The Great Couplet Contest  August 28, 2011 - September 17, 2011

Of all sad words of tongue and pen,
the saddest are these: "It might have been!"
-- from "Maud Muller" by John Greenleaf Whittier

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty," – that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.
-- from "Ode to a Grecian Urn" by John Keats

The apparition of these faces in the crowd:
Petals, on a wet, black bough.
-- "In a Station of the Metro" by Ezra Pound

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Nothing beats a good couplet. They've been used throughout history for their expedient delivery of an idea worth sharing. Some bounce with optimism, and some drip with cynicism. The examples listed above are just some of my personal favorites; Whittier's carpe diem, Keats's advice to expanding minds, and Pound's social criticism.

For this contest, create a couplet that is better than these. I don't want one that's like them; I want better. Give me an idea worth knowing in two lines.

(This is also a good exercise in conciseness, by the way. Furthermore, if you are having trouble formulating these couplets/poems, I suggest reading the examples that I've showcased here - although they're worth reading anyway.)

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This is my first contest. So, as a way to test the waters, I'm only having one award.

Brenden Taylor

Shelbyville, TN

5 Contestants
11 Submissions
382 Views
Created Aug 28, 2011