Poetic challenges

January 5, 2012 5:48am CST
So I'm a member of a poetry writing website where we run simple contests, no prizes, just a winners list. One that caught my eye lately was to write a HEADLESS poem, a poem which does not use any of the leters in the word HEADLESS. I found it a very interesting challenge to write anything at all, let alone something poetic. Though I can write nice poetry when I have a good idea, I really find the challenges like this one get my brain going much better.
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3 responses
• United States
5 Jan 12
Do you know if the rules on MyLot would allow for a poetry challenge. I think it would be cool to do one on here.
5 Jan 12
Pretty sure that by running a competition you are asking for a reply which breaks the rules, but if you suggest something complicated which might challenge me we ciould no doubt discuss quite how difficult it was and what we came up with in response to the challenge For instance I once wrote a poem where each word started with the letter the prevous word ended with, effectively creating a daisy chain, it was very hard and I don't think anybody else has written one like it.
6 Jan 12
I think I've posted it here somewhere before, but since you ask Daisy yearns so openly, Yet this summer rain, Nurtures sweet temptation, Nectars stoic chains.
• United States
5 Jan 12
That does seem hard. How did that go?
• United States
5 Jan 12
I once created a challenge where you were not allowed to use the letters R,S,T,L. It was a difficult challenge, but I managed to write a few poems. The problem is it severely limits your creativity.
5 Jan 12
Do you think it limits the creativity? it certainly limits the words you can use, but does that not provoke the usage of unusual words which strech you vocabulary. Why did you exclude R, S, T& L ?
• United States
5 Jan 12
If you ever watch the show wheel of fortune, they are the most commonly used letters in the alphabet. It limits the creativity because you really only have a certain number of words and combinations you can use. It was a fun challenge, but sadly it was so hard that everybody gave up and I didnt get a lot of responses to it.
• Mexico
7 Jan 12
Hi water sprite: It seems like a really interesting activity. Good luck with that challenge. I love poems so I would probably find really interesting to give a try to these tests if I could also find new friends with the same interests that I have. Thanks for sharing. ALVARO
8 Jan 12
I don't have huge amounts of time to spend here, but if you post something I'm sure to notice sonner or later, hope it all goes well with the poetic endevours! hope to see something from you soom