Click here for authlete instructions.
Voter Instructions:
- The countdown at the bottom of each pairing indicates how much time is left to vote.
- When voting closes, timer will disappear.
- Read both poems as many times as you like.
- Mark the poem you like best by clicking the circle next to its name.
- Press the “Vote” button to record your vote.
- Votes are counted in real time and cannot be changed once entered.
- You can only vote once from a given IP address.
- Classrooms should submit one vote as a class.
- Students can then vote again individually from home.
Things to Consider in Making a Choice:
- How well the poem incorporates the authlete’s assigned word.
- Technical elements: meter, rhyme, form, shape, and other poetic standards.
- Creativity: wordplay, imagery, unusual approach, etc.
- Subtle elements that make the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
- Your overall response: emotional reaction such as admiration, tears, laughter, terror, or some indefinable feeling.
Here are the poems:
6-inhuman
March Madness
By Mary Lee Hahn
The sun is finally shining and the field at last is dry.
But here I sit, still stuck inside, dividing x by y.
Homework is inhuman, its inventor vile and cruel.
The law should read that schoolwork’s done within the walls of school.
My mother is a monster too, for when I’m done with math
She’ll make me clean my closet, make my bed, and take a bath.
My work is all completed; I’ve escaped its ball and chain.
I grab my bat to run outside…and then it starts to rain.
vs.
14-incongruous
Mutual Admiration
By Suz Blackaby
Tarantulas are hairy, scary
creatures on the hunt,
and tasty little frogs are just
the bite-sized snacks they want.
Instead these two, with deadly force,
devour each other’s predators,
outfoxing those that do not suss
their bond, which seems incongruous.
6-inhuman vs. 14-incongruous: Which Poem Did You Prefer?
- 6-inhuman (Mary Lee Hahn) (66%, 245 Votes)
- 14-incongruous (Suz Blackaby) (34%, 125 Votes)
Total Voters: 370

“This is awesome, where can I find more?”:
Browse other matchups using the slider below and click to go straight to that matchup!