Sensational
Write a poem inspired by the five senses.
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $1,000
- Second Place:
- $250
- 10 Runners-Up:
- $25
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Apr 28, 2023
Submissions closed
May 17, 2023 3:59 AM CUT
Results
May 30, 2023
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $1,000
- Second Place:
- $250
- 10 Runners-Up:
- $25
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Apr 28, 2023
Submissions closed
May 17, 2023 3:59 AM CUT
Results
May 30, 2023
About this challenge
The Prompt
Write a poem inspired by the five senses.
The five senses - sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell - are not only the key ways in which we interact with the world around us, but also the key ingredients to crafting a sensory poem that can transport the reader to another place and time.
Through a sensory poem, a poet can evoke emotions, memories, and experiences by using descriptive and emotive language that engages the reader's senses. A sunset can be described through the use of vivid colors and striking imagery to capture the reader's sense of sight. The aroma of freshly baked bread can be depicted through the use of sensory language to activate the reader's sense of smell. A cool breeze can be described through language that evokes the reader's sense of touch.
Submissions may incorporate one or all of the five senses.
In order for your submission to qualify, it must be:
*All forms of poetry that meet the requirements and prompt above will be accepted.*
The Prizes
- Grand Prize: $1,000
- Second Place: $250
- 10 Runners-Up: $25
How to enter
For your poem to be eligible, it should be under 1,000 words, submitted to the Poets Community, and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Poems published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until May 16, 2023, at 11:59 PM ET will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
The Sensational Challenge is exclusive to Vocal+ members. To learn more and upgrade to Vocal+ visit https://vocal.media/vocal-plus.
To be eligible to win the grand prize, second place, or runners-up prizes, you must be over the age of 13 and residing in a country where Stripe is available at the time of entry. A complete list of countries where Stripe is available can be found here—winners will need to have a Stripe account created and connected in order to receive the prizes. For this reason, entrants located outside of any of these countries will not be eligible to win.
Open challenges
Challenges you can enter now for a chance to win.
Challenge resources
Whispering Woods Challenge Winners
Congratulations to Morgan Christy Rickards for their winning Whispering Woods story, Guardian at the Gate. Morgan has been a Vocal creator since February 2021, and this is their first time placing in Challenge — well done, starting with a win! Guardian at the Gate draws evocatively from Welsh tales of the Cantre'r Gwaelod, a lost sunken kingdom between the forest and the sea. Heledd’s dangerous adventure pulls her towards the water but her spirit is anchored in the woods: Morgan’s writing is atmospheric and exciting.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 7 days ago in ResourcesSnacktime Sonata Challenge Winners
Well, your Snacktime Sonatas made us hungry, and that’s about the highest compliment we have. Food — taste, smell, sensation — is a powerful conduit to the past, to memories pleasurable and painful and sometimes bittersweet, a mixture of comfort and challenge. Congratulations to Penny Fuller for Sativa — it’s a first win for Penny — a hymn to the “secret, unbounded/freedoms” of fresh peas in the pod. The narrative voice of the poem doesn’t really want to be outside, but finds joy in the green things of the earth; this is a lovely work of resilience.
Vocal TeamPublished 13 days ago in Resources'The Dragon Beside Me' Challenge Winners.
"The Dragon Beside Me" has ignited the spirits of writers across the Vocal community and PViM have had the exciting opportunity to work beside our friends at Vocal on discerning the winners. No easy feat let us tell you. From initial shortlist to final deliberations, the standard was as high as our spirits.
Proud ViM ProductionsPublished about a month ago in Resources