7th Annual Poetry Contest 2027
Eligibility
Open to students enrolled in grades 9–12 in public, private, or home schools in Washington, DC, and in Montgomery County and Prince Georges County, MD.
Prizes
$1,000 for 1st place; $750 for 2nd place; and $500 for 3rd place.
7 runners-up will receive $100 each.
Rules for the Contest
The contest will open December 1, 2026. Students may submit one or two original poems, each with a maximum of 25 lines, by March 25, 2027. Ten finalists will recite their poems from memory at the competition (Two alternates will be named as well). Judges will consider both the quality of the poem itself and the skill of the recitation in determining competition winners; recitations allow for an embodiment of the poem but do not treat it as dramatic monologue.
While Mr. McPherson loved the sonnet, poems for this competition may be in any fixed or shaping form, including free verse.
If you submit to this competition a poem that has been submitted or accepted for publication or contests elsewhere, you must disclose this information at the time of submission..
