Classic Corner Championship - Male Division

A huge THANK YOU! to all who paid tribute to the poets featured in our Classic Corner challenges these past 12 months. As in previous months, these comps are very difficult to judge, and sometimes come down to a simple typo or grammatical error breaking a tie. This month was no different.

Call it emulation, we seek the essence of the classic author in the entrant's own style - not just replacing words of existing poems, but writing as though they were those classic authors ( regardless of form utilized ).

Our Classic Champions, as we like to refer to them, work HARD, and it shows in their writing. They study and deliver without any borderline plagiarism. They double-check spelling, grammar, form, guidelines, and put forth their heart into these comps.  

We recognize that effort and award accordingly, judging on a scale of 1-5 spelling, grammar, punctuation, form, and content - while the most important question we ask ourselves is this:  Did we feel like we were reading a classic poet?

All that being said, congratulations to the following winners of the First Annual Classic Corner Championship Male Division


KING and FIRST PLACE: Hepcat_61

Your "A Warrant of Crows" inspired by Arthur Rimbaud's “The Drunken Boat”
was an epic demonstration of discipline with form woven with imagery.

As soon as Webmiss is available, she will award you the special trophy designed for the KING of the CLASSIC CORNER CHAMPIONSHIPS, 2019!

SECOND PLACE: Josh

Your entry "THE WALL AND THE RIVER" was a brilliant reinvention of the  "Mending Wall" that revealed to us what a Robert Frost in a parallel universe would have penned!    

THIRD PLACE: slipalong

Your entry "Ode to Pablo Picasso" inspired by Federico Garcia Lorca's "Ode to Salvador Dali" gave us a visual feast to digest as any painter worth his or her pigments should.

A special thanks goes to butters for assisting us in the judging!

And a round of applause to everyone else who braved the Championships!

Congratulations to everyone for quality entries; thank you again for honoring the classics.  We hope to see you in next year's Classic Corner Champion challenges beginning January 1st, 2020 where we honor Langston Hughes and Louise Gluck!

Congrats to Hepcat 61 and Josh from a pretender to the THRONE

slipalong said:Congrats to Hepcat 61 and Josh from a pretender to the THRONE

I dunno, slip. Your participation has been awesomely inspiring. Watching you grow as a poet has also been remarkable. Well done.

slipalong said:Congrats to Hepcat 61 and Josh from a pretender to the THRONE

Dear Slip, chin up good fellow & poet...

My words exactly ( as per our co-host Ahavati)!  Oh how we’ve watched you grow since you made a commitment that first time you participated in a Classic Corner Competition. I myself and others who have consistently contributed are also evolving from composing outside of what we were familiar with.

This is my singular statement to you, to know that you are no pretender, brother Slip.  I am my own worst critique, but I don’t judge myself by a number, I judge my writing efforts on doing the best I could at that time.  So now, you tell yourself “I’ll do the best I can the next time.”

ever
Jade🐾

And of course, I come to honor the KING of the CLASSIC CORNER CHAMPIONSHIPS, 2019!

Dear Geoff, your Majesty... through the fire to brave this ultimate challenge, along with the fires & evacuations you have been enduring up in North Cali in the middle of this, you have demonstrated a double truth of your ability when it comes to discipline and commitment as a poet of passion. Let this be a beacon to others here when it comes to moments of uncertainty. I am so proud of you, Tomcat.

Followed very closely by my congratulations to our brothers Josh and Slip... placing on the podium of a watershed challenge well met!

Our co-hosts Ahavati and JohnnyBlaze give us the tools in these CCC’s, and are always there to help inspire.  And just when you think it can’t be made any better to help us along, they bring in ms butters... Brava! 👏

With excellent entries from everyone, I hope to see you all at the next Classics next year!🙏🏻

ever
Jade🐾

What a great comment, Jade, your insight and devotion are endearing.  I can really appreciate the dedication to poetry of Geoff, Josh, and Slipalong and all they have overcome.  I love the description of this as a watershed challenge, I've really felt that way about it too..

All three of the finalist poems were excellent, I thought, very emulant.  
Congrats to all three winners great entries..

thanks for the warmth, the rock face of competitions is increasingly hard and standards so high. Hanging in there by finger nails "the manicure in blood with words regards" SLIp

Congratulations to all

some wonderful writes in this competition and its twinned 'female' one

fortunately for me, Johnny and Ahavati did all the work: i was just asked for an opinion on several pieces, which i was happy to oblige with. congrats to all

Woot! Woot!

Winners have been posted on our site!

http://www.poeticmedics.com/classic_corner_champion_male_division.html

http://www.poeticmedics.com/classic_corner_champion_female_division.html

Avatars link directly to the winning entries!

< Ahavati & Johnny

Well done Hepcat - an epic 'Rimbaud' poem for sure and one that takes no prisoners; excellent.

First – let me apologize for the delay.  I’ve had a few things going on in Santa Rosa, CA over the last week or so that have captured my attention and concentration.
 
That said, first I’d like to thank JohnnyBlaze and Ahavati for hosting the Classic Corner Comps throughout.  I think it gave us all a chance to be exposed to or to revisit our literary ancestors and to see the nature of how we got here. Excellent work!

I am pleased to be sharing the podium with such worthy writers as Josh and slipalong – you have graced us all with your words and craft and I feel in great company.  And, I extend that to the female podium as well; PoetsRevenge, Heaven_sent_Kathy, and Jade-Pandora, how I am amazed at you lilt and expertise in sharing with us your “emulations” and tributes.

I was sharing with Jade-Pandora yesterday that as I was assembling this piece, I was not really considering the competition but rather my poetic ability to accomplish it.  “A Warrant of Crows” is the most ambitious poem I have attempted – both in length and content.  My style is much more prone to  short pieces of “double entendre” and veiled story-telling than to extended writes of symbol and imagery; could I even come close to emulating Rimbaud’s language and style?  

So, I am humbled to have had my work so appreciated. Thank you. I am deeply appreciative of the time and consideration you gave to such a piece.

And to all who have participated in these competitions, I thank you for your thoughts and words.

geoff

I would like to echo Geoff`s words and sentiments on the CCC comp. before the age of 76 I had never read any poetry, reading the US poets was revelation as a Brit I am thankful my modest contributions were well received. To be among the winners and walk a little way in other poets shoes was a challenge and reward .Thank you both SUPER SETTERS  

Thank you guys, we deeply appreciate your support, and are touched that these have somehow enhanced your poetic experience.