Split Eight
08-04-2015, 09:28 AM
Art of Writing League: Season 5
Week 3
[Introduction]
Hi everyone, welcome to Week 3 of 14 in the AOWL regular season. Thanks to Adonis for his contribution to the previews this week.
This is called the "End of the Runway" because starting next week, contender matches start up and we enter the heart and soul of season five! I'm excited, and will also be attending the Werk Out Festival from the 6th to the 9th. I'll do my best to check-in, but have sent a guideline to fellow moderators Innovator and Adonis in case I cannot charge my phone, etc.
Great second week, and here's to hopeful a greater third week!
Without further ado, here are the Reviews, Predictions, Power Ranks and Conclusions, as well as a new weekly feature!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSi_FE52TAY
[Reviews]
Ribbit vs. Mr. J
[Split]
I whole-heartedly agree with UbornBuddha's sentiment that Mr. J's angle was done to death. The "woe is me" angle is slightly less played, but still played. Somehow, it came off fresh here, I think because 2triple0 completely revised his style to make it happen. Mr. J outwrote his opponent here, but perhaps eeked out a win by not much more than being the namebrand in the comparison. Props to both.
Innovator vs. Razah
[Split]
Innovator sought refuge in abstraction and it paid off. Voters had a lot to say in their breakdowns, and I think that the diverse offerings from each writer (who had further diverse written styles) resulted in a fantastic clash. Much respect here. Razah fell victim to a very abstract & challenging topic in the end, it played to Innovator's poetic strengths. Excellent matchup.
Asylum vs. Rakontur
[Split]
Asylum posted a very, very short verse. It was well-written and showed a little of what Asylum is capable of. As soon as I finished reading, I felt as though I was suddenly remembering him all his old writings from past seasons. Rakontur wrote a very peculiar (nuanced) offering that used the 'relationship is an actual ship' approach. I thought it was good, but it has been done before & done better. It felt like he wrote two verses and then juxtaposed them artificially, but he did what he needed to do to win so who am I to talk?
No-Show Shine
Split
[Ullr]
Pretty cool verse, don't really dig the antiquated delivery. Obviously it was a necessary feature of this verse, however. Cool demonstration of skill, actually, but I didn't enjoy reading it in and of itself. Some sections were a bit redundant. Ullr, like many, seemed to struggle with last weeks' topics.
[UnbornBuddha]
I loved this take on how loving someone after death is seen as admirable & the proof of the existence of love, until it is taken to its logical conclusion haha. Didn't enjoy how he came out and explained what the story represented explicitly, it seems a heavy-handed tactic and a symptom of not trusting the voters. The vocabulary featured a wonderful smattering of colorful adjectives and adverbs. Good plot progression and introduction to the storyline, and the topic was more than adequately represented.
[Predictions]
Ullr (2-0) vs. Timeless (0-1)
[Split]
Interesting tactic by Timeless here, requesting someone he has already faced in week one. Ullr is on a win streak, and in my opinion has been the strongest & most consistent competitor all season. Timeless is nice with it, but I see Ullr coming away with the victory here. He's had more weeks in the league to shake any rust off, has enjoyed more success in non-AOWL leagues and competitions, and has a fresh approach. I think this has BOTW potential because of Timeless's motivation. Agree with Adonis that this is a bit of a grudge match.
Ullr 75/25
[Adonis]
This is somewhat of a grudge match I suppose. Timeless requested the opportunity to square off with his week one opponent which was a land slide 8-0 victory in favor of the unknown, (at least to me) Ullr. I will say this however, if you are truly a gifted writer it will not take long for this to be realized. Although I've only read three, maybe four verses by Ullr I have recognized the talent level and see him as a early front runner given the current level of competition in the league. Now Time on the other hand is no slouch or rookie by any means. However, he has not cracked that elite level do to the inconsistent verses brought forth. He can beat any writer when he is at his best, but Timeless dropping his best is not a common thing. While I don't think the 8-0 thrashing is likely to happen again, I will say if there is a 8-0 victory I would put my bet on Ullr on the victors side of that one.
