps too detailed. It was difficult to get through the monotonous first stanza. I know we're trying to get into the mood of a late evening-stroll, but I think this would be more effective if there weren't so many things stuffed together. It's the second stanza (and further) where actual admiration tingles. "Yellow insides" is a very nice way of describing the literal and figurative light inside these houses. The style of this poem reminds me of Van Gogh's "Potato Eaters". It's a joy to read the way those personas see one's home. There's a true connection here, as if the reader just walks along. "my hand hot in your pocket" is a lovely phrase, and I found "staring houses" slightly funny. Roles are reversed, it's not the couple staring, but the houses."

"This writer hit every single one of my senses. I could feel myself walking down a street, arms linked with my lover, laughing about the simplicity of the street. I could smell the lavender (which was spelled wrong in the poem, and usually I would mark it down, but the rest of the poem was so remarkable I couldn't help but make this my first choice), and see a daisy chain around a girls head. The feeling of the streets and the way described was so vivid it was like I was walking right along with the reader. I think the inspiration from the quote was pulled quite perfectly and balanced out with great creativity. I can not speak enough of how beautiful this piece is, almost as though it's a picture I've been staring at. The overall structure and vocabulary in the poem wasn't overdone, and the line breaks were placed in interesting ways that did not make the poem feel dull. This writer definitely did an outstanding job with his/her writing prompt."

"To state the obvious this quote is essentially about the human spirit. How well did this poem capture that?

This poem is telling me that the human spirit "Blazes Everywhere" we need only look around to see it, it's right in front of us, as within this poem, we all look but do we actually see. Oh.. how well you have captured this, in your descriptive journey down a simple everyday terraced street. The difference between this and my first pick Warp and Weft was so small I was considering a draw, maybe a couple of the line breaks threw me a little and was the difference? A beautifully penned poem"

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24 points (7+7+10):
Warp and Weft

"Definitely a most beautiful poem, it has the effect of a classic nature poem, although oddly Buddhistic. Of course I was attracted to its fancy imagery, but I also got lost in it. There are spiritual hints here and there that didn't create enough impact. It's hard to say whether this should be categorised as a "typical nature poem" or not. It felt like the writer just concretely described the picture but also tried to throw symbolism in it. The concreteness was too dominating. This wouldn't be a problem if there wasn't this vague, spiritual layer. There's certainly more "soul" near the end; a balanced description of the universe and an individual. I liked the intimate feeling of this. It's become more abstract, and (to me) leaning more towards the essence."

"I think this is such an interesting piece having seen the picture prompt the writer used. Instead of going in a nature write (which it does borderline, but it's woven into more of a life poem than nature in my opinion) they bring in the tapestry of life - such an original and creative piece, definitely not one you see on this site often. The vocabulary is a bit more complex but not overdone or confusing in the slightest, and it adds the twinge of complexity of life, of the universe, of everything as a whole. The writer brought in all facets of imagination here. The bit of repetition threw me off a bit in the end with all the my's, but it's followed up with such strong images it's hard to fault the repetition - maybe the repetition is what draws you to the stanza in the first place. Something so intriguing about the piece, it draws you in to read over and over, finding new meaning each time read."

"My connection between the image and this poem was not immediate, yet there is so much to this poem which is chocked full of depth, unravelling bit by tantalizing bit, the more you immerse yourself in it the more it reveals. The connection between photo and poem is more ethereal than physical, which at first is a little disconcerting but considering the penalty for writing a nature poem this twist is very imaginative and understandable. I love where this bridge took me in this creative unique poem, the title was also very clever helping to weave the imagery in what I felt was a wonderful write and my number one pick"

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9 points (4+1+4):
Midnight Mourning

"This poem takes you to different levels: from the father's gloom to the child's innocence. I could actually imagine some sort of echoing voice of a young girl (those you hear in movies) while she tries to comfort him. You're able to feel the sacredness of her distance, for she resides in rhyme and is parallel to the many beauties on earth. I admire the spiritual growth which this father goes through. The composition is effective, although the change might be regarded as being abrupt. While reading this, I felt like watching a Ballet. Not only due to its drama, but also due to the elegance created by alliteration and a few suggestive words (revolving, spirals, silhouette, centre stage, dance). I'll have to applaud the writer for this versatile and emotional "performance". I dare not to say brilliant, because it's not original. Punctuation could also be worked on."

"It's hard for me to place this so low when it hit my emotions really hard. This was such a sad piece full of loss and mourning, and the memory of a child lost, something that tugs at your heartstrings hard. It drew beautifully from the picture prompt and took it in such a heartbreaking twist that it makes me wonder if the writer has felt this kind of loss, it was so powerful. The things that took away from the poem was the overuse of ...'s. They can work effectively, but every few lines being done, I feel takes away from the poem, having to over think the pausing when it sounded better aloud without much pause. The last couplet of "Daddy I am ... everywhere!", the periods didn't make much sense to me placed where they were. In fact, the ending feels to me as though the writer was trying to find a strong, solid ending to the poem but I think it fell short - the previous stanza, I believe, was a beautiful and strong ending, and gave me the impression the poem was over. Kind of an "oh how adorable and sweet" moment to such a sad piece. I do love this poem, the power behind it you cannot mistake, but think the punctuation and ending took away from the original feeling of the piece."

