INDIANA – Poetry Ourselves is a statewide original poetry competition for students in grades 9-12. Whether writing lyrics to music or writing sonnets about nature, young people have important things to say. The Indiana Arts Commission seeks to celebrate young voices and youth poetry through its Poetry Ourselves program.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Students in grades 9-12 in Indiana
- One poem per student
Students have the option to submit either a written poem or a recording of a spoken-word poem. Poems will be judged by a panel of qualified professional poets, writers, and field experts. Cash prizes are available to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in both the written and spoken word categories.
Poetry Ourselves Indiana program reserves the right to not consider poems that involve hate speech, pornographic imagery, or other elements deemed inappropriate. Any poems that are not original or are plagiarized will be disqualified.
Review Process
Poems will be judged by a panel of qualified professional poets, writers, and field experts. Poems will be judged on the criteria:
- Creativity – the extent to which the poem is creative and provokes thinking in its reader.
- Poem structure – the extent to which the poem has an intentional, consistent structure that aids in the effectiveness of the poem.
- Poem Engagement – the extent to which the poem conveys an idea, thought, or story through clear imagery, specific, concrete details, and fresh use of language.
Awards
Award recipients in both spoken word and written categories will:
- Receive a cash prize
- 1st place winners receive a $75 cash prize
- 2nd place winners receive a $50 cash prize
- 3rd place winners receive a $25 cash prize
- Receive Poetry Ourselves award certificates
- Be honored at the Poetry Out Loud award ceremony in March 2022
- Receive a signed book from a published poet
- For original poems, have their poem entered into the INverse Indiana Poetry Archive
- Honorable mention award recipients will also receive a certificate of recognition and may have their poems accepted into the INverse poetry archive.
Download the 2022-2023 guidelines.
Indiana Poetry Out Loud and Poetry Ourselves Timeline
- Nov. 30, 2022: POL “Intent to Participate” Registration Form Closes
- Jan. – March 2023: POL State Finalist Coaching Available
- Feb. 3, 2023: Deadline for Poetry Ourselves Submissions
- Feb. 10: POL State Finalist Registration Deadline
- Feb. 13, 2023: POL Students Submit 2 Recitation Videos via Flipgrid
- Feb. 17, 2023: POL Third Round Invitations Go Out to Students
- Week of Feb. 27: Poetry Ourselves Award Recipient Notification
- March 4, 2023: POL Third Round Competition in Indianapolis
- May 8 – 10, 2023: POL National Finals
If you or your students have any questions about Poetry Ourselves or Poetry Out Loud, please reach out.
