Her Kind Poem Contest

To celebrate the opening of the Rural Oklahoma Museum of Poetry’s exhibit Her Kind: The Witch in History, Popular Culture and Poetry, ROMP, Locust Grove, is conducting a poetry contest with cash prizes. Winning poems will become a part of the exhibit.

TO ENTER, write your own creative poem with the subject matter and theme of “the witch.”

IMPORTANT: Judges will be looking for creative and innovative ways of writing about this topic, so do a bit of research and consideration, plus revising, to come up with an original observation about witches. You can write about a witch from history or popular culture, the witch in general, or a specific witch or person considered to be a witch.

Contest Guidelines:                    CASH PRIZES totaling $675

  1. Anyone in the U.S. is eligible to enter.
  2. Poems will be judged in 3 categories: Ages 8-12, Ages 13-17, Ages 18+
  3. Cash awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd will be given in each category.
  4. The maximum length for poems is 30 lines.
  5. Poems can be rhymed or unrhymed.
  6. One poem per person.
  7. Previous winning poems cannot be submitted again.
  8. A signed Entry Form or online form must be filled out and turned in with the poem.

Contest Evaluation Criteria:

Poems will be judged based on these criteria: imagery, creativity, language, and theme

To Submit:                   DEADLINE: Sept. 23, 2023

  1. Mail your poem with THIS entry form:
her-kind-contest-entry-formDownload

OR

  1. Submit your poem in the body of an email or as an attachment to ROMPoetry@gmail.com. You must include this information in the body of your email or you will not be entered in the contest:
    a. Name
    b. Full Mailing Address (include address or PO box, town and zip)
    c. Category: 8-12, 13-17, 18+
    d. Originality Confirmation: (include this sentence in your email): I confirm that the attached poem was written by me and is original to me.
    e. Complete Poem with Title

NOTE: Because of the number of entries and the time involved, you will not be notified when your entry is received. Please keep your own copy of your poem.

FOR TEACHERS: If you want to enter a group of student poems, you can send them all in the mail or in an email to us so that individual students do not have to send his/her poem in. Just make sure that each student has written the Originality sentence and included the other information above. THANKS!

Winners will be notified in advance of the event opening day (Oct. 21) when the winning poems will be read. You do not have to be present at the event to enter or win, but if you are, you will be asked to read your poem. Winners will be formally announced on Oct. 21 on this page and on Facebook on that day.

Questions? Email ROMPoetry@gmail.com.