Poems fit for a bard

For better or verse, the winners have been chosen in this year's Robert Burns Poetry Competition, Shane Gilchrist reports.

The first poetry contest to be held in Dunedin since it was designated a Unesco City of Literature, the Robert Burns Poetry Competition, again attracted no small number of high-quality entries.

Dunedin poet and writer Kay McKenzie-Cooke, who judged the competition along with 2014 University of Otago Burns Fellow Majella Cullinane, was impressed by the level of accomplishment.

''Some poems were either written in, or made reference to, the Scots language.

Some referred specifically to their admiration of Robbie Burns.

Some were specific to Dunedin. Some described nature.

Some described people, present or past. Some were political. Some used pathos, others veered into bathos.

''Mostly, the poetry showed how deeply the city of Dunedin still connects with Burns, its Scottish bard.''

The winning poem of the published section, To Wee Russet Tuft, by Helen Williford-Lower, of Waikouaiti, offers a consistent and compact beauty, McKenzie-Cooke notes.

''It makes excellent use of the Scots language to describe the dilemma humans face when nature shows its more brutal side.''

And the winning poem in the unpublished section,

Address tae the Dunedin Stadium, by Stewart Webster, of Dalmore, is one that ''would be dear to Burns' own heart'', McKenzie-Cooke says,''It is a lively and humorous poem that makes fun of what the poet considers to be a local political faux pas.''

Joe Corbett (17), of Waikouaiti, won the youth section for the third successive year.

His work, Thank Ye, Rabbie Burns, ''stood out for its confident use of Scots and for its surprisingly mature and proficient poetic style'', McKenzie-Cooke notes.

Corbett has been invited to recite his poem to help welcome the Scottish cricket team on its arrival to Dunedin on February 15 for the ICC Cricket World Cup.

The winners of the two adult categories will recite their poems at the Burns Night Dinner in the city on Sunday night.

McKenzie-Cooke's comments were supported by Kay Mercer, events co-ordinator, Dunedin Public Libraries: ''The high standard of the 32 entries is clear evidence that our city is deserving of being named a Unesco City of Literature.''