Easter poetry competition – 13th April 2012

It’s all the fault of an American lady (a hundred years ago) with the unenviable name of Adelaide Crapsey.

She invented a poetic genre called the cinquain – five lines, that’s all. A particular kind of cinquain that appeals to me is the didactic version which has five lines like this:

Line 1 is one word (the subject)

Line 2 is two words that describe the subject

Line 3 is three words that explain your fascination with it

Line 4 is four words that express your feelings about it 

Line 5 is one other word that recalls it

Or you might say:

Cinquain

A pome

Expressive, emotive, ellyptical

Letting it hang out

Words.

So your mission, should you wish to accept it, is to write a cinquain about an identifiable person, e.g. your favourite politician or celebrity (!). Glory will accrue to poets who hit the nail on the head – with concise, insightful and amusing lines. Vulgarity is best avoided.

The closing date is the Ides of April – the 13th, as you know, just before midnight GMT.

Happy musings!

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Author: Janus

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57 thoughts on “Easter poetry competition – 13th April 2012”

  1. Newt
    Salamandritae Pleurodelinae
    Metamorphosis, Regeneration, Tetrodotoxin
    Back under his rock
    Reptile.

    Sorry Janus, nearest I could get to polymetric given the rules.

  2. Like this?

    Rugby
    A game
    Not for sissies
    Finest game of all
    Sport

    (Does it have to be in italics and/or purple?)

  4. Carrying on the theme (BTW, like Soutie’s Rugby one):

    Brown
    A clown
    Mad, bad, delusional
    Worst Prime Minister ever
    Arse

  5. Swimming
    water sport
    practice makes perfect
    style, symmetry, strength, speed
    lifesaving

  6. Newt
    Salamandridae Pleurodelinae
    Metamorphosis, Regeneration, Tetrodotoxin
    Back under his rock
    Reptile.

    Sorry Janus, nearest I could get to polymetric given the rules.

    (Redone with correct spelling 12;10pm EDST) 🙂

  11. Apologies, everyone, for the lilac script. It just appeared – so it’s probably a muse thing. 😦 It’s not compulsory but if you feel like it, OK. This is an arty-farty post after all.

    I thought a departure from rum-te-tumte-tum pomes might encourage a few! And no metre to bother with either. Sorry, LW.

  23. O Zangado :

    That portrait looks spookily like my Gran 100 years ago.

    OZ

    OZ, in more smiley shots her fangs are clearly visible. Are you a Crapsey perchance?

  25. Avian flue is on the rise, Birds are falling to it in droves all over the world. I have set up a fund to fight this creeping menace and to protect our little feathered friends. So I thought I would kill to birds with one stone by launching this appeal and entering the poem competition.
    Send money to: Oldmoviguys Comfort in Old Age and Retirement Fund (Birds)
    23 Rupee Buildings
    The High Street
    Cayman Islands

    All donations gratfully recieved, no reciept will be sent to save costs and the rain forests.
    The following poem may well become world famous as our feathered friends fall of the perch.

    Spring is here
    the grass is ris
    I wonder where
    the birdies is.

  26. Beer
    Health drink
    Refreshing, tasty, convivial
    Keeps you all happy
    Nectar

    I don’t just do negative you know, although if Wavy Davy gets his way the preceding cinquain may be less relevant!

  27. Belated congrats on winning the Grand National, J, thanks to one of those big noses of your’s (yours). 🙂

    LAIKA

    Laika
    Canine martyr
    Cold, cold war
    First shall be last
    Tragic

    tag: Space Race.

  28. Just a quick observation after a few days: please note the subject should be a PERSON!! So far the muse has identified only a few here! 🙂

  29. I must say I consider that all beers have a personality of their own 🙂

    All right then, again for balance:

    Cameron
    Wavy Davy
    Europhilic, weak, sycophantic
    As useless as Brown
    Arse!

  32. Economist
    Champagne socialist
    The mighty fallen
    Cheating, international, monetary pimp
    Scumbag

  33. Sho
    Japanese star
    In His Charts
    Fun, clean, talented, range
    Sakurai

    Angela
    East German
    Called Iron Girl
    Overwhelmed, overworked, competent, clueless
    Merkel

    Barack
    African American
    Affirmative Action Hiree
    Arrogant, aloof, incompetent, destructive
    Obama

  38. Bolleaux – Make that five asterisks.

    OZ

    Duly asterixed! (Judge Janus) Hm. I like the ring o’ that…..

  39. Livingstone
    Captain Newt
    Liar, Hypocrite, Socialist
    Potential to ruin London
    Arse

  41. Sunshine
    Reluctant lover
    Flirting with extinction
    Closes window of opportunity
    Bearly

    Yes, I know it’s not a person. Yes, I know I’m not following the rules. 🙂

  43. Low Wattage :

    OZ @ 37 Thyming slang has a somewhat herbal ring to it?

    Oh double bolleaux. I was thinking about dinner again!!! Judge Janus for corrections, please.

    OZ Yessir! JJ

  52. Osborne
    Naive idiot
    Toff, uncomprehending, innumerate
    Economic nous of Balls
    Plonker.

    My dislike for politicians is growing by the day! 😦

  54. Frederik
    African statesman
    Nobel prize winner
    Realist, visionary, humanitarian, peacemaker
    Democrat

    Nelson
    Robben Island
    Twenty seven years !
    Saint, saviour, statesman, shepherd
    Power

    Julius
    ‘Youth’ leader
    More class clown
    Toys out the cot
    Suspended

    Jeremy
    Big head
    Can’t watch him
    Same old, vroom vroom
    Awful

    Margaret
    Iron lady
    Honoured by many
    and loathed by others
    Respect

  55. One final go:-

    Humphreys
    Mastermind Inquisitor
    Smooth, biased, journalist
    Tories must be interrupted
    Socialist

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