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DEEP CATACOMBS - Every time you read in the New Features section that some new
poems have been released, are you one of those people who rushes to check the
Poetry Gallery looking for yours? Are you often disappointed to find that your
poem was once again overlooked? Are you a crazed evil genius bent on taking over
Neopia just so you can make the background music to Meepit Juice Break the Neopian
National Anthem? If you answered yes to the first two questions then this article
is for you! (If you answered yes to the third one, then maybe it is time you seek
some professional help about that.)
In the past I have submitted three different poems for the Poetry Gallery and
so far, each one has been published. Last Peophin Day, I wrote a poem honoring
Peopatra, the owner of the Petpet stall in the Lost Desert. You can find it
on page 332. For Scorchio Day, I wrote one about Scorchy Slots. That is on page
406. And you can read my poem about Freaky Factory on page 429. Anyway, enough
about me, this article is meant to help you! Follow this guide and you just
might have a shiny new trophy for your user lookup and your masterpiece read
by millions of your fellow Neopet owners.
Step One- Choosing a Topic
The first thing you have to do before you write an award winning poem is decide
what it is going to be about. That might seem very obvious to you, yet it still
is not an easy task. The subject of your poem has to be interesting to your
readers. For example, who wants to read a poem about Volcanic Rocks? You also
need to choose something that you know enough about so that you can include
enough details to make an interesting and long enough poem. Do not write one
about the Tyrannian War if you have not been on Neopets long enough to experience
it. Write about something that interests you and you know a lot about. It can
be anything from your favorite game to a Neopets character that you find fascinating.
Keeping your eye on the Calendar and the New Features page is a great way of
improving your poem’s chances of getting published. About a week before a Neopet’s
day is a perfect time to send a poem relating to that pet. If Aisha Day is coming
up, you can write a poem about Aishas in general, the Vending Machine, or Lisha.
Another perfect time to send a poem, is right after a big event is announced.
Submit a poem after a new game is unveiled or in the midst of a current plot.
My best advice is to never force a poem. Wait until you get inspired. If you
choose to compose one that you are not completely into, it will come out mediocre
at best.
Step Two- Deciding on a Style
There are so many different kinds of poems you can write. Haikus, acrostics,
limericks, and sonnets are just some types of poetry. In my experience of reading
through the poetry gallery there are only a few kinds of poems I have seen get
published.
Haikus are probably the easiest poems to create. Just in case, haikus have
three lines. The first and third lines contain five syllables and the second
line contains seven. They do not take much effort to write, so it takes a lot
more to get them selected. If you choose to use this method, you should probably
combine at least five haikus in one poem, even if you do this, there’s a slim
chance your poem will be included in the Poetry Gallery.
In an acrostic poem, the first letters of all the lines spell out a word. These
are also published rarely. If you want to increase your chance of getting an
acrostic poem selected, I have noticed it helps to have the lines rhyme.
In fact, the vast majority of poems that are in the Poetry Gallery are simple
rhyming poems. If you want my advice, which you apparently do or else you would
not have read this far, your poem should have five to ten stanzas, with each
stanza being four or eight lines long. Rhyming ALWAYS seems to help. Whatever
you do, stay consistent. If you start off rhyming two lines in a row, do not
end up alternating lines that rhyme with each other. If you start off with each
line having eight syllables, do not end up giving them ten.
Step Three- The Poem’s Content
Make your poem full of details. They make your poem much more interesting to
read. The more you know about your subject, the better your poem will be. Search
your subject in the yellow sidebar or look for a Neopedia article about your
subject. If you are writing a poem about a game, play the game a couple of times
to remind yourself about all the little twists and turns of the game. Include
everything you can think of.
There are many ways to go about any poem, so be creative. For example, let
us say you want to write a poem about that mysterious statue in the Ruins of
Maraqua. You can write a poem describing the statue. You can write a poem making
up a story about it. You can write a poem listing many possible explanations
for it. You can write a poem from the statue’s perspective. There is no limit
if you really sit down and think about it.
Finally, go ahead and read through past Poetry Gallery winners. That is the
best way to get a feel for what kind of poems the Gallery judges prefer. If
you follow that, and everything else I advised, there is a good chance your
poem will be in the Poetry Gallery someday.
P.S.- If you do happen to see your poem published in the Poetry Gallery, do
not expect to see your trophy or rare item for at least a week, so do not fret.
Good Luck!
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