"Forgetting the name of the photo, I can feel the strong connection this poet has made with the photo and what is a very emotive topic "the death of your child" and helps to mould the imagery created in an almost physical way. There are some lovely lines here "the silhouette of his imagination" a stand out for me. This well conveyed, very emotive piece totally drew me in. It flows well and the message in the last stanza completes the poem wonderfully. Maybe some small tweaks would help improve this poem a little, the line "He awakens - the profound dream" didn't quite fit, a little cliche maybe. I also question the use of brackets and peaks should have read peeks I think?. But small criticisms that didn't really distract me from this lovely piece"

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7 points (1+4+1+1BP):
On I Must Go

"Most likely a travelling cowgirl in sadness, yet strong enough to carry on; remembering the words of her father. The surroundings are obviously fictional, yet there's sincerity in every word. The writer did a good job on representing her feelings in foreign skin. The rhythm and rhyme remind me of gallop. It's nice to see that the technical devices within a poem also fit its content. Although its rhyming could've been more subtle, as it's somewhat distracting at times. Another thing I liked about this poem was its title, it really got me into the right mood, and reading it again ("on you must go") felt slightly emotional. Overall a nice poem, just not magnificent, compared to the others."

"Again it's hard for me to place this so low with such a good story behind the poem. Kudos for using extra prompts than just one - the writer pieced them together very well. The write itself had an inspirational message, one that my own father taught me very well as a child. It almost felt as though this piece with some editing could very well be in a children's book. The images were strong and the rhymes didn't seem forced, but they did seem overdone. There was one stanza where the rhyme scheme went from abab to aabb, and it did trip me up and made me go back a few times to make sure I was reading it right..and for that it took away the flow. There were a few lines that were hard to get through or didn't make sense in the order of words - "and found I wandering at distant yearnings." the "found I wandering" sounds off to me. Also "in a rut of rows of graves."..the of rows of graves threw me off as well. While the message as a whole was understood and captivating, I think the delivery is what made me score this so low."

"I get the connection between the poem the photo and the quote, but there it ended. This poem didn't capture me as the others did, the spark and the imagery just wasn't there. I fell over the last line of the first stanza "found I wandering" and sort of got lost from there. I found the rhyme at times clumsy and some lines just didn't flow "To find me hunched in a rut of rows of graves" maybe this was done to create iambic meter but it didn't work for me. The bones are there for a good poem it just needs tightening up.. "

The judges taste are great. I love how they choose their winner and their comments are very helpful to understanding how. Now what will happen. Will there be a round four next or maybe some other shocking round??? Who knows?

Wow, huge disparity in points. I have to say I completely agree with all the judges wrote and especially with the placement of the 4 poems :) Nice work.

It is that time! The three remaining participants are about to get some competition!

I have a title, quote, and image left over from Round 3 - which will serve as the challenge for this "wild card round"

Rules are -

#1. You have 24 hours from the time on this post, only 24 HOURS.
#2. Anyone can join - whether you were eliminated, are in the top 3, or may have never even joined the contest.
#3. You MUST incorporate all three themes! The quote, the title, AND the image!
#4. No bonus or penalty points apply!

The remaining themes are:

Image:
Http://www.flickr.com/photos/21802566@N02/4887488153/

Quote:
"The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore."
Vincent Van Gogh

Title:
Whatever Doesn't Kill You...

You may ask - how many will move on? You'll have to wait until poems are turned in and results are posted!

Your 24 HOURS starts right NOW!

Well, I can see how that would be done, but pretty easy to turn into a bunch of hog-wash while trying to incorporate all 3. Mad props to whoever can pull it off.

Where was the disparity in points? 10 points for 1st place, 7 for 2nd, 4 for 3rd, 1 for 4th. It was pretty tight and even. Oh, I think you must mean between 2nd and 3rd place, instead of within the judges' scores per poem. Yes indeed. I like the way these judges form judgments. Would love to know who they are.

This is one slick contest! Congrats to all those participating. And to all those who aren't- now is your chance!

What an exciting ... exciting contest.

Congrats to 1st place ... congrats to those going to the next round.
Congrats to everyone who participated.

Can't wait to see what happens next !!!

"Oh, I think you must mean between 2nd and 3rd place, instead of within the judges' scores per poem. Yes indeed."

That's what I meant, yep!

I didn't exactly see that coming but that is allright. :P C'mon folks you heard the lady. Twenty four hours and let me tell you that the time has already dwindled from that. :]