I won!!!

[girlyswot]

*does excited little dance and beams out at everyone who voted*

I came second in the 'Members Choice' award and first in the 'Judges Choice'.

I've never won a writing competition before. I don't know what to do with myself.

Oh, and well done to tdu000      and dancinginmagic      for correctly identifying my story as 'Long Love's Day'. What would you like as a prize?

All the titles for my Lily/James stories are taken from 'To His Coy Mistress' by Andrew Marvell. 

Had we but world enough and time,
This coyness, lady, were no crime.
We would sit down and think which way
To walk, and pass our long love's day;
Thou by the Indian Ganges' side
Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide
Of Humber would complain. I would 
Love you ten years before the Flood;
And you should, if you please, refuse
Till the conversion of the Jews.
My vegetable love should grow
Vaster than empires, and more slow.
An hundred years should go to praise
Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;
Two hundred to adore each breast,
But thirty thousand to the rest;
An age at least to every part,
And the last age should show your heart.
For, lady, you deserve this state,
Nor would I love at lower rate.

But at my back I always hear
Time's winged chariot hurrying near;
And yonder all before us lie
Deserts of vast eternity.
Thy beauty shall no more be found,
Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound
My echoing song; then worms shall try
That long preserv'd virginity,
And your quaint honour turn to dust,
And into ashes all my lust.
The grave's a fine and private place,
But none I think do there embrace. 

Now therefore, while the youthful hue
Sits on thy skin like morning dew,
And while thy willing soul transpires
At every pore with instant fires,
Now let us sport us while we may;
And now, like am'rous birds of prey,
Rather at once our time devour,
Than languish in his slow-chapp'd power.
Let us roll all our strength, and all
Our sweetness, up into one ball;
And tear our pleasures with rough strife
Through the iron gates of life.
Thus, though we cannot make our sun
Stand still, yet we will make him run.



The urgency of love for those who are conscious of their immortality seemed an appropriate theme for these two. If I ever get round to writing the final story in the trilogy I have planned, it will be called 'To Make Our Sun Stand Still'

Comments

[moonette1.livejournal.com]

Congratulations, Ros! That's so wonderful!

[girlyswot.livejournal.com]

Thank you!!

[stmargarets.livejournal.com]

Squee! I'm so happy for you! Now that I know the story I can read and review!

[girlyswot.livejournal.com]

Thank you!! I'd love to know what you think of it.

[rhetoretician.livejournal.com]

Brava! Yay! (And I love that Marvell poem; always have.)

I've read only one or two of the stories in that competition (got turned off by one of them -- just too sappy); but now I'll read yours!


Ken

[girlyswot.livejournal.com]

Oh no - I hope mine's not too sappy!

I first came across the poem on a TV programme about a prince (clearly intended to be Prince William) at university. He was hopeless, but his bodyguard who had to attend the tutorials fell in love with English literature and particularly that poem. Which just goes to show that even bad TV can be educational!

[tdu000.livejournal.com]

I was right! I only read the Lily-James stories (as part of my detective work) and it was easily the best ot those. I was sure I'd picked the right one. Congratulations!

[girlyswot.livejournal.com]

You were indeed! Thanks for reading it and saying nice things about it.

[grandma-kate.livejournal.com]

I just read it again and think the judges chose well. Your Lily is delightful and the whole day was very romantic. James is a Keeper.

[girlyswot.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Kate. I'd certainly keep James if he sent me something so romantic!

[sibtrelawney.livejournal.com]

Congratulations!!!!!! I'm so happy for you. I knew it was a wonderful piece from the first page. Well done!!

[girlyswot.livejournal.com]

Thank you! And for your help in getting it ready to go.

[dogstar101.livejournal.com]

Yay! You won ... something? I don't go to Phoenix Song much :D Congrats!

I love that poem - did it for A-level. Second chapter of AfR is named after another Marvell poem.

[girlyswot.livejournal.com]

They had a Valentine's Day fic challenge.

I like Marvell too - see my reply to Ken's comment for the random way I was introduced to it! My English teacher told me that she thought I probably could do A-level, but that I'd hate every minute of it. I'm sure she was right when I was 16, but now I'd love to have the chance to study literature again. My PhD gives me some opportunity to study poetry (I'm writing on the Song of Songs) but not English poetry, obviously!

[tdu000.livejournal.com]

I didn't go past O'level (that shows my age!) with English but I did an English course at University a few years ago as part of my B.Ed. I loved it (and got a very high mark). I couldn't have done English at 18 but now I know I would really enjoy studying it for a degree.

[girlyswot.livejournal.com]

Hee hee. I was the first year of GCSE's and was quite disgruntled about it at the time. Now I kind of like the air of youth it gives me. O-levels sounds at least 10 years older, somehow!

[dancinginmagic.livejournal.com]

Yay!!!

I'm so glad you did well. Yours was easily the best out of the J/Ls, and of all of them I was tied between yours and a R/T. But yours was just so good, so you got my vote!

I think it was this line that clued me in:

‘Where would you like Cupid’s bow to aim, dearie?’ inquired the Fat Lady with a sly glance and a lascivious wink.

‘Up Cupid’s…’ muttered Lily under her breath.

[girlyswot.livejournal.com]

Hee hee. I liked that line too. Thanks so much for voting. I liked the Remus/Tonks story too - I thought it deserved to do better.

[peverell.livejournal.com]

How wonderful that poem is... I have an unexpected sense of familiarity with it and yet it's a long time since I studied English. Maybe lines were referenced in something I've read? Lord Peter Wimsey, perhaps, although his stray quotations should be sought first in Donne, according to his Harriet.

Well done on your prizes! :-)
Xia

[girlyswot.livejournal.com]

I don't remember it in Sayers, but it's possible - I'm sure there are lots of quotes in there that I still haven't spotted! Marvell is very similar to Donne in lots of ways, so I can see it fitting.

It's such a beautiful poem and it just seemed to fit Lily and James perfectly - his pursuit of her and the urgency of the world around them. I was so pleased when I spotted the phrase 'Long Love's Day' which was just exactly right for Lile's agonising Valentine's experience.