Formal Fluency: Blues Stanza

Details

Sit down y'all, lemme tell you 'bout the blues

I say sit on down, while I tell you 'bout the blues

I'm gonna break it to you soft, this recent sad sad news.

You've probably heard someone sing the blues before, but have you ever considered it as poetry as well as music? According to this brief description on Poetry Magnum Opus (PMO), the blues' indebtedness to both makes it "as much a part of American literature as it is a part of American music."

This month's Formal Fluency contest is all about the blues. Take a look at the PMO listing (and the related one for Blues Sonnet if you're feeling adventurous) and then come up with your own bluesy verse.

Since PMO uses rather abstract language at times, here's the skinny:

• Stanzas of three lines
• Each line in a stanza rhymes
• The second line of each stanza is a variation on the first
• Roughly twelve syllables per line
• Deals with unhappy themes in a humorous or sarcastic way

Traditionally, blues stanzas are made up on the spot (that's what the repeated line is there for— to give you time to come up with a rhyme), but don't feel like you have to do the same.

So, bring out your blues! Write a poem consisting of several blues stanzas, or try your hand at a blues sonnet, and post them to the site using the contest tag by midnight of Friday, May 18th, to be considered.

Winning entries

Winners have been announced! Log in to see them.

Prizes

Rules

• Entries must be received before midnight of Friday, May 18th (UTC time), and winners will be announced within one week of that date.

• Entries must take the form of Blues Stanzas or a Blues Sonnet, as described on Poetry Magnum Opus.

• Part of our mini-contests is sharing what you've learned: although it's not required, we'd appreciate it if you come weigh in on the group discussion thread here

• Only one entry per member, please. Multiple entries will all be disqualified.

• Work must have Public visibility on Scribophile until winners are announced.

• Winners must have a valid Paypal account, or we won't be able to send the prize money!

Submission guidelines

• To enter the contest, post your work on Scribophile and check the box that says "Enter this work into the Formal Fluency Blues Stanza Contest". Your work will automatically be considered. The checkbox will be visible until the contest deadline, which is in UTC time.

• Entry is free, but you'll need karma points to post your work. You can earn karma points by writing critiques of work by other members.