Iron Poet IX

[Zeb The Troll]

No you aren't. You have a week. Use the week.

Also, since there are some new contenders this time 'round, poets, when you submit your final pieces, please place them in spoilers, like this...

[spoiler]Poem![/spoiler]

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Poem!

Thanks! And good luck to everyone!

[The Extinguisher]

I am both confused and intrigued by my prompt. Should be something really interesting.



I hope.

[Vaynor]

I am both confused and intrigued by my prompt. Should be something really interesting.

Oh, I guess I only thought it was obvious because I read the image title. It's a bridge.

[The Extinguisher]

Oh, I guess I only thought it was obvious because I read the image title. It's a bridge.

I was referring more to the word prompt also I guess I just wanted to have something to say.

Ignore me!

[AJWB]

Good luck, drengnikrafe. May our competition be...VALOROUS!

You know, cause "Valorous" is our prompt.

Ok, I'll be back with a poem. Good luck, everyone!

[Viera Champion]

Good luck to you all. May your poem be thought good in my eyes. I feel special and empowered as a judge. ^_^ Then again, everything makes me feel special and empowered.

[Puppychowguy]

Good luck to everyone! Have some fun with it.

[Viera Champion]

Ooo I'm gonna make a poem about this thread... Hey just beacause I'm not a competitor!...

[Szilard]

Okay, so I get to go against PhoeKun, and we also have different poem writing philosophies, because I believe a poem should just be written very quickly once, otherwise, where's the river of emotion and all that? Of course, then I'd look at it a week later and see how crappy it is, so I guess I should use all week. I have no idea why I posted this, other than to say PhoeKun will pwn me. Eh, it'll be fun trying.

[truemane]

Okay, so I get to go against PhoeKun, and we also have different poem writing philosophies, because I believe a poem should just be written very quickly once, otherwise, where's the river of emotion and all that? Of course, then I'd look at it a week later and see how crappy it is, so I guess I should use all week. I have no idea why I posted this, other than to say PhoeKun will pwn me. Eh, it'll be fun trying.

I'll quote the immortal Stephen King who says that you write a first draft with your door closed and your re-writes with your door opened. Because the first draft is just for you. The final draft is for everyone else.

You SHOULD write a poem only once, quickly, without thinking too much about it or stressing over it. And if all you want is a notebook filled with poems that you can show your friends when you're drunk, that's all you need. I have dozens and dozens and dozens of such poems. Poems that no one but me or my wife will ever read. Because they're not FOR anyone else. They're just for me.

But if you want your piece to effectively communicate an idea or experience to anyone who's not you, then you need to rework it and rewrite it and polish it and tighen it up so that it's saying things to everyone else the same way it's saying things to you.

[Elfin]

Well said, as always.

[drengnikrafe]

With words as graceful as those, Truemane... I know I'm bound to eventually lose. My wordweaving skills are far below yours.

[PhoeKun]

With words as graceful as those, Truemane... I know I'm bound to eventually lose. My wordweaving skills are far below yours.

true's a wiser person than most of us, but I note with some sadness that his mind and skills are not a factor in this competition, for he is not competing. Quelle horreur.

We'll all do our best, I'm sure. The rest is up to the whims of the judges, who I am sure will not be swayed by star power. This leaves you with the simple task of writing the greatest poem ever, each and every round. Simple, no?

[Viera Champion]

I hope none of you mind if I give you my own little poem about this competition itself, and to kick off the fun.

Iron Poet

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The challenge of words has thus begun
So come hither and join the fun
Sixteen come to win the prize
Their masterpieces judged by five

Returning champions come too
Allara and Truemane are two
They come to battle the fresh meat
With rhymes and tales that can't be beat

What is this tournament you say?
You've never heard of it? No way!
This competition of rhyme and verse
Is known throughout the universe

Thousands marvel at its name
It's Iron Poet, not a game
Alas, I must depart from you
So that the poems may debut

[Fifty-Eyed Fred]

At last, I have my idea. I love it when that happens.

Edit: and now that I've written it, I feel much better for it.

As an aside, I really wish we had a smiley for doffing one's hat... a man can dream...

[The Extinguisher]

At last, I have my idea. I love it when that happens.

Bah, you don't need ideas to do poetry. Look at me. I've wrote every poem for this contest the night before. (okay, this is a lie)

I had an idea for my poem, and then I lost it, and then I had another one, and I lost that. hopefully one will come again soon.

[Szilard]

I had an idea and it evolved into what is now my new idea, which I wrote on a peice of scratch paper. I shall look at it later and then criticize myself for poor writing. Hopefully it'll be semi-enjoyable.

[AJWB]

I'll quote the immortal Stephen King who says that you write a first draft with your door closed and your re-writes with your door opened. Because the first draft is just for you. The final draft is for everyone else.

