Poetry Nation
    •  
  • Search
  • Join Now
  • Login
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Publishing Info
    • About the Team
  • Rate Poems
    • Start Rating!
    • Rating Guidelines
    • Latest Poems
    • Top Poems
  • Contests
    • Enter Poetry Contest
    • Contest Winners
    • Contest Info and Rules
    • Contest Judging
  • Reference
    • Articles
    • Workshop
    • Glossary
    • Greatest Poems
    • Senior Spotlight
  • News
    • Cavalieri’s Corner
  • Store
  • User’s Top Poems
« Previous
Next »

Top to Bottom or Bottom to Top?

August 1, 2015

 Eleventh grade student Chanie Gorkin may soon experience her best day ever with her poem “Worst Day Ever?” which, in the past 24 hours, has just gone viral on social media. In England, the poem was posted on a bulletin board in a bar where it was photographed and then posted online. Many viewers felt compelled to “share” this inspirational verse, soon producing a domino effect. Although the poem was posted on several sites with no credit to the author, a UK reporter finally traced its authenticity back to Poetry Nation, where Chanie is a member and has her poem and bio posted. “Worst Day Ever?” was a semi-finalist in the July to December 2014 contest and was published by Poetry Nation’s sister company (Eber & Wein Publishing) in the collection Beyond the Sea: Odyssey.

The bulletin board posting, however, was not the only catalyst responsible for propelling this clever verse in front of a worldwide audience. “Shocked” was one of the first words out of Dena Gorkin’s mouth during her phone conversation with Poetry Nation president Rachel Eber. Little did she know that sharing her daughter’s poem with a few friends on Facebook would lead to this. “We are just regular, ordinary, quiet people,” said Dena, who unabashedly admits her very limited use of Facebook, as is evidenced by her “five-and-a-half friends.” Who would have guessed these few friends and their eagerness to share this poem would engender the poem’s social media fame and the millions of views it’s receiving every hour? 

Music and poetry oftentimes go hand in hand, and Chanie has an appreciation and talent for both. She enjoys the works of Shel Silverstein and other poets “whose styles include humor and clever twists.” And, ironically, this story has a humorous twist of its own, and one that Chanie would certainly appreciate—that is if she actually knew about the whirlwind of fame her poem is currently receiving. Yes, that’s right, she has no idea! With a chuckle, her mom explains to Eber that Chanie is away for the summer with no computer or internet. Her reaction, however, will most likely be low-key and modest, as she is not a fan of being in the limelight. She even requested that her mother not use her name with the poem when posting on Facebook. All shock aside, Dena is “glad that it’s having a positive effect on people.” 

Seeking out the positive in everything is a Chassidic belief by which Chanie and her family live. This Jewish family dwells in the Chassidic Community of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, where Chanie attends an all-girls high school. She is the fifth child of six and, according to mom, is not the only sibling with an affinity for writing. Chassidic philosophy stresses that the mind rules over the heart. God is good, and since He is the cause of everything, everything is essentially good. Looking for the good in all things creates positive energy and a good reality. This philosophy is an ever-present source of inspiration for Chanie and is the message hidden in “Worst Day Ever?” Like she says, “It all depends on how you look at it.”

Related

Category: Member Recognition
This entry was posted on Saturday, August 1st, 2015 at 12:00 am. Both comments and pings are currently closed.



Poetry Contest Poetry Contest

    RSS Web News

    • James Morehead to Serve Second Term as Poet Laureate for Dublin ... - OneDublin.org
    • Poet Ebony Stewart comes to Penn State for workshop, interactive ... - The Daily Collegian Online
    • 'What Poetry Can Do': US Poet Laureate Ada Limón speaks at Ole ... - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
    • A Brief But Spectacular take on the power of poetry - PBS NewsHour
    • Philly Art History: Celebrating 10 Years of Art At Elixr Coffee with ... - Streets Dept
    • The Arts Center calls all poets for Open Mic Night - Moultrie Observer
  • PUBLISH YOUR OWN BOOK OF POETRY

    You can publish your own book of poetry for as little as $350! Click here to learn how.

  • Editor’s Note

    The number one question our editors receive is—what do the editors and judges look for when judging the contest? The number one answer we give is creativity. Unlike prose, writing composed in everyday language, poetry is considered a creative art and requires a different type of effort and a certain level of depth. Of the thousands of poems entered in each contest, the ones that catch our judges’ eyes are the ones that remove us, even just slightly, from the scope of everyday life by using language that is interesting, specific, vivid, obscure, compelling, figurative, and so on. Oftentimes, poems are pulled aside for a second look based simply on certain words that intrigued the reader. So first and foremost, be sure your poetry is written using creative language. Take general ideas and make them personal. In his infamous book De/Compositions: 101 Good Poems Gone Wrong, W. D. Snodgrass imparts, “We cannot honestly discuss or represent our lives, any more than our poems, without using ideational language.”

  • © 2023 Poetry Nation
  • All Rights Reserved
  • Terms Of Use
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Return Policy