2026 poetry contests you can enter. Updated daily with cash prizes. Click a contest name to view details.
Write a free verse poem that does not follow a fixed structure, rhyme scheme, or syllable pattern. Let natural rhythm, imagery, and personal voice guide the flow of your lines. Focus on expression and meaning rather than formal constraints.
Write a playful poem designed to make a child smile. Use lighthearted imagery, simple language, and a sense of wonder or surprise. Whether whimsical, silly, or gently magical, let the tone feel warm, bright, and fun.
Write a poem that reflects on how faith has influenced your life. Explore moments of guidance, doubt, strength, gratitude, or growth through honest language and personal insight. Any poetic style is welcome, but let sincerity and emotion shape the piece.
Show what life looked like before and what it looks like now. This poetry contest requires two equal sections that reveal the shift.
Write a love poem in any tone or style you prefer. It may be fictional or drawn from personal experience, lighthearted or deeply sincere. Focus on emotion, connection, and vivid detail as you explore what love means to you.
Write a poem that captures the quiet beauty of an ordinary day. Focus on small details, simple routines, and subtle observations rather than dramatic events. Let everyday moments reveal depth, rhythm, and meaning through careful imagery and reflection.
Write a poem addressed to someone you care about using a clearly defined syllable pattern of your choice. Maintain the selected structure consistently throughout the piece. Rhyme is optional, but focus on heartfelt emotion, vivid detail, and deliberate word choice within the set form.
Write a poem in any style you prefer, from structured rhyme to open free verse. There are no formal constraints on length, meter, or pattern. Focus on clear imagery, voice, and emotional impact as you develop your theme.
Write a free verse poem without any required structure, rhyme scheme, or syllable pattern. Let natural rhythm, imagery, and emotion guide the flow of your lines. Focus on strong language and intentional line breaks to shape the meaning of the piece.
Write a romance poem in any style you choose. Explore connection, desire, vulnerability, devotion, or longing through vivid imagery and sincere emotion. Let tone and voice shape the mood, whether tender, passionate, playful, or bittersweet.
Write a free verse poem that explores the feeling of loneliness in no more than fifteen lines. Focus on imagery, tone, and emotional honesty rather than rhyme or fixed meter. Let line breaks and pacing reflect the isolation or longing at the heart of the piece.
Write a poem in any form that features a clear rhyme pattern. You may choose couplets, alternating lines, or another consistent scheme. Let the repetition of sound strengthen the rhythm and enhance the meaning of your piece.
Write a haiku that follows the traditional 5-7-5 syllable structure. Focus on a clear image from nature or a single moment in time. Use simple, precise language and allow the final line to offer a subtle shift or reflection.
Write a monostich poem made up of a single line. Use precise language and strong imagery to create impact within that one uninterrupted sentence or phrase.
Write a short poem that follows the traditional 5-7-5 syllable pattern. Focus on a single image, mood, or moment. Keep the language concise and let the final line offer a subtle shift or reflection.
Write a poem that tells a brief narrative using two 5-7-5 syllable stanzas. Let the first stanza establish the scene or conflict, and use the second to develop or resolve it. Maintain the exact syllable pattern in each line while creating a clear sense of progression.
Write a poem in which every line consists of a single word. Use line breaks, pacing, and word choice to build meaning and emotion. Let the vertical structure shape the rhythm and impact of the piece.
Write a five line poem that follows a clearly defined syllable pattern. Choose a specific count for each line and maintain it consistently throughout the poem. Focus on rhythm, balance, and precise word choice to meet the structural requirement.
Write a poem that follows a clear rhyme scheme. You may choose any pattern, such as AABB, ABAB, or another consistent structure, but maintain the rhyme throughout. Let the repetition of sound enhance the rhythm and meaning of your lines.
Write a three line poem that follows the 5-7-5 syllable format. Keep the imagery focused and concise, allowing each line to build naturally. Aim for clarity, balance, and a subtle shift or insight in the closing line while maintaining the exact syllable count.
Write a poem using sixteen words or fewer. Choose your language carefully and focus on a single image, emotion, or idea. Let brevity strengthen the impact of each word.
Write a poem in free form on any subject you choose. Do not follow a fixed rhyme scheme or syllable pattern. Let natural rhythm, imagery, and emotion guide the structure and shape of your lines.
Write a poem that contains exactly 20 syllables in total. You may choose any structure or number of lines, but the combined syllable count must equal twenty. Focus on precision, rhythm, and strong word choice to create impact within the tight limit.
Write a three line poem that follows the traditional 5-7-5 syllable pattern. Focus on a single image or moment, using concise language and vivid detail. Let the final line offer a subtle shift, reflection, or contrast while maintaining the exact syllable count.
Write a three line poem that follows a 3-6-9 syllable structure. Let the brief opening line introduce an image or idea, expand it in the second line, and complete the thought with a fuller expression in the nine syllable closing line.
Write a poem in which every line contains exactly nine syllables. You may choose any number of lines and any style, but maintain the consistent syllable count throughout. Focus on rhythm, clarity, and deliberate word choice to meet the structural requirement.
Write a three line poem that follows a 2-4-2 syllable pattern. Use the short structure to create a sharp image or clear emotion. Keep the language simple and precise while maintaining the exact syllable count in each line.
