First, I will post the overall rules, and then I will post the specifics about this week.
Original rules, as stated by Ubertuna:
It must fit the week's theme. It must be submitted by the deadline. It cannot have inappropriate language in it. It cannot be stolen (if you plagiarize, we will find you).
Also:
The poem must be created for this contest A user cannot win two weeks in a row (though everyone is welcome to submit every week!) Only one submission per user will be accepted
As we all know, the winner will recieve a merit, and their poem will be featured on the _Poetry_ page.
OK, on to this week's topic...Again, we are having a style instead of a theme. Also, this week we are having TWO WEEKS to do it, instead of the usual one. Why? Because this will be an EPIC poem. Or, rather, a parody of an epic poem. Generally, epic poetry is very long, and tells the serious story of a heroic figure. Well, this week, the epic figure is YOU! Write a long poem (I'll leave the definition of 'long' up to you, but give it a good go) about the heroic story of you! It can be silly, serious, whatever... just have fun with it. You have two weeks, so have a great time!
Alone in the dark in some lush maze that they call a garden trying to find my way a sickening sound like a million men's screams breaks the nights silence what could it be?
i round the next corner and come face to face with 1000 dead bodies and something worse still
there stood a being horns of a bull and body like one too but head of human, minotaur
the beast of great bulk looks up at me and with a lithe motion he grabs on to me
Oh, God! He has me I struggle in its arms but no use it does me my death is here...
Listen up everyone. Seeing as Parsat has been inactive past the time of judging perhaps we need to find a back up judge? I obviously can't make the decisions so I figure a mod could answer this or we'll work it out as a community. Of course, if anyone here has solutions...
DragonMistress said: The poem must be created for this contest
Sorry Dragonessa, but that means your poem can't be counted. And its also past the deadline, although you're welcome to submit for a possible critique.
And to Efan:
If Parsat hasn't Judged in a week from when submissions were closed, than I think some one else should Judge for the round, and come up with the next theme.
Hmm...well, it was supposed to have been judged on the 22nd, unless I'm mistaken. It's been four days. I say let's give it until Friday: if Parsat still has not appeared on Friday, I will judge on no later than Saturday.
I want to apologize for my untimeliness. I've been fairly busy, and AG has been on lower priority until I can get my stuff straight. Still, I owe you all a judging as well, and a time to get the contest moving along. There were quite a few new faces, as well as some old faces.
I also want to reiterate the rule that you must have written the poem for the contest. If you had a poem you wrote previously fitting the theme, you may modify it to better fit it, but please don't just submit a poem you wrote before. This is to keep it fair for all. Besides, chances are you'll be able to find a way to improve it.
Let's get started:
Wood: Hahiha
Hiding behind a rock, panting, Listening to the loud trumpeting Of the human faced lion, Blood red creature with most insane feature A dot on the horizon.
A derisive grin, and beneath, Three rows of pointy sharp teeth. The feline follows your track Through desert's sand While in your hand Ebony amulet shines black.
Drawing your sabre, finishing your prayer; Of your resistance's futility well aware. Can't run anymore, can't hide anymore. Come out of your hideout and give a loud shout But freezing fear deep in your core.
Both man and beast now storming, Manticore's voice roaring, Looking deep in the eyes Of that bearded old face Causer of the chase Lightened up by sunrise
Suddenly, the creature raises its tail Throws it at you, and then stands still You feel a sting, notice a skewer so frail Planted in your chest, hurting, until You finally stop, drifting away into death Overwhelmed by the Manticore's poison, cursing him With your last breath.
You get the most unusual mythical creature award for the Manticore...glad you went out and found an epic creature like that. You had a good sense of tension, although it was a bit long to be very effective. The vivid setting and weariness of the pursued before his death made up for this shortcoming, though, so I think overall it was a pretty well done job.
Silver: CrossViper
Someday I'm gonna wake up where it's cold, dark, and red- just when they don't expect it, just when they can't correct it,
so excited, you're invited to this buffet for the fed. When we uprise, just to surmise, we'll be waking up un-dead!
We don't know what to call it- maybe Z-Day or Z-end, "Zomb-pocalypse!", with moaning lisps, is what the horde had said,
but while I was munching flesh from a body my hands did rend, I declared it,"Zombie Revolution, hang on to your head!"
I love the humor in this one, that kind of reckless, "flipping the bird" attitude to the zombie apocalypse. It starts off dark, but builds up to a macabre enjoyment. Touches like the "Z-end" pun really made this poem.
Gold: iMogwai
The dragon roars, his nostrils flaring. The tail flailing and eyes glaring. The roar echoes through the valley like thunder. Waking the townsfolk from their slumber.
Raises his head, stands tall and awe inspiring. His nostrils glow of a fire never tiring. Then, a roar, sending chills to every spine. His breath sets fire to grass and pine.
Villagers, filled with fear and anger, Quickly claim that this dragon is danger. But I ask you, give him a chance, please, For even the mighty dragon will occasionally sneeze.
The buildup was very well done, and I liked the humorous punchline. I suppose we're not so high up in the food chain after all. It satirizes human subjectivity, how we seem to judge all things nonhuman as subhuman, when in fact they may be just as or more human than we ourselves are. So congratulations, please contact a mod for your merit.
The next theme, Crossroads, is inspired by a very famous poem by Robert Frost, "The Road Less Taken." All though it's quoted much too often and even misinterpreted, I still recommend you read it because in it's core, it's good poetry. Of course, you are still free to take the theme anywhere you want. Happy writing! The contest deadline is February 5.
I believe it's actually called "The Road Not Taken". I can see how one might be confused, though. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference
Anyway, I'll see if I can join this one...there's obviously the "two paths" way to go, but I'll try to get something a little more unique.
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood. And sorry I could not travel both. And Be one traveler, long I stood. And looked down one a far as I could, To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Something... Something... Something...
O! I saved the first for another day, Though knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.
Congratulations iMogwai; I thought your poem was quite humorous. And Congratulations to all those who placed, and for those who didn't: Keep working at it!
That's fine. I didn't judge your work because it was overdue, but I'll gladly critique your work. You're also encouraged to start a thread for your own poetry work, if you'd like to stay around our AMW boards.