Ullr 78%
Innovator (1-1) vs. Asylum (0-1)
[Split]
Asylum's verse last week was short and sweet. I think it might have been a last-minute effort, and he mentioned he wasn't fully inspired by the topic. Innovator is a safe writer, and has maintained his image of consistent with flashes of brilliance. I'm going to give Asylum the nod here in a league with many fresher faces. A strong verse would give him some momentum going into the second phase of the league.
Asylum 55/45
[Adonis]
I am not familiar with Asylum here, although I did get a chance to read her/his? Verse last week against Rakontur. She stated she had no time nor attachment to the provided topic yet still dropped a relatively decent and polished verse given it's shortened length. From what I assume of her style, I think this will be a very close bout as I believe both of you posses the same poetic style. Inno has long been one of my favorite reads because of that fact and I'm glad I can potentially add to my list of all time favorites with yet another poetical savant, IF, my assumptions are correct. Either way, Inno has the most up and down and inconsistent execution potentially, of anyone I've been blessed with crossing interweb paths. Dude can pen the best verse of the week or bottom 3 anytime out. Not sure which shows here, but knowing what I do in that he is also under the gun in composing a title match in the poetry league, I'd say this actually helps him. He will be in full stride while writing for this one.
Innovator 59%
Razah (1-1) vs. 2Triple0 (0-2)
[Split]
I have Razah in a bloodbath. 2trips has the possibility to upset given the situation where Razah writes a weak verse, and 2trips stays within his creative means.
2triple0 AKA Ribbit has mentioned that he hates when people use fancy/ unnecessarily indulgent vocabulary in their verses just to rhyme or seem poetic, but he himself needs to be wary of his diction and how he puts his lines together. However, his verse last week was a MASSIVE improvement and without a doubt the best writing I've seen from him. His writer's voice shone through in his writing for the first time, and I think one of the most important breakthroughs was his realistic and metered usage of vocabulary and descriptive language. Really great, and it moves him into a realm where he can truly benefit from other writers' critique. I really wish Certain was here to offer him up some sage advice.
Razah 80/20
[Adonis]
Razah is yet another name I am not familiar with aside from the two works submitted this season, one of which beat Buddha when he was dropping gold, so I guess I know Razah's level in a sense. At the very least I know his best, which is pretty damn good. 2K on the other hand is not an established vet at all. He is however growing each week, molding into something I hope I am around to see when that aging process is complete. In the past he has been known to write these farfetched, outlandish and just tough to follow dream-scape type theatricals that can blow your mind if you try to piece it all together. He is still struggling with simple proof reading, but last I saw him was developing this estranged talent to write with metaphors on a high level, hopefully you are still trying to hone that because it was a joy to read. Razah seems like he has a strong grasp on mechanics including not faltering, basically not shooting himself in the foot with a convoluted rhyme structure or a Looney-toon, head scraping odyssey. He seems consistent enough at a early stage in the season that I imagine he will be there in the end vying for a coveted playoff birth. Then again, at the rate we are going we just all may make it. WTF happened to YDK and the other 20 regulars to compete religiously?
Razah 63%
Mr. J (2-0) vs. UnbornBuddha (1-1)
[Split]
Dope matchup. Mr. J is also on a tear, he could put himself in a contender's match next week. UnbornBuddha impressed last week and was unfortunately no-showed, and was in one of the better match-ups in Week 1 when he lost to Razah. I could see this going either way, but have a feeling that Mr. J writes to his strengths when it counts and often emerges victorious in close battles by writing against his opponent's tendencies. Edge to Mr. J for competitive attitude.
