Our adjudicator was Andy Humphrey of York Writers.
Andy began by explaining that, in adjudicating the poems, he was looking for three things:
1. Music – a well written poem is like a piece of music. It needs the right music for the mood and subject matter of the poem. This can be achieved by rhythm and the sounds of the words themselves – by alliteration, assonance etc.
2. Imagery – particularly an unexpected or surprising association
3. Rhyme that is well done. He said that for some reason, well-done rhyme seems to be achieved by children and young writers more easily than by older writers.
He then went through the poems one by one, giving a very full critique.
1st – Loading. The winner, who prefers to remain anonymous, was presented with the Susannah Carr trophy.
2nd – Eileen with Lacrimae Rerum
3rd – Daphne with Whispering Wind
After the reading of the winning poem, Andy took questions and read us some of his own – amazing – poetry which had us all spellbound.
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