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    • 25 Riddles by Evan Mantyk (with Answers)

      The Society
      October 4, 2015
      Humor, Poetry, Riddles
      3 Comments
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    • ‘A Song of Saint Francis’ and Other Poetry by Brian Yapko

      The Society
      February 26, 2021
      10
    • ‘Three Experiments in Poetic Form’ by James A. Tweedie

      The Society
      February 25, 2021
      23
    • A Poem for Gina Carano: ‘Forced Out’ by Bethany Mootsey

      The Society
      February 25, 2021
      11
    • ‘A Lenten Prayer’ by Joe Tessitore

      The Society
      February 24, 2021
      21
    • ‘Chasing Dryads’ by Julie Desmond

      The Society
      February 24, 2021
      12
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      February 23, 2021
      20
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    • 2018 Poetry Competition Winners Announced

      The Society
      February 1, 2018
      News of Note, Poetry, Poetry Contests
      8 Comments
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    • The Best Poems of 2020

      The Society
      February 1, 2021
      26
    • Winners of 2021 High School Poetry Competition Announced

      The Society
      February 1, 2021
      5
    • Winners of 2021 Poetry Translation Competition Announced

      The Society
      February 1, 2021
      4
    • Turn a Joke into a Poem—Poetry Challenge

      The Society
      December 8, 2020
      70
    • Winners of the ‘Napa Valley Winery’ Ekphrastic Poetry Contest

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      November 15, 2020
      13
    • Ekphrastic Contest: Write a Poem on This Photograph

      The Society
      October 8, 2020
      148
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    • Poetry Book Review: James Manlow’s When We Were Slugs from Parkgate Press

      The Society
      February 17, 2016
      Essays, News of Note, Reviews
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    • The Power of One: Monosyllables in Classical Poetry

      The Society
      February 18, 2021
      15
    • The Singing Lines of Theresa Rodriguez: A Review of Sonnets

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      January 12, 2021
      13
    • Two Poems Making Use of ‘Conceits,’ by Joseph S. Salemi

      The Society
      January 9, 2021
      26
    • The Struggle for the Formalist Tradition: An Essay by Joseph S. Salemi

      The Society
      December 13, 2020
      58
    • Essay: ‘Portrait of a Millennial Art Student’ by Sally Cook

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      October 24, 2020
      22
    • A Review of Juvenalia by Reid McGrath

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      October 12, 2020
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Author The Society

The Society

The Society of Classical Poets was founded in New York in July, 2012.

‘The Good of You’ by Damian Robin

The Society
February 3, 2021
Coronavirus, Culture, Human Rights in China, Poetry
8 Comments
. How good of you to do your best __for our great population. So we'll do right by your request __to heal our ailing nation. If we feel sick we'll stay indoors, __won't shout---just put a sock in. With metal...

‘The Senior Covid Blues’ by Lee Goldberg

The Society
February 3, 2021
Coronavirus, Culture, Humor, Poetry
16 Comments
. The Senior Covid Blues I have read many articles about the virus particles that swirl about and sneak into our noses. I know it takes tenacity to keep one’s lung capacity and not look up and see the roots...

‘Lahaina Mynahs’ and Other Light-Hearted Poetry by James A. Tweedie

The Society
February 2, 2021
Humor, Poetry
12 Comments
. Lahaina Mynahs The droppings of a thousand Mynah birds (While nesting in a Maui banyan tree) Descended on my pre-teen daughter. Words Cannot describe her abject misery. Her shoulders, arms and hands were...

A Haiku on ‘Blackwater River State Park’ and Other Poetry by K.M. Hayes

The Society
February 2, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Haiku and Senryu, Humor, Poetry
6 Comments
. Blackwater River State Park A warm summer day. The kayak floats quietly. The cicadas sing. . . Nightfall at Pensacola Beach The sun has now set And not a light can be seen. What just made that...

The Best Poems of 2020

The Society
February 1, 2021
From the Society, Poetry, Poetry Contests
26 Comments
The Best Poems of 2020: Winners of the 9th Annual International SCP Poetry Competition JudgesJoseph S. SalemiJames SaleEvan Mantyk Past First Place Winners Joseph Charles MacKenzie (2019) Adam Sedia (2018)...

Winners of 2021 High School Poetry Competition Announced

The Society
February 1, 2021
From the Society, Poetry, Poetry Contests
5 Comments
The talent this year has been astounding. Thank you to every high school student who participated. You are the future of literature and are leading the way in rebuilding our civilization on the foundation of...

Winners of 2021 Poetry Translation Competition Announced

The Society
February 1, 2021
From the Society, Poetry, Poetry Contests, Translation
4 Comments
. Judges Margaret Coats Evan Mantyk . First Place ($100) Francesca Leader, Virginia "The Iroha Poem" by Kūkai (空海) (774–835) . Second Place Steven Monte, New York “Di pensier in pensier, di monte in...

‘Anchises’ by Anna-Marie Ahn

The Society
January 31, 2021
Beauty, High School Submissions, Poetry
16 Comments
. Beneath the starry firmament so dark There lies tonight an old, forgotten tree Whose bark is peeling, wretched, cold and stark And has not heard since auld youth’s melody. The crooked, blackened branches...