Mr. J 65/35
[Adonis]
This is my early BOTW candidate. I have read many verses from each of you over the past few seasons you have competed alongside me. Not sure if you've ever faced, but if so I'm sure it was a good one. This is truly a clash of styles in my mind. While Buddha is a vast spring of depth gushing with knowledge, this can sometimes get him into a bit of trouble with the voters in that he is just too deep. MJ on the hand, I think the opposite of. He writes quick, reads quick rather, and usually comes with a direct approach to the topic in a literal sense using minimal tricks other then straight topical structure, less of a poetical fashion and more of a hip-hop execution. These two have been at, or near the top of the food change the past three seasons, I believe. However, never at the same time. Looking forward to this one. Where as Buddha will need to keep it a bit simpler, (notice a “TAD”) not so much as playing it safe just not over thinking by making the reader have to digest more then a mouthful. Jay may want to add some sort of a human element surrounding emotion or a short and to the point old school topical that leaves all of the fat trimmed off; which ironically is what I think you are best at, not personally, but in the league in general.
Split 50/50
[Power Ranks]
1. Ullr
Ullr's second week in the one-spot is ushered in with an unfortunate no-show victory. I rarely give the top spot to someone who was no-showed when someone with an equal record won their battle, however it is only Week 2, and the writer in the two spot just happens to have been no-showed in Week 1. Ullr is the man-to-be-beat at the moment, as demonstrated by Timeless's request to face him after getting demolished in their Week 1 matchup. Huge potential for a momentum gain by whoever wins that match. This, I believe, will only help Ullr build a reputation that will intimidate newcomers and demand respect from the old hands of the AOWL.
2. Mr. J
The logical choice for number two when you look at records, Mr. J has become a bit of a powerhouse. Honestly, I think the closeness of his battle last week was a bit absurd. He blew ribbit out of the water. He also has a no-show win from Week 1, a match-up I believe he would've won based on the high quality of his verse. Where he will be next week depends on the outcome of his match against UnbornBuddha, a dead ringer for BOTW.
3. Innovator
Innovator's win against the talented Razah puts him in the upper half of Season 5's competitors. His verses have not personally wow'd me yet, however his many past forays into the topical domain demonstrate his capacity for showmanship. When necessary, Innovator puts together killer pieces that see him into contender matches. His main flaw is his inability to force himself to write to a topic, extinguishing many of his championship runs & even causing him a Week 1 no-show loss. He also occasionally seems to underestimate his opponents. His success largely depends on luck with topics rather than momentum, a characteristic he'll have to shed if he'd like to make it to the 1-spot.
4. UnbornBuddha
Despite his last victory being a no-show win, Buddha has had nothing but strong verses this far into the season. No one really gave too many concrete reasons why he took an L against Razah in what was arguably the BOTW of Week 1, implying that Razah simply wrote a more satisfying verse. I'd say that UnbornBuddha's only flaw is a lack of presentation. He writes many lines in a story-like fashion, however unlike some (say, Frank) his verses often fail to capture the leagues attention unless in a strong matchup with another writer. I'd say that this is not because of his lack of a name at Netcees (many already hail him as Zygote's spiritual successor within our league) but rather because of his tendency to stray from risk, and generally decline to "wow" the audience. This was also a tactic employed by Zygote, which is why he essentially sneaked into many a champ match. However, Zygote also tended to write exactly enough to defeat his opponent and no more. His verses never seemed half-baked, because most of the effort went into the overall concept & backbone rather than fleshing out the execution, and that's all he neeeded. I feel as though Buddha is more invested in his verses, and that's both a strength and a weakness.
[explication]
An explication is an in-depth reading or analysis, in which something complicated is 'unfolded' or picked apart in a procedural way. This will be a little column that affords writers an opportunity to provide an honest breakdown of ANY matchup or verse (theirs included) to the degree that they want. No catches, except you might look like a dick if you're not careful.
I picked mine and Ullr's BA match that suddenly appeared in the AOWL for further voting.
