Student Poetry Contest

The Longfellow Student Poetry Contest is an annual competition of original poetry, with categories for high school, middle school, and elementary school students. The contest, run in partnership with the New England Poetry Club, encourages and celebrates young poets in exploring their craft. The contest takes place each spring, with an award ceremony in June.

The contest is open to all Massachusetts students (via teacher submission) grades 3-12. Students in grades 3-8 compete for the Longfellow Poetry Award and grades 9-12 for the Ruth Berrien Fox Award. Winners receive a certificate, cash prize, and the opportunity to read their poem at a public award ceremony.

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2025 Student Poetry Contest

Submissions will be accepted March 3-April 18, 2025 (deadline extended!). Details will be posted here.

Contest Rules:

• One poem submission per student.
• The student must be a Massachusetts resident, and currently in grade 3-12.
• All submissions must be made by the student’s teacher. Any teacher may submit on behalf of a student.
• Teachers will be contacted to announce contest winners and deliver invitations to read at the ceremony.
• Poem submissions of all formats, topics, and themes are welcome.

Special Category for 2025: "We (Too) the People"

This year, teachers can submit poems on any theme, or have students respond to the prompt "We (Too) the People" to be considered in a special category commemorating the nation's 250th anniversary! As we move toward the 250th anniversary of this country’s founding, historic places like this one can help us tell all Americans' stories. The poet Henry Longfellow believed that poetry was part of the common good. Now, express yourself using poetry - what does "We (Too) the People" mean to you?

All submissions will be considered for the "general" category, as well as for the special 250th category if relevant. No need to take any additional steps!

How to Enter

Beginning March 3:

1. Submit one response to the submission form, regardless of how many students you are submitting poems for.
2. Save each poem you're submitting as a separate PDF with this file name format: teacher's last name first initial.poem title.poet's FIRST name.pdf, ie "SmithJ.Psalm of Life.Henry.pdf". Note: Ensure that each student's poem has their first name and poem title in the upper right-hand corner of the page. For student's privacy, do not include last names or school names.
3. Attach and send all of your poem PDFs in a single email to e-mail us. Note that submissions mailed to the site will not be accepted.

Contest winners will be informed via their teachers in early May and invited to read their poem at a public award ceremony on Sunday, June 1st, 2025.

All entries must be received by 11:59 PM EST on Friday, April 18.

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The contest is sponsored by the Frank Buda Memorial Fund, New England Poetry Club, Friends of the Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters, and Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site.