Poetry Contests For 2021 - A List of Poetry Contests

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Share your poems, get feedback for your poetry, and enter poetry contests. All contests listed below are available to enter. Get feedback for every poem that you write including your poetry contest entries.

Poetry Contests

2-4-2 Poetry

Write a 2-4-2 syllable poem. It has three lines. The first line has 2 syllables, the second line has 4 syllables and the last line 2 syllables. The subject can be anything. Cash prize to this poetry contest winner.
Deadline: In 2 Days

5-7-5 Poetry

For this contest you are to write a short poem. It should have only three lines. But the structure is that of a Haiku. The first line has 5 syllables. The second line has 7 syllables. The third line has 5 syllables again. Write about anything. This poetry contest rewards a cash prize.
Deadline: In 4 Days

Acrostic Poetry Contest

Write an acrostic poem. An acrostic poem is a poem where the first letter of each line spells out a word. View an example in the announcement. Cash prize to this poetry contest winner.
Deadline: In 7 Days

Sonnet Poetry Contest

Just like Shakespeare did, discover the rhythm and rhyme scheme of the Shakespearean sonnet. Cash prize to this poetry contest winner.
Deadline: In 11 Days

Lune Poetry Contest

A Lune poem is a short and fun poetry form with only three lines. View the contest announcement for an example. Cash prize for the winning entry.
Deadline: In 17 Days

Minute

Write a Minute poem for this contest. A fun poem to write. It follows the "8,4,4,4" syllable count structure. This poetry contest rewards a cash prize.
Deadline: In 24 Days

Two Line Poem

Write an essence poem. This is a poem of two lines with six syllables per line, each containing an internal rhyme and an ending rhyme. See the announcement for an example. Cash prize to this poetry contest winner.
Deadline: In 31 Days

5-7-5 Poetry Contest

For this contest you are to write a short poem. It should only have three lines. But the structure is that of a Haiku. The first line has 5 syllables. The second line has 7 syllables. The third line has 5 syllables again. Write about anything. Cash prize for the winning entry.
Deadline: Jul 30th

Free Verse Poetry Contest

Write a free verse poem. This is a method of writing poetry that does not follow any structure or style. See an example and details in the announcement. Cash prize to this poetry contest winner.
Deadline: Aug 1st

Four Line Poem

Write a four line poem that has a specific syllable count. The first line has 1 syllable, the second line has 5 syllables, the third line has 5 syllables, and the last line 9 syllables. The subject can be anything. Cash prize for the winning entry.
Deadline: Aug 6th

5-7-5 Poem

For this contest you are to write a short poem. It should only have three lines. But the structure is that of a Haiku. The first line has 5 syllables. The second line has 7 syllables. The third line has 5 syllables again. Write about anything. Cash prize for the winning entry.
Deadline: Aug 16th

Faith Poetry Contest

The theme for this poetry contest is "faith". We are looking for poems that in some way pertain to this theme. It doesn't matter if it's spiritual, political, intellectual or emotional as long as faith is clearly represented. Cash prize to this poetry contest winner.
Deadline: Aug 26th

3 Line Poetry Contest

Write a poem that has three lines and a syllable count of either 5-7-5 or 5-7-7. The poem must address a loved one. This poetry contest rewards a cash prize.
Deadline: Aug 28th

Tanka Poetry Contest

For this contest you are challenged to write a Tanka poem. Tanka is a five line poem that follows a specific syllable count. See the announcement for an example. Cash prize to this poetry contest winner.
Deadline: Sep 2nd

15 Syllable Poem

For this contest you are to write a short poem. The poem should have exactly 15 syllables. You can structure it anyway you choose and choose the word count. But the total syllable count for the completed poem must have exactly 15 syllables total. Cash prize to this poetry contest winner.
Deadline: Sep 7th

5 Line Poem

Write a five-lined poem that has a specific syllable count to enter this contest. Cash prize for the winning entry.
Deadline: Sep 15th

Rhyming Poetry Contest

Write a poem of any type that has a rhyme. Cash prize for the winning entry.
Deadline: Sep 22nd

ABC Poetry Contest

For this contest you are challenged to write a ABC poem. ABC poetry has five lines and often is used to express feelings. See the announcement for an example. This poetry contest rewards a cash prize.
Deadline: Sep 30th

Haiku Poetry Contest

For this contest you are challenged to write a Haiku poem. Haiku is a form of poetry that only uses three lines. Can you paint a mental image using only three lines? This poetry contest rewards a cash prize.
Deadline: Oct 6th

6 Word Poetry

Write a poem with only 6 words. Cash prize to this poetry contest winner.
Deadline: Oct 11th