Split 8 vs. Ullr
[Split]
Is it weird if I comment on my own matchup? If it's a Battle Arena verse, I have no qualms I guess, I'll keep it brief.
Good match dude, I enjoyed reading your approach on a tough topic that had me stumped for awhile. It seemed to be about mankind's societal decay, to the point that our own engineering work from the past is beyond our comprehension. One cool line was the bit about seeing reflections, understanding it must be water, and thanking the gods' for their gift--when it was humanity itself (their reflections) that provided for them.
I tried to write about how our incessant obsession with detail in the 21st century coincides with a certain degree of narcissism, our perceived worldliness comes with a generous helping of ignorance, and our inter-connectedness begets separation. I tried to associate the giant spheres in a the pictures as being our 'own little worlds', and the desolate background with a history of pollution and decay. The separation between the beauty we see and the ugliness that has flourished implies a strong disconnect with the method of how we perceive the world. Our need to perpetuate this charade means we create artificial monstrosities (those giant metal spheres) to persist in our barren environment, accelerating the disconnection between us and the Earth.
Anyways, I doubt anyone picked up on those silly intri***ies of my verse and perhaps misinterpreted Ullr's as well. I would say that Ullr slightly stumbled by changing direction mid-verse (the trial atop the sphere) and lost readers' attention. My verse wasn't necessarily more clear or successful in achieving its theme, it offered more visceral details and description that maybe meant more possible interpretations, e.g. a higher likelihood that voters would enjoy it at face value. It's sort of a quality I seek to embrace: having your verse mean something on a deeper level, but still be meaningful at a quick glance at the surface as well.
I think the main factor, however, in my taking the win would be that the BA voters just didn't want to dig into the verses. And Ullr's verse required digging.
Great match dude, hope we meet again.
[Outrospection]
[Split]
Dope verses everyone, good luck in this week! Matches are due TONIGHT (Tuesday) at 11:59 PM. Voting concludes TOMORROW, Wednesday, so if you want votes then post early! The show is official on the road! :D
Week 3
[Introduction]
Hi everyone, welcome to Week 3 of 14 in the AOWL regular season. Thanks to Adonis for his contribution to the previews this week.
This is called the "End of the Runway" because starting next week, contender matches start up and we enter the heart and soul of season five! I'm excited, and will also be attending the Werk Out Festival from the 6th to the 9th. I'll do my best to check-in, but have sent a guideline to fellow moderators Innovator and Adonis in case I cannot charge my phone, etc.
Great second week, and here's to hopeful a greater third week!
Without further ado, here are the Reviews, Predictions, Power Ranks and Conclusions, as well as a new weekly feature!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSi_FE52TAY
[Reviews]
Ribbit vs. Mr. J
[Split]
I whole-heartedly agree with UbornBuddha's sentiment that Mr. J's angle was done to death. The "woe is me" angle is slightly less played, but still played. Somehow, it came off fresh here, I think because 2triple0 completely revised his style to make it happen. Mr. J outwrote his opponent here, but perhaps eeked out a win by not much more than being the namebrand in the comparison. Props to both.
Innovator vs. Razah
[Split]
Innovator sought refuge in abstraction and it paid off. Voters had a lot to say in their breakdowns, and I think that the diverse offerings from each writer (who had further diverse written styles) resulted in a fantastic clash. Much respect here. Razah fell victim to a very abstract & challenging topic in the end, it played to Innovator's poetic strengths. Excellent matchup.
Asylum vs. Rakontur
[Split]
Asylum posted a very, very short verse. It was well-written and showed a little of what Asylum is capable of. As soon as I finished reading, I felt as though I was suddenly remembering him all his old writings from past seasons. Rakontur wrote a very peculiar (nuanced) offering that used the 'relationship is an actual ship' approach. I thought it was good, but it has been done before & done better. It felt like he wrote two verses and then juxtaposed them artificially, but he did what he needed to do to win so who am I to talk?
