Description:

Leader: scribbler
Moderator(s): judyanne

Objectives:Improving poetry by more effective use of titles

Level of expertise: Open to all

Subject matter: Titles and their effect

Description:A poem written in either rhyming couplets or quatrains. Often used in Christian liturgies and often containing the phrase "Lord have mercy on us."

Sponsor(s):stan
Judge(s):anonymous

Objectives:Expose folks to a fairly unusual form

Subject matter:Kyrielle - derived from Kyrie elision" which means "Lord have mercy on us."
It can be written in either rhyming couplets or quatrains (4 line stanzas).It may use the refrain "Lord have mercy" or a variant as the refrain which occurs in the second line if using rhyming couplets or in the last line if using quatrains. In less strict usage another phrase or even a single word can be used as the refrain.
Each line consists of eight syllables. There is no upper limit on the number of stanzas but the generally accepted lower limit is three.
If written in rhyming couplets the rhyme scheme is a-A,a-A. these are known as "identicles".
If written in quatrains there are many acceptable rhyme patterns :
a-a-b-B , c-c-b-B , a-b-a-B , c-b-c-B. (upper case letters signify the refrain.)
In the original French kyrielle, lines were usually octosyllabic. In English the lines are usually iambic pentameter.

I know this sounds pretty complicated but once you try it you'll find it's not as hard as it sounds. So get those pens out and have fun.

How Judged:Judged by a single workshop leader each month whose identity remains anonymous and changes each month.

Description: Analysis of "critique"

Leader: W. H. Snow
Moderator(s): Alidzidan, Rula

Objectives: To leave the participants with a better understanding of what and how the poet critiques.

Level of expertise: Open to all

Subject matter: Critique.

Description: Write a Quatern about anything you wish

A Quatern is a sixteen line French form composed of four quatrains. It has a refrain that is in a different place in each quatrain.The first line of stanza one is the second line of stanza two, the third line of stanza three, and the fourth line of stanza four.

A quatern has eight syllables per line.It does not have to be Iambic or follow
a set rhyme scheme.

line 1
line2
line3
line 4

line 1
line2 (line1)
line 3
line 4

line 1
line 2
line 3 (line 1)
line 4

line 1
line2
line 3
line 4 (line1)

Example :
True Love, Redefined

One day she hopes true love to find,
One soul, one mind, two hearts entwined;
Somewhere out there's the perfect guy,
For Youth has set her standards high.

He must be rich, handsome, refined,
One day she hopes true love to find,
Yet no one seems to measure up
And disappointment fills her cup.

The years go by, her nights grow long,
Her aging voice sings sorrow's song,
One day she hopes true love to find,
Her definition's redefined;

Simply a plain and faithful friend
To see her to life's journey's end;
For though her face with age be lined
One day she hopes true love to find.

Sponsor(s):Neopoet
Judge(s):anonymous

Objectives: To have fun and maybe try something new

Subject matter:A French Quatern

How Judged: The contest for tech reasons is posted as by scribbler with a co-editor. But the judge is actually neither

Description: A workshop concerning the fundamentals of poetic meter.

Leader: Wesley Snow
Moderator(s): Rula, Judyanne

Objectives: For those who have found meter difficult in the past, this workshop will be a comprehensive attempt at solving the difficulty once and for all.

Level of expertise: Open to all

Subject matter: Poetic meter and its application.

Description:

Welcome to the first monthly "Point of the Spear" Neopoet monthly contest. This month's subject is door(s). Write either a rhyming or free verse poem about either a figurative or actual door(s). If you write a free verse make sure it has some poetic qualities such as alliteration or imagery. Please limit the poem to 30 lines.(A bit longer is acceptable but it better hold the judge's attention). *POST YOUR POEM IN THE STREAM, AND SELECT THIS AS THE CONTEST*. Beside the title put (Feb. contest). No entries will be accepted after midnight (your local time) of Feb 22. This will give the judge about a week for judging.

Sponsor(s): Scribbler
Judge(s): TBD

Description:Defining and writing pastoral poetry in a manner suitable for the present era

Leader: scribbler
Moderator(s): wesley snow

Objectives:To expose writers to the pastoral style of poetry as it is written today and give each a chance to try their hand at it.

Level of expertise: Open to all

Subject matter:To become effective at writing pastoral poetry in a manner which relates to contemporary readers

Description:

Leader: Rula Y. H.
Moderator(s): Sir Wesley Snow

Objectives:To know more about two types of sonnets; The Italian (Petrarchan) sonnet and the English (Elizabethan) sonnet

_ To introduce the history of the two types of the sonnets.

_The participants are supposed to write two sonnets;
1- an Italian sonnet
2-an Elizabethan sonnet

Level of expertise: Open to all

*Note - we have updated Stan's contest (originally started on November 13, 2014) to work within the new contest platform on Neopoet.*

This is a test to see if many folks are interested in there being periodic contests here. This is Not an official contest, just one run solely by me. The winner will receive one slightly chipped quartz Indian arrowhead (likely of Cherokee origin), one southeastern wild turkey feather and one handwritten poem of mine (Winner's choice)
Rules :
Form--- any form but if not rhyming it better at least have strong poetic devices
Subject---I want a pastoral poem with a secondary level
Length------no more than 34 lines
Can be a new poem or a poem previously written

contest will remain open for 2 weeks after this posting date or until 20 poems are entered.
Post your poem on this blog and I'll be the sole judge ( nobody else wants to lol)

The contest idea has been aired before and I figured this might be a good way to see if it is popular enough to be worth trying on an official periodic basis.........So let's have your best. If the winner is good enough I'll even leave out them having to receive that hand copied poem of mine lol

Description:A discussion on using humor in poetry writing. An exercise in using humor followed by writing two poems

Leader: China Blue
Moderator(s): JudyAnne

Objectives:learning how to write poetry with humor

Level of expertise: Open to all

Subject matter:looking at the lighter side of poetry writing