OK, OK… We're late getting this year's ActionScript Poetry candidates wrapped up and prepared for judging, but at last, here they are! You have less than two week's to cast your vote for a winner in this year's ActionScript Poetry Contest.

Without further ado, let us introduce — in no particular order — the finalists among this year's selection of literary wonders from the world of ActionScript Programming (Lost? See this post for rules and guidelines, or check out last year's entries for a little history.):

First, let's contemplate Satori Canton's poetic comparison between a summer's day and thee:

// Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
// by William Shakespeare
// ported to ActionScript by Satori Canton
//
// Original poem can be viewed at:
// http://plagiari...com/poetry/915/ 

var summer:Object = {};
var thee:Object = {};

summer.name = "Summer Day";
thee.name = "Thee";

summer.lovelyness = 9;
thee.lovelyness = 10;

summer.temperature = 98;
thee.temperature = 98.6;

summer.lease = new Date(2006, 7, 31).getTime()
     -new Date(2006, 5, 1).getTime();
thee.lease = new Date(2042, 6, 12).getTime()
     -new Date(1970, 8, 25).getTime();

summer.complexion = 0xFFCC33;
thee.complexion = 0xFFCCCC;

summer.fair = 10;
thee.fair = 10;

summer.getValue = function():Number  {
	return --this.fair;
};
thee.getValue = function():Number  {
	return this.fair;
};

summer.incrementTime = function():Number  {
	return --this.lease;
};
thee.incrementTime = function():Number  {
	return this.lease;
};

var man:Object = {};
man.hasEyes = true;
man.canBreath = true;
man.lease = 10000;
man.liveLong = function():Void  {
	this.lease++;
};
man.giveLife = function(o:Object):Void  {
	o.lease++;
	trace(o.name+" is given life");
};
man.compare = function(o1:Object, o2:Object):Void  {
	if (this.canBreathe && this.hasEyes) {
		this.liveLong();
		var n1:Number = 0;
		var n2:Number = 0;
		var o1isBetter:Boolean;
		for (var i in o1) {
			if (typeof (o1[i]) == "function") {
				o1isBetter = o1[i]()>o2[i]() ? true : false;
			} else {
				o1isBetter = o1[i]>o2[i] ? true : false;
			}
			if (o1isBetter) {
				trace(i);
			}
			n1 += Number(o1isBetter);
			n2 += Number(!o1isBetter);
		}
		this.giveLife(n1>n2 ? o1 : o2);
	}
};

man.compare(summer, thee);

And our next contestant brings us a translation of the the Ogden Nash classic, "Reflections on Ice-Breaking," concerning the relative merits of liquor over candy:

/* http://www.west...e-breaking.html */
class OgdenNash {

	private static var DANDY:Number = 500000;
	private static var QUICKER:Number = 50;
	private var candy:Number;
	private var liquor:Number;

	function OgdenNash() {
		candy = getCandy();
		liquor = getLiquor();
	}

	private function getCandy():Number {
		var i:Number;
		for (i=0; i < dandy ; i++) {
			// wait...
		}
		return DANDY;
	}

	private function getLiquor():Number {
		for (i=0; i < QUICKER; i++) {
			// wait...
		}
		return QUICKER;
	}
}

Thirsty for more? Have no fear: Stuart Bray brings us the ActionScript equivalent of Rudyard Kipling's classic poem, "If."

function if(you){
 /* "IF" by Rudyard Kipling,
 Actionscript translation by Stuart Bray (www.snappyfingers.co.uk)
 */
 If(you.head.owner == you && you.allAbout.head.owner == null{
  if(you.trust(you) && allMen.doubt(you)){
   if(you.wait() && you.tired == false){
    if(you.canDream && you.Master != Dreams){
     if(you.meetWith("Triumph","Disaster"){
      if(you.winnings > 0 && (Math.random()*pitchAndToss  0){
        if(you.force(you.heart, you.nerve, you.sinew).time > you.life.time){
         if(you.unforgivingMinute.fill(60, "seconds", distanceRun)){
          earth.belongsTo = you
          earth.everythingInIt.belongsTo = you
          you.aMan = true
          you.mySon = true
         }else{
          earth.belongsTo = null
          earth.everythingInIt.belongsTo = null
          you.aMan = false
          you.mySon = false
         }
        }
       }
      }
     }
    }
   }
  }
 }
}

And now we come to our final entry in this year's contest: Carlos Nazareno's rendition of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "How Do I Love Thee?"

