COMMENTS FROM CONTEST JUDGE MARIE KANE:

"Chatter Box" is a fun poem to read-especially aloud; its use of onomatopoeia, rhyme, repetition, and alliteration make this poem a clear winner.

In seven lines, this poet cleverly describes his brother's active play day, although the writer appropriately waits till the end of the poem to introduce the brother and explain the reason for the toys and their sounds. The perfect title, "Chatter Box," is a skillful take on the phrase for a talkative person; in this poem, the term refers to the speaker's brother and the vivid noises he makes while playing.

The poem's opening line, "Vroom, vroom races around the room," immediately captured my attention. Its use of the four poetic devices listed above would challenge many an older poet. The second line also captivates: "The bobbing blue boat bumps the block"; the use of alliteration makes this line not only enjoyable to say, but also reveals the poet's originality with the 'b' and 'bl' repetitive sounds.

The writer moves onto the letter 'c' in the next two lines:

Crash, bam goes the helicopter.
Cling, cling battle the figures.

Again, sound moves the action of the poem and gives the reader a vivid picture; also note the use of the noun "battle" as an inventive verb.

Next, the writer repetitively types the letter 'm' to describe the sound his brother makes to mimic the loud noise of a motorcycle:
"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm makes the motorcycle move." One can hear the sound while visualizing his brother 'moving' the toy motorcycle with the use of alliterative 'm'.

At the end of the poem, the writer informs us how much his brother enjoys his play: "Giggle, giggle goes my brother / All in a day of play." With the marvelous structure of this line in its repetition, rhyme, and use of sound in "giggle," the poet equates his brother to the very toys he plays with.

This satisfactory poem moves fast, as it should, and gives great pleasure in its reading.

Thank you for the privilege of reading your work!

Marie Kane
Final Judge, Sarah Mook Poetry Contest
engmrk@aol.com