The Mizzmouse Poetry Contest is now open.

Poems should be received by no later than 31 January 2007.
The winner will be announced on the website on 10 February 2007.
There is a prize of £50 (or Euro equivalent) for the winning poem.

RULES
The competition is open to all.
Poems should not exceed 20 lines, should be in English and on any subject, in traditional form (i.e. rhyming and scanning).
Poems should be the original work of the author and not previously published -copyright remains with the author.
The winning poem will be published on the website.
Entries cannot be returned under any circumstances so keep a copy.
Judge's decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.

FORMAT
Entries typed on one side of A4 paper but should not include the name of the author. Name and address (and email if possible) of the author, together with the title of the poem submitted should be enclosed on a separate sheet of paper.

FEE
Please enclose with your entry the fee of £1 sterling (or 1.30 Euros) for each poem submitted.
Sterling or Euro cheques only please, made payable to E Auld.
Send entries to: Auld, Mizzmouse, Le Chateau, Quartier du Bois, 64190 Navarrenx, France.
Good Luck!

Why do so few people write rhyming poetry? Poems that scan and rhyme and have shape and form? I've nothing against blank verse - sometimes, and for some purposes, in fact I've written blank verse myself occasionally, but modern rhyming poetry seems to be very unfashionable. Can it be because it can be difficult to write serious rhyming verse, but easier if the subject is humorous?

Writing can be partly inspiration, but a lot of it is sheer hard work and application. How much of Keats' Ode to Autumn would we be able to call to mind if it didn't scan or rhyme? Or Masefield's Cargoes, Blake's The Tiger? Or Shakespeare's Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

If great poets like these could spend time and effort in crafting their inspiration into a framework of rhyming, scanning poems, to delight us all, couldn't we sometimes take a break from blank verse and grapple with the challenge of traditional poetry?

I hope you will.


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