NOTE: Winners and rankings now available here: https://www.classicalpoets.org/winners-and-rankings-of-the-great-american-poetry-competition/
In partnership with the White House’s Freedom 250 initiative.
Submit
Email a poem in celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary to [email protected]. You may list a prize category, but you do not have to; we will put you in the best fit. These are ideas for what you might write about (however, it is entirely up to you, the poet):
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- A great American hero
- An important story or event in American history
- A piece of quintessential American culture
- The indomitable American spirit
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Altogether, the poem should be no longer than 130 lines. First click here to pay the submission fee, then email as a Word file or in the email body to [email protected]. Poets are strongly encouraged to use meter in keeping with the SCP’s mission to revive traditional poetry (beginners and high school students may simply count syllables). Rhyme and other traditional techniques are encouraged as well, but optional. To learn how to write poetry with meter, see a brief beginner’s guide on common iambic meter here or a more elaborate beginner’s guide to many kinds of meter here. See a guide to poetry forms here.
You may pay up to $100 and send in up to five separate submissions.
AI NOTE: The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to write a poem is not permitted. Submissions may be checked for AI content.
High School students: There is no submission fee for you. However, you must include your grade, school name, and school city on the submission.
You may alternatively mail a check made out to the Society of Classical Poets to Evan Mantyk, Society of Classical Poets. Email [email protected] for mailing address.
Submission Fee
$20
Deadline:
July 4, 2026, 11:59 p.m. EST. Winners announced July 18, 2026 on the Society’s homepage and social media.
Judges:
Andrew Benson Brown
Joseph Bottum
Margaret Coats
Evan Mantyk
Arthur Mortensen
Joshua Philipp
Mark F. Stone
Read about the Competition Judges here.
Henry Longfellow Ode & Ballad Grand Prize
$1,500.
(Including all celebratory poems, not necessarily in strict ode or ballad form)
Ogden Nash Satire & Light Verse Prize
$1,000.
Robert Frost Sonnet Prize
$500.
5 Finalist Prizes
$250 each.
Freedom 250 High School Prize
$500.
(All prize-winning poems will be published
by the Society of Classical Poets in print and online.)
Who May Participate?
Anyone may enter. You do not need to be a Member of the Society.
For the high school competition, you must be under 21 years old to participate. You must include your grade, school name, and school city on the submission. There is no submission fee for high school students.
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Additional Details
Poems may be previously published. Simultaneous submissions are accepted.
No one is prohibited from participating, except judges. You do not have to be a Member of the SCP to participate.
You will retain ownership of your submitted poetry. By submitting it to the Society for publication or for inclusion in the contest, should it rank among winners or receive an honorable mention, you give the Society permission to publish it online on this website, in the Society of Classical Poets Journal, and in publications promoting the SCP’s mission or this annual contest, but the SCP would not be able to sell your individual poem on its own or have any further rights over it beyond these purposes. You could publish it anywhere else or sell it to any publication as desired.
You can enter up to five poems, each poem not exceeding 130 lines. Each poem submitted requires the standard entry fee of $20.
Optional video discusses odes, ballads, light verse, satire, and more:
Poetry Writing Resources
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- A Simple Guide to Forms and Examples from the Society of Classical Poets
- “Freeware Prosody” by Expansive Poetry Online
- How to Write Classical Poetry by the Society of Classical Poets
- The Prosody Handbook: A Guide to Poetic Form by Robert Beum and Karl Shapiro
- Writing Metrical Poetry by William Baer
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May I ask whether, by the above prize categories, we may assume that winning poems will be in one of the named forms or styles (ode, ballad, satire, light verse, sonnet)?
Dear Cynthia,
The main point is to celebrate America, so any poem that does that in some way or another is in the running for a prize.
We have three major categories and a high school category as well. Obviously a sonnet will win the sonnet prize. Light verse and satire generally refers to a poem that will make you laugh or is just simply fun. The ode and ballad category is quite broad and would apply to any poem celebrating America. You can do a strict ode or ballad form, but it is not required. In a broad sense, an ode is a homage to something, so all entries are an ode to the 250th anniversary of America.
–Evan Mantyk
SCP Editor
Thank you, Evan.
