Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Nation Ford High School - The Talon Entry Title: Melancholy Entry Credit: Delaney Vickery Judge Comment: The poem relies heavily on the subjectivity of the speaker; but this interiority serves the poem by plunging the audience into the poem’s eponymous melancholy. The poet/speaker doesn’t rely on flashy language, but rather says just what they mean (“I know the hurt is coming. I know the wave is cutting close,”). The refrains that serve as the poem's bookends are also particularly effective. Excellent work.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Clarke Central High School - iliad Entry Title: Refusal Of The Call (Gilded) Entry Credit: Anna Shaikun Judge Comment: I enjoyed that the poem embraced such a playful form. The use of an imperative (“Please search elsewhere”) in conjunction with the title of the poem created an engaging juxtaposition that made me reconsider the speaker’s positionality.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Clarke Central High School - iliad Entry Title: Under the Sky's Embrace Entry Credit: Caroline Orbock Judge Comment: The poet made excellent use of setting to situate the poem. I can clearly see the speaker looking up at the sky, pondering their existence. However, the poem does adhere to a rhyme scheme and might be stronger without those limitations.
