Avatar Portal's

Avatar Renaissance Championships

Battle #4: Poetry

This was Travahar’s challenge to the nations. He was also the judge. This contest was strictly for the AvRen national teams.

It was an honour being the judge for all these fine poets and their poems. However I can only award a total of 150 points ... so I had to make so difficult decisions.

The easiest decision to make was the award for best poetry nation. I thought I had made things easy for you people by just asking for a specific rhyme pattern and dropping the pentameter rule ... but most of you included the iambic pentameter while disregarding the requested rhyme pattern. There has been only one Nation where all the poets managed to stick to the rhyme pattern (abba abba cde cde). Therefore I award 25 bonus points for best poetry Nation to the Water Tribe!

The next 25 bonus points go to the second best poet in this contest. Funnily enough, I had a much easier time to decide which poem I felt was the best. Second best poem was really difficult and I hesitated a long time between two poets (one writing decasyllabic and one writing in iambic) ... in read these two poems over and over. Their theme was the same, a poem on the origin of the bending of their element. In the end I decided to trust on my feeling and one of these two poems just felt more ... easy (by lack of a better word) to read. That is why I award 25 bonus points to ZuTarAangDelta for her poem How the Water Tribes Came to Bend.

The poem that was best (in my humble opinion, so feel free to disagree) was the poem that described its element perfectly. It had an unbound and free style which suited the element and the poem nicely. I enjoyed it from the beginning and just knew this one was one of the best poems ... upon reading it again, I realized it simply was the best.

I am pleased to announce to you all that the Air Nomads have been victorious for the first time in this war, thanks to suzume with her poem "Meditation thoughts". Be proud of the one hundred points you are awarded, for you truly deserve them!

RULES

Write a sonnet (rhyme pattern = abba abba cde cde). Submission deadline Wednesday the 4th at 24h00 England/France time.

 Topic

Your nation's element (you may also include the opposite element but you're not obligated to do that)

 Judging System

Your humble host of the poetry evening ... Chief Travahar - Water Tribe.
The finest poet will gain 100 points for his nation.
25 points will be awarded to the nation with the best overall performance in this contest.
25 points will be awarded to the second best poet.
Karma will be awarded to every player that sends in a nice sonnet.

WINNERS

Suzume was first place and had this comment with her poem, “For the Air Nomads! Yay, that’s the second poem I wrote in English ever. I hope its okay I used nothing special, because air is unbound and free and wouldn’t really fit in a poem with solid rhymes... Used an enjambment in line 6 to 7.”

 Meditation thoughts
When the last star has fade
Then I may sit down on this hill
Closing my eyes and holding still
Ready to concentrate

Completely lost, I meditate
I breath and fill
My lungs with the element of my skill
Now resting in this peaceful state

When you're born into this world
There's just one thing that gives you life:
What animals, plants and man share

What while meditation will be unfurled
What makes everyone on earth survive
What is never noticed but needed is air

ZTAD took second place with her entry about the founding of waterbending. She commented, “I used the classic iambic pentameter. (And before anyone says it's super weird, I would just like to note that I was inspired by Native American stories where this kind of thing happens all the time.)”

 How the Water Tribes Came to Bend
Before the glaciers overtook the land,
The waters' children's tears joined with the sea.
"We have no skill," the people cried. "No key
As others have, nor chance to understand!"

A sky away, the half moon thought and planned.
Then said the moon, "I will fulfill your plea.
Do what I do. Reflect, but for a fee:
With one young bride, the waves' at your command!"

With frozen eyes, the children watched the moon.
They pushed and pulled; the tides obeyed their will.
And so their mentor called them masterful.

But one girl's duty hurt like a harpoon.
With husband moon she ruled the sea until
Her tribe forgot, ensnared by ocean's pull.

NOTABLE OTHER ENTRIES

As 25 points went to the Water tribes for their whole team having the best overall performance, it is important to show the other Water Tribe poetry entry.

 From Captain Flam (Katara the Flamingo):

“I used iambic pentameter as well. In the poem, I use the Latin words "mater" and "pater," which mean "mother" and "father." There was a bit of alliteration and some repitition. And I did include a bit of slant/near rhyme (w/e you want to call it) in the second stanza. There is also some minor assonance and consonance but nothing big.

The poem is about how the Water Tribe portrays their element. It speaks of their sense of love towards it. Hope you like it!”

"Family"

The water of this world gives us so much:
We live on its strength and prosperity,
And when we cannot stand with our city,
It will act as the fast and faithful crutch.

We reach out from the land wanting to touch,
For we wish to join with sincerity
Our boats to currents, oceans, and pretty
Snow, which coats our country in icey blush.

The glacier is our almighty pater,
Who protects us from the treacherous foe.
Together, we are one great family.

The sea is our kind and loving mater,
Who nurtures us so we in time may grow.
Together, we are one great family.