No-Show Shine
Split
[Ullr]
Pretty cool verse, don't really dig the antiquated delivery. Obviously it was a necessary feature of this verse, however. Cool demonstration of skill, actually, but I didn't enjoy reading it in and of itself. Some sections were a bit redundant. Ullr, like many, seemed to struggle with last weeks' topics.
[UnbornBuddha]
I loved this take on how loving someone after death is seen as admirable & the proof of the existence of love, until it is taken to its logical conclusion haha. Didn't enjoy how he came out and explained what the story represented explicitly, it seems a heavy-handed tactic and a symptom of not trusting the voters. The vocabulary featured a wonderful smattering of colorful adjectives and adverbs. Good plot progression and introduction to the storyline, and the topic was more than adequately represented.
[Predictions]
Ullr (2-0) vs. Timeless (0-1)
[Split]
Interesting tactic by Timeless here, requesting someone he has already faced in week one. Ullr is on a win streak, and in my opinion has been the strongest & most consistent competitor all season. Timeless is nice with it, but I see Ullr coming away with the victory here. He's had more weeks in the league to shake any rust off, has enjoyed more success in non-AOWL leagues and competitions, and has a fresh approach. I think this has BOTW potential because of Timeless's motivation. Agree with Adonis that this is a bit of a grudge match.
Ullr 75/25
[Adonis]
This is somewhat of a grudge match I suppose. Timeless requested the opportunity to square off with his week one opponent which was a land slide 8-0 victory in favor of the unknown, (at least to me) Ullr. I will say this however, if you are truly a gifted writer it will not take long for this to be realized. Although I've only read three, maybe four verses by Ullr I have recognized the talent level and see him as a early front runner given the current level of competition in the league. Now Time on the other hand is no slouch or rookie by any means. However, he has not cracked that elite level do to the inconsistent verses brought forth. He can beat any writer when he is at his best, but Timeless dropping his best is not a common thing. While I don't think the 8-0 thrashing is likely to happen again, I will say if there is a 8-0 victory I would put my bet on Ullr on the victors side of that one.
Ullr 78%
Innovator (1-1) vs. Asylum (0-1)
[Split]
Asylum's verse last week was short and sweet. I think it might have been a last-minute effort, and he mentioned he wasn't fully inspired by the topic. Innovator is a safe writer, and has maintained his image of consistent with flashes of brilliance. I'm going to give Asylum the nod here in a league with many fresher faces. A strong verse would give him some momentum going into the second phase of the league.
Asylum 55/45
[Adonis]
I am not familiar with Asylum here, although I did get a chance to read her/his? Verse last week against Rakontur. She stated she had no time nor attachment to the provided topic yet still dropped a relatively decent and polished verse given it's shortened length. From what I assume of her style, I think this will be a very close bout as I believe both of you posses the same poetic style. Inno has long been one of my favorite reads because of that fact and I'm glad I can potentially add to my list of all time favorites with yet another poetical savant, IF, my assumptions are correct. Either way, Inno has the most up and down and inconsistent execution potentially, of anyone I've been blessed with crossing interweb paths. Dude can pen the best verse of the week or bottom 3 anytime out. Not sure which shows here, but knowing what I do in that he is also under the gun in composing a title match in the poetry league, I'd say this actually helps him. He will be in full stride while writing for this one.
Innovator 59%
Razah (1-1) vs. 2Triple0 (0-2)
[Split]
I have Razah in a bloodbath. 2trips has the possibility to upset given the situation where Razah writes a weak verse, and 2trips stays within his creative means.
2triple0 AKA Ribbit has mentioned that he hates when people use fancy/ unnecessarily indulgent vocabulary in their verses just to rhyme or seem poetic, but he himself needs to be wary of his diction and how he puts his lines together. However, his verse last week was a MASSIVE improvement and without a doubt the best writing I've seen from him. His writer's voice shone through in his writing for the first time, and I think one of the most important breakthroughs was his realistic and metered usage of vocabulary and descriptive language. Really great, and it moves him into a realm where he can truly benefit from other writers' critique. I really wish Certain was here to offer him up some sage advice.
