Tzara
Continental
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2005
- Posts
- 7,661
I'd agree with most of this, I guess, now that I better understand the intent of the triggers, though I am not sure that they'll do all that much to guarantee people aren't recycling poems.My original idea was this: OK, I'm sitting down to write a poem for Poetry Survivor. I look at the list of forms, and I pick one - let's say it's the sonnet. Now I look at the list of triggers, and I pick "Poem's title is The Cat is Out". So, I write a sonnet called The Cat is Out. Then I decide to write some free-verse, and I look at the list of triggers and pick "Poem must include the words crystal and nuclear", so I write a free-verse poem about the Inaugural Ball (which somehow includes the words crystal and nuclear). Next, I look at the list of triggers and I see one that sounds like fun, "Poem must be based on a news report on CNN.com", so I look at the list of forms to see if there's anything that grab me, and end up writing a ballad about the life of the oldest woman in the world, who died a couple of days ago.
The idea of the triggers is to guarantee, in some way, that these poems are all being written now, this year, and that people aren't just going to go through their notebooks and post that one terzanelle they once wrote in high school. If we don't have these control triggers, or if we have too many "poet's choice" things, what's the point of the game? They can just write whatever they choose outside the scope of the challenge. The point here, I think, would be write in all themes or forms, not to skew the contest into those areas where each is better at. If anything, this should be an opportunity for each of us to try the areas we are not good at. Does that make sense?
My fingers are too cold.
For example, say you're Literotica member Bill_Worthwords and you pick the trigger "Poem's title is The Cat is Out". You rummage through your old portfolios for something to re-use and come up with
The Cat is Out
Tom Strolls the Hills of Cumbria
I wandered lonely as a cat
That tramps on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a plat,
Or host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
etc.
My idea for Poet's Choice was to assuage, a bit, those leery of the form and theme requirements. You're absolutely right that if I want to write something else I can still do it—it just won't apply to PS.Tom Strolls the Hills of Cumbria
I wandered lonely as a cat
That tramps on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a plat,
Or host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
etc.
I mean, it is a game. Theoretically.
