Paul's Explicate My Poem Unofficial Challenge -The Results!

Well now. Writers. Friends.

I had no idea what kind of response I would get when I ran this challenge. I am always grateful for the support I get on this platform with the various unofficial challenges I've run over the last few years. But this felt a little different. Like I may have asked too much or it may have been a little self-centred.

I mean, the studious art of the explicate is normally reserved for the classics. For poets and writers who have a little more than one self-published poetry collection (still available on Amazon, in paperback and ebook formats) and a handful (okay, 10 wins and a mixture of 41 Runner-up and Honourable Mention prizes).

Still.

There were a number of good-natured, kind, creative and very generous people on this platform who took up the challenge.

Thank you.

Like. Seriously.

I say it all the time.

But I felt a little more emotional, surprised and grateful for the response to this one.

I guess it's because of the nature of the challenge. Putting myself and my work under the microscope. I've said many times how uneducated a writer I am. Aside from English at school, I don't have the qualifications some people do on this platform. It doesn't really bother me, until it comes to things like this.

Still. You all humoured me and didn't just phone it in. Every single entry was brilliant in its own right.

As a reminder, the challenge was to explicate my poem, Ledger.

Given my lack of credentials, I already noted I wouldn't be approaching my decision on the results the same way Harper did with her challenge.

I will note that every single entry hit upon something that I was trying to say with the poem.

Some got the hidden meanings and also drew conclusions I wasn't even conscious of when writing, but that makes total sense now.

As I could write thousands of words about each entry, I will give a quick summary of what I liked about each, then list the winners. I may write a separate post at a later date discussing the pieces that got podium places, if that is interesting to anyone.

So let's look at the entries one by one, in the order they were submitted.

The Entries

Explicating with Expletives — Harper Lewis

I love that Harper used her love of expletives and theoretical analysis. She and Tim have a natural flair for this kind of work, and I love that she focused on the binaries. Also the Lollapalooza and Jane's Addiction references. In both cases, I know she knew I'd appreciate them.

She, like most others, got the majority points about my own relationship with readers and myself as a writer. I am not good with handholding.

The Account Remains — Tim Carmichael

I loved Tim's take on it and running with the ledger as part of the framing device for the poem. I appreciated his very thoughtful take and that he understood where responsibility and accountability came into the mix.

Tim didn't spare any details and showed his experience and expertise with developing the themes. His literary and scholarly approach made my work feel like it was some classic being dissected, so my ego thanks you, Mr Carmichael.

Explication of Paul Stewart's Poem, "Ledger" — Paul Aaron Domenick

Paul took a very adventurous approach to the challenge, diving deep and, while many of his conclusions weren't things I'd consciously had in mind, I applaud his in-depth take. Paul was awarded a Top Story for his exceptional take. I'm not really surprised, as he is both a very emotionally driven and technically proficient writer and reader.

The speed at which Harper, Tim and Paul got their pieces out into the world should be commended too!

Thought Process — Sara Wilson

Sara's approach was typical of Sara in most things she does creatively — her own way. She received a Top Story for her piece, which relates her own experiences with control over others' perceptions of what she does, which is actually one of the major themes of my poetry in general.

With lots of conversations I've shared with Sara, her approach was also not a surprise, as this is one of the things we've discussed.

Certified Fine By Someone — Diane Foster

Diane took a very gleefully aggressive approach to the challenge and had her no-BS attitude and a detective's magnifying glass. She didn't hold her tongue, and I appreciated a lot of the conclusions she drew despite simultaneously calling me out for such a complicated task.

I appreciated that there was no pandering to my ego and a lot of cutting it down to size too.

Typical Scottish Rebellion and Non-Compliance — Jesse Lee

I was hoping when I read Jesse's that he would fall back on his skills as a comedian to deliver a very irreverent take on the challenge.

And boy did he deliver.

He concluded that my approach to poetry could be seen as a literary form of the long-held tradition of Scottish rebellion. He's not entirely wrong.

His piece was one that got the most laughter. Which I loved.

Visiting the Asylum — John Cox

John responded to the poem with a poem and questioned my sanity. I mean, everyone did that, really. It even came with a hilarious image of myself in a straitjacket.

John and I have a friendly rivalry for certain challenges, or most of them. And we've hosted a number of challenges together, as you all know. He is a very insightful close reader and I often find with pieces he's commented on in the past that he understands me. I think it's a two-way street, really.

That's why, while funny and irreverent, his poetic explicate was on the money with his conclusions far more than it wasn't.

Paul Stewart's Ledger — An Impossible Geometry of Meaning — Sasha Desideri

I could write a whole essay on the sheer depth Sasha went to in making sure her explicate was not only as detailed as possible, but as accurate as she could make it. As someone who does not trust her skills for reading and understanding poems, she did one hell of a job arguing with herself on that point. I think her approach worked because she tried to look at the poem from what she knew about me.

She got the number 10 thing, as reference to completeness, and also correctly made a strong connection to Escher. The way she utilised existing entries to corroborate her findings and thoughts made it feel substantial and backed with evidence. I am learning that you never really know what you will expect from Sasha, only that it will be unique and painstakingly executed.

This Poem Is About Me — Cali Loria

Cali took a uniquely Cali approach to the challenge and, rather than trying to work out what the fuck I meant by any of my poem, she cleverly inhabited it and experienced it through her own eyes in relation to her own life.

Cali has a very particular style of writing, so I wasn't very surprised that she took this approach. I was delighted by the creativity and the fact that she is always reluctant to enter unofficial challenges. I was honoured that she made an exception for my ridiculous undertaking.

Dream of Explication; The Exquisite "Meh" of Aloneness — L.C. Schäfer

L.C. had forewarned me that she was not going to be kind with her explication of my poem, and she didn't disappoint. Despite all the accusations of my inebriation and arrogance, she hit on a lot of important good points. She understood too that my experience of writing something is not the same as someone else's experience of reading it. And my lack of responsibility for that fact, though others picked up on that too.

L.C., like Diane, Jesse and John, took a humorous approach. I have always admired her wit, as I've told her on numerous occasions, and she has always been someone I felt I could banter safely with, so it felt right that her explicate would be so irreverent and satirical.

Like I say, I think I'll have to come back and write a separate piece discussing things in greater detail. Something which is already blowing my mind a little.

Ironic, I know!

But I didn't want to hold back from getting the results out there, so here we go.

The Results

Runner-ups

Recipients of exclusive Paul Stewart artwork — A6 size

Paul Aaron Domenick

Diane Foster

Second Place

Recipient of exclusive Paul Stewart artwork — A5 size

Harper Lewis

First Place

Recipient of exclusive Paul Stewart artwork — A4 size

Sasha Desideri

I will contact you all individually to discuss how I am going to get your prizes to you. For those outside of the UK and Europe, I may have to do a digital version. Just because of the expense. But for those in the UK and Europe, it should be okay to send via post.

As I have not yet created the pieces, this may take a few days. So please be patient. Remember, if I am something of a scrappy hustler-style poet and writer, I am even more of a faker trying to make it as an artist.

Congratulations to Paul, Diane, Harper and of course, Sasha!

Thank you again, one and all, for taking part. It really was a wonderful experience.