/*
Gotten from

http://www.obje...oILoveThee.html

How Do I Love Thee?
a poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

ported to ActionScript by Carlos Nazareno
for The 2006 Actionscript Poetry Contest

Original poem can be viewed at:

http://www.poet...i_love_thee.htm

*/

var howDoILoveThee:Object = newObject;
howDoILoveThee.ways = new Number();

var iLoveThee:Number;

var maxMovieclipDepth:Number = 1048575;
var maxBitmapWidth:Number = 2880;
var maxBitmapHeight:Number = 2880;
var maxFlashLoops:Number = 200000;

var Being:Number = maxFlashLoops/2;
var idealGrace:Number = maxFlashLoops/2;

var feeling:Number = Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY;
var sight:Number = Number.MAX_VALUE;

var Praise:Number = 0;
var freely:Number = 1;
var purely:Number = 1;

var oldGriefs:Object = new Object();
oldGriefs.passion = new Object();

var childhood:Object = new Object();

childhood.faith = new Object();
var myLostSaints:Object = new Object();
var allMyLife:Object = new Object();
allMyLife.breath = new Object();
allMyLife.Smiles = new Object();
allMyLife.tears = new Object();
var death:Boolean = false;

this.createEmptyMovieClip("mySoulReach", this.getNextHighestDepth());
this.createEmptyMovieClip("sun", this.getNextHighestDepth());
this.createEmptyMovieClip("candlelight", this.getNextHighestDepth());
this.createEmptyMovieClip("man", this.getNextHighestDepth());

var i:Number = 0;

howDoILoveThee.ways = 0;

if (feeling > sight) {
  for (i=0; i < (Being + idealGrace); i++) {
   mySoulReach.swapDepths(maxMovieclipDepth);
   iLoveThee = mySoulReach.getDepth();
   howDoILoveThee.ways ++;

   mySoulReach._width = maxBitmapWidth;
   iLoveThee = mySoulReach._width;
   howDoILoveThee.ways ++;

   mySoulReach._height = maxBitmapHeight;
   iLoveThee = mySoulReach._height;
   howDoILoveThee.ways ++;
  }
}

with(sun) {
  this.createEmptyMovieClip("everyday", this.getNextHighestDepth());
  everyday.createEmptyMovieClip("mostQuietNeed", everyday.getNextHighestDepth());

  iLoveThee = everyday.mostQuietNeed.getDepth();
}
howDoILoveThee.ways ++;

with(candlelight) {
  this.createEmptyMovieClip("everyday", this.getNextHighestDepth());
  everyday.createEmptyMovieClip("mostQuietNeed", everyday.getNextHighestDepth());

  iLoveThee = everyday.mostQuietNeed.getDepth();
}
howDoILoveThee.ways ++;

man.strive = function():Void {
  iLoveThee = freely;
  this._x += 1;
}
howDoILoveThee.ways ++;

man.turn = function():Void {
  iLoveThee = purely;
  if (this._rotation < (Praise + 180) % 360)
  {
   this._rotation ++;
  }
}
howDoILoveThee.ways ++;

with (oldGriefs.passion) {
  var iLoveThee:Boolean = true;
}
howDoILoveThee.ways ++;

with (childhood.faith) {
  var iLoveThee:Boolean = true;
}
howDoILoveThee.ways ++;

with(myLostSaints) {
  //var loveLost:Boolean = true;
  var iLoveThee:Boolean = True;
}
howDoILoveThee.ways ++;

with (allMyLife.breath) {
  var iLoveThee:Boolean = true;
}
howDoILoveThee.ways ++;

with (allMyLife.Smiles) {
  var iLoveThee:Boolean = true;
}
howDoILoveThee.ways ++;

with (allMyLife.tears) {
  var iLoveThee:Boolean = true;
}
howDoILoveThee.ways ++;

if (GodChoose) {
  if (death) {
   iLoveThee ++;
  }
}
howDoILoveThee.ways ++;

trace("I love thee " + howDoILoveThee.ways + " ways."); 

OK, so there you have it. The competition is indeed stiff this year (and we've noticed a lot more ActionScript 2.0 finding it's way into the language, too), but the world awaits your decision (That's right, the winner gets a T-shirt!). Cast your vote below, and feel free to elaborate and/or elucidate on your decision in the comments section, too. Voting will continue through April 15, and the winner will be officially announced on Tax Day, April 17.

Enjoy!

Voting has ended for this competition. The results are as follows:

---

• Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?: 10% (6)
• Reflections on Ice-Breaking: 5% (3)
• How Do I Love Thee?: 78% (45)
• If: 7% (4)

Total Votes : 58