TAKES THE CAKE
When this competition was set, it was suggested that we all need something to smile about. The response from readers proved how many people agree. The avalanche of funny poems covered humour in all its different guises, but very few could be put aside without prompting a giggle, a snigger or a full-blown belly laugh.
Unfortunately some hilarious poems didn’t make it to the final adjudication. In most cases this was because of problems with rhythm and metre. A high percentage of the entries used rhyme alongside the rhythm of the lines, and often the rhyme was exact but the beat of the poem foundered and so the comic effect was spoilt.
While all poetry that has metre needs it to be applied accurately, in the case of humorous poetry this need becomes an imperative. Lose a syllable, gain a syllable, or produce the funniest line that doesn’t fit
