Thank you. I’m entirely new to writing, especially poetry, and have only ever dared to enter two competitions. Of course I haven’t won anything, nor would I expect to, but it’s so interesting to read your thoughts on what makes an entry resonate for you. The one poetry achievement I am proud of is that I read a poem at an open mic evening. And I absolutely loved it. And really, the enjoyment is what it’s all about 🩵
Reading at your first open mic is massive! And the fact that you enjoyed it is a great sign 😊. I’m glad this was useful though, and I would say that the more you do it the better you get at stepping outside your own writing and seeing/hearing it how others might
Thank you, I shall keep at it, for sure. It was only a small audience when I did the open mic, thank goodness (though many more have seen it since - it was recorded & shared on here too!), but it was a very special night :)
The problem is that what you’ve listed here is often what doesn’t win. The winning poems of now just don’t strike me at all. I much prefer the ambitious and clever work of Sylvia Plath, Eliot, etc.
You’re right that there are loads of great poems out there that don’t win prizes. I also love the work of Plath and Eliot too - alongside the ambitious and clever contemporary work that I love today. I actually think Plath would have fared quite well in today’s comps!
I don’t think she would given the more prose poem boom that is going on. So many of the winning poems lack ambitious vocabulary and the manipulation she revered. I am more classical as a poet, and that’s just not wanted now.
I didn't enter this competition but I really appreciate the kindness and generosity you embody in this post and for the wider poetry community, Hannah - thank you so 💖
Thanks Juliette ❤️ glad it didn’t come across as patronising. It’s so hard not to feel disheartened or rejected when you don’t feel seen for something you love and care about. Interestingly, I was once told by another poet that more women enter anonymously judged prizes than men (who tend to submit to magazines in greater numbers). Whether or not it’s still true, it’s always stuck with me..
Thank you. I’m entirely new to writing, especially poetry, and have only ever dared to enter two competitions. Of course I haven’t won anything, nor would I expect to, but it’s so interesting to read your thoughts on what makes an entry resonate for you. The one poetry achievement I am proud of is that I read a poem at an open mic evening. And I absolutely loved it. And really, the enjoyment is what it’s all about 🩵
Reading at your first open mic is massive! And the fact that you enjoyed it is a great sign 😊. I’m glad this was useful though, and I would say that the more you do it the better you get at stepping outside your own writing and seeing/hearing it how others might
Thank you, I shall keep at it, for sure. It was only a small audience when I did the open mic, thank goodness (though many more have seen it since - it was recorded & shared on here too!), but it was a very special night :)
The problem is that what you’ve listed here is often what doesn’t win. The winning poems of now just don’t strike me at all. I much prefer the ambitious and clever work of Sylvia Plath, Eliot, etc.
You’re right that there are loads of great poems out there that don’t win prizes. I also love the work of Plath and Eliot too - alongside the ambitious and clever contemporary work that I love today. I actually think Plath would have fared quite well in today’s comps!
I don’t think she would given the more prose poem boom that is going on. So many of the winning poems lack ambitious vocabulary and the manipulation she revered. I am more classical as a poet, and that’s just not wanted now.
So much of contemporary poetry is bland and uninspired (as I have publicly said of National Poetry Competition winners).
This is all really helpful, thank you
Some brilliant tips, Hannah, thank you! ❤️
Thanks for reading, Corinna - even though I’m sure you know all of it already! X
I didn't enter this competition but I really appreciate the kindness and generosity you embody in this post and for the wider poetry community, Hannah - thank you so 💖
Thanks Juliette ❤️ glad it didn’t come across as patronising. It’s so hard not to feel disheartened or rejected when you don’t feel seen for something you love and care about. Interestingly, I was once told by another poet that more women enter anonymously judged prizes than men (who tend to submit to magazines in greater numbers). Whether or not it’s still true, it’s always stuck with me..