QFT. Every writer could learn a thing or two from King's writing ethic.

On a side note, I'm finding poetry to be remarkably more difficult to write than prose. From a judging perspective, you guys always had my respect because you're all great poets, but being here in the trenches I find myself a bit overwhelmed by the caliber that you all seem to consistently write at.

[Kuma]

my signature will give you a hint of what mines about...
heheheh

but seriously, I'm dying with suspense, i almost want the deadline to be today.
wait a sec, forget i said that...

[drengnikrafe]

Destiny picked a really awful week for me to have an emotional breakdown. I'm still going to participate, of course, but I may not reconfigure the thing I have written again (3rd draft).

[Errandir]

Bad week for me too. I was away last weekend and didn't find the prompt until Monday... now I have about 300 pages of Moby-**** left to read before tomorrow (speaking of which, why the hell am I here?), and I'll be away at a competition all day Saturday.

I'll get something written, but I'm afraid it won't be great quality, or very polished - and both of those are what I would need to compete against Rutskarn.

[Arti3]

I'm pretty much done, finishing touches being added :)

[DreamintheDark]

Can I submit my poem today? I'll probably forget tomorrow.....

[Devigod]

You can always submit early, and also edit your piece at any time, so long as the dead line hasn't passed. Once the deadline hits, you want to have your final draft up.

[Vaynor]

Oh, yes, definitely submit it early. I'd advise it, actually. You can always edit your post afterwards, judges shouldn't be reading them before the contest ends anyways (and they should all be in spoilers). Keep in mind if the post your poem is contained in is edited after the end of this round, it will be disqualified (unless you use your half-day extension).

Edit: Rules altered in accordance with the statements above.

[DreamintheDark]

Alrighty. Thank you for answering.
Here's my poem, I guess...
I hope this fits the prompt I recieved. =)
Also, you get to see how differently my brother's and my writing styles are.

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On the outside,
A smile appears.
No one looks,
Into the dark eyes;
She holds so dear.
No one gives;
Love fades away,
And floats up.
Never to be seen once
Again times pass, as
She tries to fly;
The wretched wings;
Hold her back,
Keep her from all
Things seem to fade,
To melt away;
Her dreams;
Stay still,
Never moving forward;
Only floating up.

A note on the poem.

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Read the nonpunctuated parts like you would read a sentence, Like the 9th and 10th lines. You'll see if you do.

[Viera Champion]

Gah! This isn't fair! I want to read that poem so bad! But I'm not allowed to till the deadline cuz I'm judging. >_>

[Vaynor]

Gah! This isn't fair! I want to read that poem so bad! But I'm not allowed to till the deadline cuz I'm judging. >_>

I wouldn't mind it if the poets weren't able to edit them. I don't want a competitor to post a poem, have a judge read it, drastically revise the poem when the judge has already made a conclusion on the poem. It wouldn't really be fair to the poets.

This has been more of an unspoken rule in the past, but I'm stating it now for clarification as far as the actual rules go. Obviously I can't stop you from reading the poems ahead of time, but if you do decide to read them please remember to read the poems just as thoroughly and carefully as you did the first time upon the second read.

[TFT]

Alright, I'm copying my sisters strategy of posting early. Here goes the (probable) final draft.

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I sit here anxious, tuning out noise, gripped by fear,
But I’m also prepared. I’ll make the fear cease.
In space, a vast darkness, there I’ll peer.
At starry sky’s beauty, I’ll know peace.
A death defying trip, I begin,
To where few have been.
I’ll make physics bow,
Its laws shout.
Right about…
Now.

A note about the poem

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I interpreted the picture as "peace" more than the picture itself. That's why it doesn't exactly follow the prompt. Hopefully that doesn't knock me down a peg

[drengnikrafe]

Here goes nothing...

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The Darkened Wanderer

A wanderer strikes out alone
into the dark and looming forest
wrought with fear in each step
scarcely able to take another.

Progress impeded by each haunting limb
as they grasp and grapple his body and soul.
Chilled to his bones, he seeks escape,
but not with the enviroment; within himself.

He plunges under the reach of his arborous foes
into a crystilline and pure pool
and begins his escape of this tainted place.

Still struke by freight, the pool ends
only inches after it began
trapping him once more in the clutches of his dark enemies.

Then a song sings out upon the wind
that fills his ears, his mind, his heart.
Resounding courage fills the air
and a watery path opens all the way to his egression
A narrow avenue that guides him all the way to freedom.

A note about the poem...

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I don't know whether or not I'm a real poet. I write what's within my heart, and I have a somewhat difficult time capturing "Valor" when I still have the resounding "Fear" that manifests itself as the forest. My versitility is weak. I'm sorry if it's not good enough.