Our Prize Poem Competition

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 45, 23 May 1930, Page 32

Our Prize Poem Competition

THIS week, although many contributions were received, none of them attained the excellent standard of the poems already published in this section during the currency of the Prize Poem Competition. We are, therefore, unable to award a prize. The average of the work submitted, however, exhibited a high order of intelligence, and we regret that no individual poem was of the quality essential in the pride poem. Highly commendable are "Slim Jim’s" silken songlét and the "Vision" of "Sardonyx"; the first writing with a gay grace, and the latter once more revealing herself as the possessor of the seeing eye and understanding heart. "Thur" sends thoughtful, musical laudation of the call of the tui and the wind of the dawn, Her theme is well followed, and we surmise a spirit that is far from the madding crowd and in tune with the infinite. T.A.O. sings of twinkling, twinkling little stars, but the song is rather tinkly and lacks substance. V. May Cottrell sends a quartet of poems, compact of observation, imagination and facility, but none of them are sufficiently outstanding to romp past the winning-post. H.S.C.: We like your brave Maori elfs among the stalactites-Kia Ora. J.V.W.’s muse sweeps from Maori maid to musical monologue, with a slight admixture of philosophy. We like your pluck, J.V.W. "Clytemnestra": Conscientious, but dull; oh, dull! Which atributes were not those of your namesake, whatever else might be said of that fierce female! "Xerxes" possesses a wandering eye, and one not unobservant of the passing show; but alas, ’tis not that of the poet "in a fine frenzy rolling."