A splash of humour or a clever surprise could go far with the judges of the 2015 Robert Burns Poetry Competition.
The ''greatest Scot'' and uncle of Dunedin founding father Dr Thomas Burns is commemorated annually in the city with, among other events, a poetry competition.
The judges for January's competition are poet and short-story writer Kay McKenzie-Cooke, of Dunedin, and University of Otago 2014 Robert Burns Fellow Majella Cullinane.
Ms Cullinane (39) says it is hard to say exactly what she will be looking for when judging entries, but that ''when you see it, you know it''.
A striking image that is carried through the poem, or the use of humour, might do the trick.
''Robert Burns was humorous ... So I'd encourage people with a good sense of humour not to be scared to enter a humorous poem,'' Ms Cullinane says.
Mrs McKenzie-Cooke (61) appreciates poetry that is given thought and effort.
''And I would like to be surprised,'' she says.
Burns, aka the Bard, died in 1796, aged 37.
During those years he became a renowned poet, pioneer of the Romantic literary movement, champion of egalitarianism and father to several children by five different women.
He is thought by some to have suffered from bipolar disorder.
In 2009, following a Scottish television-run public vote, Burns was named the greatest Scot of all time.
First held in 2003, the Burns Poetry Competition receives about 30 entries each year.
Entrants in the 2015 competition are given a lot of latitude: a poem of not more than 500 words, written in English or Scots, inspired by the life or works of Robert Burns.
Kay Mercer, who is co-ordinator of the Dunedin Public Libraries-run event, says entries can be, but do not have to be, in the style of Burns' poetry.
The competition has youth, unpublished and published poet categories.
Put pen to paper
Entries for the 2015 Robert Burns Poetry Competition open on Saturday and close on January 5, 2015. Winners will be announced on Burns' birthday, January 25.
First-placed entries will be published in the Otago Daily Times.
Entry forms are available from Dunedin Public Libraries and online at www.dunedinlibraries.govt.nz