Write a poem that follows the classic 5-7-5 syllable structure. Keep the imagery focused and concise, allowing each line to build naturally on the last. Aim for clarity, balance, and emotional impact within the traditional three line format.
Write a free verse poem without a fixed rhyme scheme or meter. Let natural rhythm, imagery, and emotion guide the structure. Focus on strong language and intentional line breaks to shape the flow of the piece.
Write an acrostic poem in which the first letter of each line spells out a chosen word when read vertically. Select a word that connects to your theme, and let each line expand on its meaning through imagery, tone, or reflection.
Write a poem that reflects on the good old days as you remember them. Use sensory details, personal moments, and honest emotion to capture what made that time meaningful. Let nostalgia, warmth, or even bittersweet reflection shape the tone of your piece.
Write a poem modeled after a Shakespearean sonnet. Use fourteen lines written in iambic pentameter with a traditional rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Develop a central theme, allow it to evolve through the quatrains, and conclude with a couplet that offers insight or resolution.
Write a five line ABC poem in which each line begins with the next consecutive letter of the alphabet. Let the sequence shape your structure while developing a clear image, idea, or mood across the five lines.
Write a three line Lune poem following the 3-5-3 syllable pattern. Keep the language simple and image driven, allowing the brief structure to capture a clear moment or sharp emotional impression.
Write a three line poem that follows the traditional 5-7-5 syllable pattern. Focus on clear imagery and a single moment or idea. Let the first line introduce the scene, the second expand it, and the final line offer a subtle shift or reflection while keeping to the exact syllable count.
Choose a single emotion and write a poem centered on it. Whether you select joy, grief, anger, hope, envy, or another feeling, use imagery, tone, and voice to explore its depth and complexity in any poetic form you prefer.
Write a two line poem with exactly six syllables in each line. Keep the language tight and intentional, allowing the short form to carry clear imagery or emotion within the balanced structure.
Write a four line poem that follows an 8-4-4-4 syllable structure. Establish a clear image or idea in the opening line, then support or contrast it in the shorter lines that follow while keeping to the exact syllable pattern.
Write a four line poem that follows a 1-5-5-9 syllable pattern. Let the brief opening line set the tone, then build imagery or emotion across the remaining lines while carefully maintaining the required syllable count.
Write a poem that contains exactly 15 syllables in total. You may choose any structure or line breaks, but the combined syllable count must equal fifteen. Focus on precision and impact within the tight constraint.
Write a poem that focuses on a woman as the central figure. Explore her voice, resilience, vulnerability, strength, or everyday moments. Use vivid detail and emotion to bring her character fully to life.
Write a poem that centers on a man as the subject. Explore his character, history, strengths, flaws, or quiet moments. Use imagery and detail to reveal who he is beyond the surface.
Write a poem in any style centered on the theme of betrayal. Explore broken trust, hidden motives, shifting loyalties, or quiet disappointment. Use imagery, tone, and voice to reveal the emotional impact of trust undone.
Write a five line Tanka poem that follows the traditional 5-7-5-7-7 syllable pattern. Focus on imagery, emotion, and a shift in thought between the upper and lower lines. Let the final two lines deepen or expand the meaning introduced at the start.
Write a free verse poem centered on love. Explore connection, longing, tenderness, or heartbreak without the constraints of rhyme or strict meter. Let natural rhythm and honest emotion shape the flow of your lines.
Write a poem that reflects your personal faith. Express belief, doubt, gratitude, struggle, or hope through imagery and emotion. Let your voice guide the piece as you explore what faith means in your life.
Write a poem inspired by a photograph. Let the image guide your mood, tone, and details as you translate what you see into vivid language. Focus on atmosphere, emotion, and the story hinted at within the frame.
Compose a three line poem that follows a 5-7-5 syllable pattern. Focus on vivid imagery and concise language to create impact within the traditional structure. Let each line build naturally on the last while staying true to the required syllable count.
Write a poem in any style or length that explores the theme of temptation. Examine desire, inner conflict, moral struggle, curiosity, or the pull of something just out of reach. Use imagery, tone, and voice to reveal the tension between longing and restraint.
Poetry contests are carefully reviewed by our staff to help ensure that only the very best make it to our website. We understand and appreciate that entering poetry contests is often a leap of faith. Our goal is to provide poetry competitions from reputable companies. These companies provide a panel of judges to review submissions. Winners are announced shortly after the deadline is reached. Deadlines are firm and do not change.
Many poetry contests have strict line or syllable requirements. For example, a 5-7-5 contest requires exactly that syllable structure. Always follow the specified format.
The poetry contests listed contain clear guidelines on what type of poem is accepted. Some free poetry contests may require a specific form such as a haiku, sonnet, or rhyming poem. Others may be open to free verse. Pay close attention to syllable counts, line requirements, rhyme schemes, deadlines, and formatting instructions before submitting.
For open-form poetry contests without a required structure, clarity and impact are more important than length. Judges are reviewing poems carefully, so make sure your entry follows the stated guidelines.
If you have questions about the types of poetry that are listed here view our poetry types page.
Have fun with the free poetry contests. Experiment with different styles. Try new forms. Whether you win or not, growth as a poet and the experience of sharing your work are the real rewards. Enjoy writing.