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How to Win a Poetry Competition: Tips from a Sifter

catwoodward

Don't know what a 'sifter' is? Read this blog first.



Tip # 6


Some Dos

 

Do make me laugh

 

Few and far between are the poems that make me chuckle. Most entries are such downers that I really appreciate a good laugh when I get it. Funny poems are rare, so when it happens they really do stand out as special. Anyway, poetry is too serious too much of the time and it’s not as if humour is against the rules. Enter a funny poem, it won’t disadvantage you, in fact it might have the opposite effect.

 

Do use form, rhyme and meter

 

Very few of the prize entries I see use form. It’s almost all unrhymed free verse. A formal poem stands out, and if the writer has got the form right, it impresses me. So, go ahead and use form, rhyme and meter, the sifter won’t dismiss you as old-fashioned. Personally, I’m itching to give a prize to a formal poem and I can’t be the only one.

 

Do send difficult poems

 

I like to think; show me something challenging and I’ll be jazzed about it. But personal tastes aside, remember that poetry is an art form, and if any art form is to survive then its standards need to remain high. That means pushing boundaries and not getting too comfortable. A bit of difficulty keeps poetry alive and well, and since competitions play a vital role in maintaining the culture of poetry, the sifter won’t take prejudice against your poem if it doesn’t have absolute mass-appeal. If anything, we prefer a poem that makes us work, it’s those poems that tend to matter and endure, while the easy ones are quickly forgotten.

 

Do be yourself

 

Write about the things you want to write about, not about the things you think will win a prize. And, write in the way you want to write, not in the way you think will win. I love it when I see a poem which is unabashedly full of character, or a poem that totally defies my expectations. I get excited by those poems. So, be yourself, I might just love it.

 

Do follow the rules

 

There’s no point in jeopardising your entry by not sticking to the rules. Break the rules, get disqualified. One of the most important rules is line count, it’s non-negotiable, so don’t go over it. Always read the rules and eligibility criteria carefully to make sure that your entry adheres to them.

 

Do send multiple entries

 

If you can afford it, then you can increase your odds by entering more than one poem. Perhaps one of your entries won’t impress me, but another will. It’s not a bad strategy.



Cat Woodward



Looking for inspiration? Explore my poetry writing prompts and courses at The Poetry Master Class. Just click below.




 

 

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Contact: catwoodward.poet@gmail.com

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