Razah 80/20
[Adonis]
Razah is yet another name I am not familiar with aside from the two works submitted this season, one of which beat Buddha when he was dropping gold, so I guess I know Razah's level in a sense. At the very least I know his best, which is pretty damn good. 2K on the other hand is not an established vet at all. He is however growing each week, molding into something I hope I am around to see when that aging process is complete. In the past he has been known to write these farfetched, outlandish and just tough to follow dream-scape type theatricals that can blow your mind if you try to piece it all together. He is still struggling with simple proof reading, but last I saw him was developing this estranged talent to write with metaphors on a high level, hopefully you are still trying to hone that because it was a joy to read. Razah seems like he has a strong grasp on mechanics including not faltering, basically not shooting himself in the foot with a convoluted rhyme structure or a Looney-toon, head scraping odyssey. He seems consistent enough at a early stage in the season that I imagine he will be there in the end vying for a coveted playoff birth. Then again, at the rate we are going we just all may make it. WTF happened to YDK and the other 20 regulars to compete religiously?
Razah 63%
Mr. J (2-0) vs. UnbornBuddha (1-1)
[Split]
Dope matchup. Mr. J is also on a tear, he could put himself in a contender's match next week. UnbornBuddha impressed last week and was unfortunately no-showed, and was in one of the better match-ups in Week 1 when he lost to Razah. I could see this going either way, but have a feeling that Mr. J writes to his strengths when it counts and often emerges victorious in close battles by writing against his opponent's tendencies. Edge to Mr. J for competitive attitude.
Mr. J 65/35
[Adonis]
This is my early BOTW candidate. I have read many verses from each of you over the past few seasons you have competed alongside me. Not sure if you've ever faced, but if so I'm sure it was a good one. This is truly a clash of styles in my mind. While Buddha is a vast spring of depth gushing with knowledge, this can sometimes get him into a bit of trouble with the voters in that he is just too deep. MJ on the hand, I think the opposite of. He writes quick, reads quick rather, and usually comes with a direct approach to the topic in a literal sense using minimal tricks other then straight topical structure, less of a poetical fashion and more of a hip-hop execution. These two have been at, or near the top of the food change the past three seasons, I believe. However, never at the same time. Looking forward to this one. Where as Buddha will need to keep it a bit simpler, (notice a “TAD”) not so much as playing it safe just not over thinking by making the reader have to digest more then a mouthful. Jay may want to add some sort of a human element surrounding emotion or a short and to the point old school topical that leaves all of the fat trimmed off; which ironically is what I think you are best at, not personally, but in the league in general.
Split 50/50
[Power Ranks]
1. Ullr
Ullr's second week in the one-spot is ushered in with an unfortunate no-show victory. I rarely give the top spot to someone who was no-showed when someone with an equal record won their battle, however it is only Week 2, and the writer in the two spot just happens to have been no-showed in Week 1. Ullr is the man-to-be-beat at the moment, as demonstrated by Timeless's request to face him after getting demolished in their Week 1 matchup. Huge potential for a momentum gain by whoever wins that match. This, I believe, will only help Ullr build a reputation that will intimidate newcomers and demand respect from the old hands of the AOWL.
2. Mr. J
The logical choice for number two when you look at records, Mr. J has become a bit of a powerhouse. Honestly, I think the closeness of his battle last week was a bit absurd. He blew ribbit out of the water. He also has a no-show win from Week 1, a match-up I believe he would've won based on the high quality of his verse. Where he will be next week depends on the outcome of his match against UnbornBuddha, a dead ringer for BOTW.
