September Challenge Poem

The winning poem of the September Challenge is dedicated to Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), and written in her style. Most of Dickinson's poems were brief and compact. Many deal with nature, especially her garden; many deal with physical, spiritual and/or psychological realities. Dickinson used a lot of dashes (many of which were removed by editors of early editions of her work). She used end rhyme much of the time, but often used off- or slant-rhyme, as in the poem which begins, "His mansion in the pool" in which "chagrin" and "green" are the rhyme words of the last stanza. Dickinson titled only a few of her poems.

Congratulations to Wisconsin poet, Robin Chapman, for winning the September Poetry Challenge.

FOR EMILY

Wisdom-- is knowing what comes after--
The point in every run--
When the Body says-- let's quit--
And the Will-- move-- on--

Robin Chapman

-from Distance,Rate,Time (Fireweed Press).

Copyright remains with the poet.


The next Poetry Challenge will be posted October 1.