- Cathy Stenquist
- Dec 15, 2024
- 3 min read
As many of you saw on my FB page, I was DELIGHTED to hear that a poem of mine won a place of honor in the Long List (first tier judging) of the Lyrical Language Lab's Rhyming Poetry Contest.
Can you guess the title from this hint?
When you read a poem, it feels like it may have been something that just rolled off the writer's tongue onto the page, intact, full and completely finished.
It's easy... Anyone can do it...right?
Au contraire!
Though I have been writing most of my life, I am now just now working hard at understanding the art... yes, art of writing poetry.
Last fall I took a course from accomplished poet, Renee La Tulippe and her co-teacher, the amazing poet Suzy Levinson at The Lyrical Language Lab. If you have ever thought of writing rhyming or lyrical poetry, this course is a must-do. It gave me an understanding of the basics of poetry meter and how to get it right. I am a newbie, for sure, but reading many children's anthologies and investing in learning from the pros is starting to pay off. Like anything in life, you get what you put into it. I continue to be inspired by friends and poets like: Charles Waters, Irene Latham, Matt Forest Essenwine and Nancy Tupper Ling.
To be selected from hundreds of entries from amazing, accomplished poets was indeed an honor I will not soon forget.
Did you guess it?
My title was : Hiking to Zealand Falls
Unfortunately, my little poem did not make it into the next cut (the short list), but like the celebrities say for the Oscars... "It was an honor to have been nominated." I really mean it though, it has given me a boost I realize now that I really needed.
BTW - Big congratulations to those who made the short list!
Can't wait to find out who the winners are.
I will enjoy reading and learning from your poetry!
Now that my poem is out of competition... I thought I would share "Hiking to Zealand Falls" with you, and the journey to it's completion.
The theme for this contest was- Winter Wanderings: Nature
I immediately thought of our family's hike to Zealand Falls Hut in the White Mountains a few years ago, one cold, COLD (did I mention C.O.L.D.) February. Our reservation at the hut was a gift from my nature loving son. The poem could only be 16 lines. In order to let the words flow with my first draft, I began with writing a verse poem about my experience.
I really feel like this poem stands alone well as a verse poem. But for this contest, some revision was in order. I read and reread my text, highlighting the gems, and figured out how I could tell a small part of this story in a multi-sensory way.
After several tries, I whittled it down to this 16-line rhyming poem:
I then sent the poem to my beloved writing critique partners to give me their feedback on the meter and overall sense of the poem. Here you can see my own scanning of stressed and unstressed beats and that of my amazing friend, Tracey. ( I am definitely still learning!)
Meter is not about the number of syllables in a line, but the stressed and unstressed beats,
Having critique partners is such a blessing AND a necessity if you want to get your words to where they need to go. As writers and poets, we are so close to our work and may not see what little tweaks could make it shine.
When ever you see an amazing piece of writing,
remember to thank not only the author, but his/ her critique partners :)
Now that I had such great feedback, I took what rang true with me [the author always has final say ;)] and felt good enough about my baby to send her off.
Drum roll please....
I am happy to share with you final poem. I hope you enjoy it and thank you so much for your kind words and support. Time to get writing!