Cinquain Poetry

A cinquain poem is a five line poem that follows a specific format. Read the announcement for a sample poem. This poetry contest rewards a cash prize.
Deadline: Oct 16th

Love Poem Poetry Contest

Write a love poem. Your love poem can be fictional or non-fictional. It can be a humorous or a serious love poem. The choice is yours. Cash prize to this poetry contest winner.
Deadline: Oct 20th

One Line Poem

Write a monostich poem which is a poem that is only one line. Cash prize for the winning entry.
Deadline: Oct 28th

Halloween Poetry

For our Halloween poetry contest we are looking for poems that somehow capture the fun, horror or excitement of this time of the year. Cash prize for the winning entry.
Deadline: Oct 31st

3 Line Poetry Contest

For this contest you are to write a short poem. It should only have three lines. But the structure is that of a Haiku. The first line has 5 syllables. The second line has 7 syllables. The third line has 5 syllables again. Write about anything. Cash prize to this poetry contest winner.
Deadline: Nov 4th

Haiku

Can you write a poem with only three lines? Cash prize for the winning entry.
Deadline: Nov 10th

New Arrival Poetry

Write a 5-7-5 poem for this contest for new members to the site. A 5-7-5 poem is a three line poem. The first line has five syllables. The second line has seven. The third line has five again. This poetry contest rewards a cash prize.
Deadline: Nov 25th

Rhyming Poem

Write a poem of any type that has a rhyme. Cash prize to this poetry contest winner.
Deadline: Nov 30th

8 Words or Less Poem

Write a poem with eight words or less. Your poem must be concise and have impact. Can you do it? Cash prize to this poetry contest winner.
Deadline: Dec 2nd

Loop Poetry Contest

A fun poetry type that requires you to use the last word of each sentence as the starting word of the next sentence. Cash prize to this poetry contest winner.
Deadline: Dec 5th

My Faith Poetry

Share a poem that is about your faith or how faith has impacted your life. This poetry contest rewards a cash prize.
Deadline: Dec 10th

Haiku Poetry Contest

For this contest you are challenged to write a Haiku poem. Haiku is a form of poetry that only uses three lines. Can you paint a mental image using only three lines? Cash prize for the winning entry.
Deadline: Dec 20th

Christmas Poetry

Share a poem about Christmas. Cash prize for the winning entry.
Deadline: Dec 25th

Take A Photo Poetry

Go out for a walk and take a camera, smartphone or tablet with you. Snap a picture of something interesting and write a poem about it when you get home. Post the photo along with the poem. This poetry contest rewards a cash prize.
Deadline: Dec 30th

20 Syllable Poem

Write a poem that has exactly 20 syllables. Any format. This poetry contest rewards a cash prize.
Deadline: Jan 4th

3-6-9 Poem

This poem has three stanzas. Each stanza has three lines that follows the 3-6-9 syllable count. The first line has 3 syllables, the second line has 6 syllables and the last line 9 syllables. The subject can be anything. Cash prize to this poetry contest winner.
Deadline: Jan 10th

5-7-5 Poetry Contest

For this contest you are to write a short poem. It should only have three lines. But the structure is that of a Haiku. The first line has 5 syllables. The second line has 7 syllables. The third line has 5 syllables again. Write about anything. Cash prize to this poetry contest winner.
Deadline: Jan 17th

Nonet Poetry Contest

Write a nine line poem for this poetry contest. But you must count syllables. The first line of your poem will have 9 syllables. The second line has 8 syllables and the 7th line has seven. This continues until your final line which has one syllable. This poetry contest rewards a cash prize.
Deadline: Jan 26th

Share A Story In A Poem

In this contest you are challenged to write a poem that tells a story and also rhymes. We've included examples of this type of poetry storytelling in the announcement. This poetry contest rewards a cash prize.
Deadline: Jan 29th



How It Works

Get started here. You'll get feedback for everything you write including your poetry contests entries. Enter these free poetry contests with cash prizes. All contests are free to enter with upgraded membership. You'll get feedback for every contest submission and for anything you write. You will be ranked. Write and see how the feedback you receive impacts your rank. Since the year 2000 we have been helping writers improve their poetry writing skills.

To enter a poetry contest simply click on the name of the contest. Enter all the details including the title of your poem, the description and the body of your poem. We recommend reading the contest rules first. Some contests have a specific topic or require that your poem follow a specified syllable count. You will get feedback for your poem after it is entered. This is something that may be pointed out in that feedback. You can also edit your poem at anytime prior to the contest deadline so we generally recommend that you enter the poetry contest prior to the deadline. Give your poem time to get feedback and you can make improvements prior to the judging of the contest.

We do update this listing daily. And every day we have a writing prompt which often including a new poetry contest. Looking for something else? You can see our full listing of contests on our writing contests page.