Poetry Contest Winners 2013

The following poetry writers have placed for their entry in Hamilton-Wenham Library’s 3^rd Annual Teen Poetry Contest.  49 poems were entered in this year’s contest: 31 were from middle school age writers (17 of the 31 are Miles River students); 18 poems were from high school age writers (8 of the 18 are Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School students). The scores were very close. 

• Best Entry Grades 6-8, Sebastian Carpenter, (Brookwood), for “The Squirrel.” 
• Second Place Grades 6-8, Shayne Bower, (Homeschooled), for “Doe.” 
• Honorable Mention Grades 6-8, Annabelle Platt, (Ipswich M.S.), for “We are the Seasons.” 
• Best Entry Grades 9-12, Victoria Arakelian, (HWRHS), for “Fauna.” 
• Second Place Grades 9-12, Chip Cring, (HWRHS), for “The First Step.” 
• Honorable Mention, Grades 9-12, Fiona Worsfold, (HWRHS), for “ Frost.” 
• Director’s Choice Award, Zachary Vaneck, (Waring), for “Lost.”

The Director’s Choice is awarded by Hamilton-Wenham Library’s Director, Jan Dempsey. After Best Entry, Second Place, and Honorable Mention poems have been scored by the Library’s 3 contest judges, the Director chooses her favorite from the remaining poems.

Following are the questions from the rubric used by the judges to score the poems:

• Did the poem have an animal or nature theme? 
• Does the poem describe thoughts, feelings, or actions in a new or original way? Does it use fresh words or phrases to create a vivid image? 
• Consider the poem's complexity: Is it thought provoking? Does it have layered meaning? Are there allusions, irony, nuances? 
• Was the poem enjoyable to read aloud? Does it have a rhythmic cadence?

You are invited to attend the Poetry Contest Reception this Thursday, May 16, at 7pm, at the Hamilton-Wenham Library.  There will be refreshments, a free raffle, and this year’s speaker: Dan Sklar.

Poetry Contest Reception

Thursday, May 16, 2013, 7:00pm to 8:30pm

The featured speaker at the 2013 Poetry Contest Reception will be Dan Sklar.  At Endicott College, Mr. Sklar teaches his students to love language and to write in an original, natural, and spontaneous way. Recent publications include Harvard Review, New York Quarterly, Ibbetson Street Press, and The Art of the One Act. His play, "Lycanthropy" was performed at the Boston Theater Marathon in May 2012, and was reviewed in the Boston Globe, May 22, 2012.  

Mr. Sklar was one of the three judges for the poetry contest and has taken one line, from each of the 49 poems that were submitted, to create a new poem, which he will read at the Reception.  Following Mr. Sklar’s presentation, poetry contest winners will read or recite their poem aloud.