‘Two Social Media Brothers: Jack and Zuck’ by Sarban Bhattacharya

The Society
January 30, 2021
Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Humor, Poetry
7 Comments
. The world is ruled by two men­---Jack and Zuck, More than their strange appearance their deeds suck. Jack’s goatee truly suits a Marxist boss Who for free speech and thought gives not a toss, While Zuck...

‘Woman Is’ by Don Shook

The Society
January 30, 2021
Culture, Poetry
15 Comments
. Changeable and fickle is the woman. Some things she says, and surely thinks are so, defy a logic with a bent to wander beyond the bounds of any truth we know. Her reasoning, like multi-colored...

‘Poetic Paraphrase of Martin Niemöller’ by James A. Tweedie

The Society
January 29, 2021
Culture, Poetry
13 Comments
. First they came for the Jews, you see, And I did not speak out’ Because I wasn’t a Jew (not me!) I didn’t give a shout. Then they came for the Communists And I did not speak out; Seditious, Marxist...

‘Go, Fading Leaf’ and Other Poetry by Anna J. Arredondo

The Society
January 29, 2021
Beauty, Humor, Love Poems, Poetry
12 Comments
. Go, Fading Leaf __Go, fading leaf, Tell him who thought my heart to spurn __That life is brief (But briefer still his love did burn __I fool enough was to return). __Tell him who sold Our shaky venture for...

‘The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Must Fall’ by Evan Mantyk

The Society
January 28, 2021
Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Exposing Election Fraud, Human Rights in China, Poetry
21 Comments
. A Word of Advice to Joe Biden, Mitch McConnell, John Roberts, and many others . __The CCP must fall. __The CCP must fall. Behind them all, Like Clintons, Maddows, Also in the shadows, Like McConnell’s...

‘Note Written Between Two Lives’ by C.M. Rivers

The Society
January 28, 2021
Beauty, Poetry
10 Comments
. Everything is gone, gone. ____No one’s ever stayed: the family and the friends I loved, ____the bread my mother made. Nothing’s ever gone the way ____I thought that it would go- springtime brought me...

‘B.C./D.C.’ and Other Humorous Poetry by C.B. Anderson

The Society
January 27, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
17 Comments
. B.C./D.C. Where history and myth converge Two famous founders do emerge, Of nations that excelled at war. (Coincidence?  Or something more?) George Washington and Romulus Are equally eponymous, And...

‘How To Be Like Byron’ by Andrew Benson Brown

The Society
January 27, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Love Poems, Poetry
21 Comments
. How To Be Like Byron Bright butterfly, why do you fade Into that duller, browner shade That strays into the flame at night? You’ve lost your nature’s vibrant light And seek it in another source. For you,...

‘A Message from The Party of Unity’ by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
January 26, 2021
Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Humor, Poetry
19 Comments
. Daily we vent and cement our position In righteous and virtuous words. Unity fails if each crucial decision Is left to the whim of the herds. Deplorable plebs are so flawed and naïve When treading the...

‘Ode to Spring’ and Other Poetry by Andrew Elliott

The Society
January 26, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
2 Comments
. Ode to Spring Oh glory be to things that grow! That burgeon, blossom, bud and blow In Springtime’s light and airy breeze, Which ruffles softly new sprung leaves. What tongue there be to justly praise The...

‘Father And John: How It Once Was’ and Other Poetry by Sally Cook

The Society
January 25, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
22 Comments
. . Father And John: How It Once Was Before self-righteous rules, brash and insistent,There was a natural rhythm, quite unspoken.So when my father hired an assistantTraditionalist, he followed rules...

‘Verbum Dei’ by James Sale

The Society
January 25, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
51 Comments
. The Verbum Dei Retreat Centre on the Isle of Wight aims to be a place of encounter with God We took the ferry; darkness closed; Warm lights ahead; who knew the way? Crowded in a car, pilgrims led For God...

To Joe Biden: ‘Abiding the Storm’, by David Watt

The Society
January 24, 2021
Culture, Exposing Election Fraud, Poetry
16 Comments
. Well, you beat the odds against you, though I think you rather knew That with media assistance, and a counting scheme or two, There would be a sudden shifting, like a tide, upon a whim, Moving in the wrong...

‘Uninspired’ by Siri Espy

The Society
January 24, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
13 Comments
. I fear my motivation’s dead; there’s no one home inside my head. I’ve looked for it from dusk to dawn; I tell you, it is really gone! The situation is quite dire; my neurons will no longer fire. I...

‘Bread and Circuses, Checks and Netflix’ by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
January 23, 2021
Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Poetry
24 Comments
. Tyrants would distribute largesse, a bushel of wheat, a gallon of wine, and a sesterce: and then everybody would shamelessly cry, “Long live the King!” ---Juvenal Keep a mind that’s blind to widened...

‘Lament for Henderson’s’: A poem for Burns’ Night 2021, by Margaret Coats

The Society
January 23, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
16 Comments
.   January 25 is the birthday of Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759–1796). On or near this day, Scots worldwide gather for a supper of haggis (traditionally made of sheep innards), whisky, and poetry....

