WD Poetic Form Challenge: Rispetto Winner

It took awhile, but here’s the winner post for the most recent poetic form challenge: the rispetto. I enjoyed reading both versions, though I noticed most poets favored the 8×8…

It took awhile, but here's the winner post for the most recent poetic form challenge: the rispetto. I enjoyed reading both versions, though I noticed most poets favored the 8x8 version, including the ultimate winner: Jane Shlensky.

Impressions, by Jane Shlensky

Behold the peacock in the yard
surrounded by his harem hens,
his tail fanned like a hand of cards.
This game he plays, he thinks he wins.

He struts, regal in his own mind--
he boasts all eyes on his behind,
while his pea hens twitter in groups
and leave him to the chicken coops.

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Congratulations, Jane!

And here's the rest of the Top 10:

  1. "Impressions," by Jane Shlensky
  2. "The Swallows of the Summer," by William Preston
  3. "Word Count," by RJ Clarken
  4. "Not Me," by Danielle Brasington
  5. "Brief Item, page 2B," by Nancy Posey
  6. "The River," by Amy Glamos
  7. "Evelyn's Gift," by Andrew Kreider
  8. "The Last Spring," by William Preston
  9. "Forgiveness," by Jane Shlensky
  10. "The Last Walrus," by Taylor Graham

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Congratulations to everyone in the Top 10! And thank you so much to everyone who participated in this challenge!

The next poetic form challenge is just around the corner!

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Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer

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Check out some other poetic forms:

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Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.