Poetry Forum

The mods get their heads together each month and nominate a Featured Poem, or those worthy of an Honourable Mention.

The winners of an HM for October are:

Some Men - by k-j,

claraque in luce refulsit - by Sulpicia

and

Call me “John the Baptist" - by kozmikdave.

Congrats to all three.

Could the moderators have a whip-round and actually reward these deserving poets in some material fashion, say with a book or book token, rather than with mere words of praise, no matter how welcome? Words tend to be rather cheap.

I got a book marker once! Ask me where it is and I'm afraid I can't tell you. But the benefit of being open minded, learning to be a better poet and then being honored to have my work win a competition or as poem of the month is more than enough for me at least. Anyone else?

I got a tasteful orange Keats bookmark for winning (or coming second or third in) a competition ages ago, and very well it's served me. But I think handing out books or cash each month would be detrimental to the spirit of the site as well as Cam and Nic's bank balance.

Words tend to be rather cheap.

Your words certainly fucking do!

I received a plethora of bookmarks, and they now reside with my lost socks and classic poems, elsewhere...

Keep it up guys...

Ah, the English Corinthian spirit! You'll all die romantic deaths of consumption in unheated attics while the bosses wax rich off your efforts.

How could you lose your bookmarks?! They may be worth a fortune in years to come. May even appear on the Antiques Roadshow.

k-j wrote: But I think handing out books or cash each month would be detrimental to the spirit of the site as well as Cam and Nic's bank balance.

I agree.

So what is this forum FOR? Is it a cosy poetry-themed chatroom full of invisible cyber-mates, or a stepping stone to recognition and dare I say it in such a strictly Corinthian, religiously amateurish atmosphere where poems are written seemingly for unrewarded art's sake, to supplementing one's income by writing? If Simon Armitage, touted as our next Poet Laureate, can manage to make a living with his feeble outpourings, then maybe some of us can as well.

A nice thought, but I'm not giving up my day job.

bobvincent wrote:If Simon Armitage, touted as our next Poet Laureate, can manage to make a living with his feeble outpourings, then maybe some of us can as well.

I actually like Simon Armitage, he's pretty darn cool. I don't think it matters about prizes, this forum's meant to improve how you write, if anyone felt the need to get money out of poetry they would publish a book or enter a competition.

(Don't give up your day job David, you're a brilliant writer but poets are never millionaires )

Raisin

Simon Armitage is well on his way, judging by the number of GCSE anthologies his poems are in.

I must admit I haven't read any Armitage. I have a big problem with Carol Duffy, though. And Wendy bloody Cope.

Simon Armitage was one of the best in our anthology Carol Ann Duffy I hated, and then I loved reading through Seamus Heaney, though a lot of my class mates got bored with the constant talk of potatoes

Ah, sweet little raisinette, you flatterer, I wish that my day job was millionaire.

Taters? What's taters, aye?

A day job as a millionaire? How very peculiar And I am good at the flattery (notice how we are on the monthly features page ) Taters indeed, I had the worst GCSE class possible, one girl thought it was hilarious to pronounce Seamus Heaney's name as "Seemus", mentality of a five year old she had.