Missouri Poet Laureate Award for an Original Poem

The Missouri Poet Laureate Award was established by Walter Bargen, Missouri’s First Poet Laureate (2008-2010). Each school in Missouri may present one Missouri Poet Laureate Award each year for an original poem by one of its students. Each school will select its winning poem through an adjudicated display of poetry that is open to all students. It is recommended that the poetry display include an evening of student readings of their submitted poetry.

Original Poetry Guidelines

The purpose of Verses and Voices is to develop learning experiences that teach students to see, shape and share the creative meaning of words. This special and unique program integrates the creative arts through poetry.

Poetry submission will be a single poem.

Categories for Original Poetry

• Traditional forms (ballads, odes, sonnets, haikus, limericks, sonnets, etc.)
• Experimental forms
• Free verse

Elementary: Limited to 10-50 lines total per poetry submission.
Grades 7-8: Limited to 10-100 lines total per poetry submission.
Grades 9-12: Limited to 10-200 lines total per submission.

Download a PDF of these guidelines here.

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