# Poetry Maneuver Scoring Guide



## Shawn (Jan 12, 2008)

*Premise*
The Poetry Maneuver judging system was designed to incorporate a number of elements that would ensure the fairness, accuracy, and accessibility of the competition. The basic theme of the competition is “poetry matters.” Because of this, the judging system is geared towards thematic construction, rather than technical display. Everyone in this competition has a chance to win if they have something to say.

*History*
The Poetry Maneuver judging system was voted on and decided by the members of Writing Forums to replace the preexisting template.

*Overview*
The basic categories of the system are as follows.

Thematic Resonance, or how well the theme can be discerned.
Technical Excellence, or how well the poet utilizes grammar and spelling.
Composition, or how well the poem is constructed and how well the poet uses poetic devices.
Message, or how impact the theme is.
Originality, or how unique the poem is.

All categories are worth five points with four judges for a total of one hundred points.

Four judges will be selected or volunteered from the members and staff of Writing Forums either before or after the competition as started, but no later than after the first week of the competition.

The challenge will last for two weeks, and the challenge will be judged for two weeks.

*Breakdown*
A breakdown of the system for judges can be found in the PDF rubric here: Rubric


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