My poem is years old. It was written by my late son in High School. It is on printed paper and it is very beautiful. I think you will be impressed. I don’t think I have a digital copy. It is a short poem measuring about 4×6 inches. May I mail it in? It is about the American flag.
Claudia,
Are you able to take a picture of the poem with your phone? Then you could upload the picture to email and send it to [email protected]. I can type it out and forward it to the other judges.
Thanks very much,
Andrew
How do you count the lines for this contest? Also, do you count commas and question marks, or should we leave those out? Thank you.
I tend to write on the lengthy side, and would hate to be over by a line or two.
How do you count the lines for this competition? I write on the lengthy side and I wanna make sure I don’t go over by any lines.
Thank you kindly.
Scott
A line of poetry is just equivalent to one line of text in a word document, minus the title. Punctuation marks are considered part of the line.
Thank you, Andrew, I appreciate the response. Forgive the accidental double post, I had not seen the first one post.
Can I send in a screenshot of my poem? I don’t have access to word in order to send it in in word format?
I believe they say in the rules, you can just past it in the body of the email.
Is it allowable for a poem that has been published at the SCP (and commented on in the discussion thread) prior to the judging of this contest to be submitted for a prize? In other words, if a poem has already appeared at the SCP prior to the July 4 deadline, is it eligible for submission?
Yes, it is eligible.
I’ve submitted several poems through different emails, and to most of them I have received a confirmation reply, but not to the last one (from 6-11-26). How do I know that my poem was received?
Dear Iryna Hall,
Please email [email protected] if this has not been resolved.
Kind regards,
Evan Mantyk
A couple questions: 1) What information should be on the document, besides the poem itself. That is, should the top of the page have the poet’s name, or not? Should there be an email address, phone number, mailing address? 2) Since the payment form is separate from the poem that is emailed, it seems the only way you will be able to match the payment and the poem is if the names are identical on both. Is that correct? Thank you!
1. There is no requirement except the poem itself and it will be assumed that the sender is the poet. If the sender is not, then some indication of that difference is required.
2. If there is any difference between who paid and the poet, that should be indicated. Thank you, that’s a good question.
is teamwork allowed?
Dear Lyle Miller, only one poet’s name can appear on the poem that is submitted.
Regards,
-Evan Mantyk
Hi!
Is a line of context allowed? My poem is a play on another poem of a famous american poet, thought the poem’s line itself may not be immediately known to the judges/audience. Also to be clear, free verse is allowed?
Lastly, if I’m under 21 and in college, does the fee waiver apply?
Dear Tejasvi Venkat,
Yes a line of context is allowed. Any verse may be submitted, including free verse. Yes, you would qualify for the high school prize category. To compete for other prizes you would need to pay the entry fee.
Kind regards,
Evan Mantyk
I will be sending a check via the post. Thank you for sending me the proper information.
I’ve never purchased anything online or never done anything like this. I paid the $20 fee with my debit card but how do I submit the actual poetry?
By email. [email protected]
How do you know if your poem for the Great American Poetry Competition has been received. We have not received any confirmation, yet our payment has been processed.
Dear Scott,
Yours was received. We send confirmation emails. However, it seems they do not go through to mac addresses.
Contact [email protected] if you have any questions.
Kind regards,
Evan Mantyk
I have not heard anything about my entry. You can tell me. It’s okay. I can take victory without gloating.
Hi! I have a couple quick questions.
As a highschooler am I allowed to enter both the highschool category for free and then pay the submission fee to enter the Ode and Ballads category or are we only allowed to enter once? I am concerned that if i pay the fee to enter in the ode and ballad category, when they see that I’m a highschooler they will move me automatically to the highschool category and my fee and desire to enter the ode and ballad contest will be wasted. Please advise Also the instructions said highschoolers were supposed to say their grade, school name, and school city in the submission. Do I put that in the email I send containing the poem? Thanks!
Dear Christie,
Yes, when you send your poem or poems, just indicate that you want to compete for both and that you paid the entry fee. Yes, put your info in the email.
Regards,
Evan Mantyk
Okay great, thank you!
Hi!
I emailed 3 poems today in separate emails. I received a confirmation for the first one, but not for the other two.
Will I receive confirmations for the two remaining emails, or should I follow up with someone?
Thanks!
I submitted a poem in the body of an email, and not in a word document, is that acceptable? Thank you!
That’s fine.