‘Coats’ by Stephen Ramsek

The Society
January 22, 2021
Beauty, Culture, High School Submissions, Poetry
4 Comments
. A coat of luminescent snow Descended on my patch of grass, And for a moment all its glow Inflamed my eyes like burnished brass. And in a moment it had gone, But not withdrawn; it nimbly turned Into a...

‘Long View Cottage’ and Other Poetry by Gregory Ross

The Society
January 22, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
4 Comments
 . Long View Cottage The view is long and dark atop the mountain where I roam. Birds sing a little sweeter in a high and softer tone. The people gave it many names; I only call it home. The fog hangs thick...

‘Earth Song’ and Other Poetry by Lawrence Fray

The Society
January 21, 2021
Beauty, Poetry
11 Comments
.   Earth Song We longed to see Norway's Northern Lights,That great, magnetic, celestial balletOf colour, one of nature's majestic sights:'Not to be missed at any cost'. The clicheWas ironic; we'd...

On Rembrandt’s ‘Return of the Prodigal Son’ and Other Poetry by Brian Yapko

The Society
January 21, 2021
Art, Beauty, Culture, Poetry
17 Comments
. On Rembrandt's "Return of the Prodigal Son" Three centuries have passed since it was wrought--- A work of art transcendent yet humane. The tender play of feelings Rembrandt caught: A wastrel son disgraced,...

Poetry on Piero della Francesca’s ‘History of the True Cross,’ by Michael Coy

The Society
January 20, 2021
Art, Beauty, Culture, Ekphrastic, Poetry
1 Comment
. The Death of Adam Excerpted from Musings on Piero della Francesca’s “History of the True Cross,” in the Church of San Francesco, Arezzo, Italy There’s always both: the sacred and profane. The right...

‘Priam, King of Troy, Addresses Cassandra’s Concerns about the Horse’ by Michael Vanyukov

The Society
January 20, 2021
Culture, Poetry
4 Comments
. Even then Cassandra, who, by the god’s decree, is never to be believed by Trojans, reveals our future fate with her lips.  —Virgil, The Aeneid (Kline translation) Surcease, Cassandra, stop that...

‘Stream’ and Other Poetry by Leland James

The Society
January 19, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
4 Comments
. Stream Above the bend, the water deep and clear, the current strong; seen from the Buckman Bridge, ten minutes walk for me, my cabin near, through pines down from a timeworn granite ridge —a lofty...

‘Childhood, 1919’ by David Whippman

The Society
January 19, 2021
Culture, Poetry
34 Comments
. Daddy came home from “the war to end all war” And seemed, at first, one of the lucky ones. He looked exactly as he had before, His flesh untouched by bullets, gas, or bombs. But not his memories…soon...

‘Virtual Propitiation: Sacrifice of the Quarantined Caregiver’ by Bethany Mootsey

The Society
January 18, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
8 Comments
Seven inches, simple dark design My modern mind disdains the notion That the measure of devotion Is the size or splendor of the shrine. Spilling supplications, meat and wine My ancestors with deep...

‘Meditation’ by Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867), Translated by Joshua Mincio

The Society
January 18, 2021
Beauty, Poetry, Translation
6 Comments
. Be good, my Sorrow. You may rest assured; The Evening whom you called descends; Behold; The fall of dusk leaves some in towns obscured With newfound peace, yet some with cares untold. Through gauntlet...

‘Every Little Thing’ and Other Poetry by Daniel Kemper

The Society
January 18, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Love Poems, Poetry, Poetry Forms
61 Comments
X Every Little Thing I. His Version She treasured every little thing that you                gave her: the sparrow necklace (hazel blueto match her eyes) the bracelet slipped insidethe box of...

‘For Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 2021’ by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
January 18, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
30 Comments
“I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” ---Martin Luther King, Jr. “I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically...

‘Rosarium’: A Sestina and Other Poetry by Benjamin Thomas Cepican

The Society
January 17, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry, Poetry Forms
7 Comments
. Rosarium a sestina A rose arises red from its green sheath Adorned with swords that prick and pierce: the thorn, Whose vigil kept ensures its life's not brief. Unmatched in charm though fresh from garden...

‘A Poet’s Strife’ by Sterling Osborne

The Society
January 17, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
11 Comments
. My word will not survive a fire: the dust, the ash of paper singed by matches struck by fingers bent on silence. And it must rot here in summer heat in humid muck where mold will gnaw away at every page. My...

‘Malingerer’ by Ted Quarterman

The Society
January 16, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
6 Comments
. My inconsistent pharmacist, Administer that certain cure That can relax my hardened fist In doses sweet with taste impure. O give me something for the pain, My head thumps fast, my heart beats slow, Or...

‘Orchestra Tuning Up’ and Other Poetry by Cynthia Erlandson

The Society
January 16, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Music, Poetry
6 Comments
_ Orchestra Tuning Up Is this the way the universe once sounded?A mass confusion of discordant trumpets,Flutes, horns, and violins like baffled cometsWithout a geometric course, confounded? Can this be how the...
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