3. Innovator
Innovator's win against the talented Razah puts him in the upper half of Season 5's competitors. His verses have not personally wow'd me yet, however his many past forays into the topical domain demonstrate his capacity for showmanship. When necessary, Innovator puts together killer pieces that see him into contender matches. His main flaw is his inability to force himself to write to a topic, extinguishing many of his championship runs & even causing him a Week 1 no-show loss. He also occasionally seems to underestimate his opponents. His success largely depends on luck with topics rather than momentum, a characteristic he'll have to shed if he'd like to make it to the 1-spot.
4. UnbornBuddha
Despite his last victory being a no-show win, Buddha has had nothing but strong verses this far into the season. No one really gave too many concrete reasons why he took an L against Razah in what was arguably the BOTW of Week 1, implying that Razah simply wrote a more satisfying verse. I'd say that UnbornBuddha's only flaw is a lack of presentation. He writes many lines in a story-like fashion, however unlike some (say, Frank) his verses often fail to capture the leagues attention unless in a strong matchup with another writer. I'd say that this is not because of his lack of a name at Netcees (many already hail him as Zygote's spiritual successor within our league) but rather because of his tendency to stray from risk, and generally decline to "wow" the audience. This was also a tactic employed by Zygote, which is why he essentially sneaked into many a champ match. However, Zygote also tended to write exactly enough to defeat his opponent and no more. His verses never seemed half-baked, because most of the effort went into the overall concept & backbone rather than fleshing out the execution, and that's all he neeeded. I feel as though Buddha is more invested in his verses, and that's both a strength and a weakness.
[explication]
An explication is an in-depth reading or analysis, in which something complicated is 'unfolded' or picked apart in a procedural way. This will be a little column that affords writers an opportunity to provide an honest breakdown of ANY matchup or verse (theirs included) to the degree that they want. No catches, except you might look like a dick if you're not careful.
I picked mine and Ullr's BA match that suddenly appeared in the AOWL for further voting.
Split 8 vs. Ullr
[Split]
Is it weird if I comment on my own matchup? If it's a Battle Arena verse, I have no qualms I guess, I'll keep it brief.
Good match dude, I enjoyed reading your approach on a tough topic that had me stumped for awhile. It seemed to be about mankind's societal decay, to the point that our own engineering work from the past is beyond our comprehension. One cool line was the bit about seeing reflections, understanding it must be water, and thanking the gods' for their gift--when it was humanity itself (their reflections) that provided for them.
I tried to write about how our incessant obsession with detail in the 21st century coincides with a certain degree of narcissism, our perceived worldliness comes with a generous helping of ignorance, and our inter-connectedness begets separation. I tried to associate the giant spheres in a the pictures as being our 'own little worlds', and the desolate background with a history of pollution and decay. The separation between the beauty we see and the ugliness that has flourished implies a strong disconnect with the method of how we perceive the world. Our need to perpetuate this charade means we create artificial monstrosities (those giant metal spheres) to persist in our barren environment, accelerating the disconnection between us and the Earth.
Anyways, I doubt anyone picked up on those silly intri***ies of my verse and perhaps misinterpreted Ullr's as well. I would say that Ullr slightly stumbled by changing direction mid-verse (the trial atop the sphere) and lost readers' attention. My verse wasn't necessarily more clear or successful in achieving its theme, it offered more visceral details and description that maybe meant more possible interpretations, e.g. a higher likelihood that voters would enjoy it at face value. It's sort of a quality I seek to embrace: having your verse mean something on a deeper level, but still be meaningful at a quick glance at the surface as well.
I think the main factor, however, in my taking the win would be that the BA voters just didn't want to dig into the verses. And Ullr's verse required digging.
Great match dude, hope we meet again.
[Outrospection]
[Split]
Dope verses everyone, good luck in this week! Matches are due TONIGHT (Tuesday) at 11:59 PM. Voting concludes TOMORROW, Wednesday, so if you want votes then post early! The show is official on the road! :D