When submitting your poem for the Inspired Voices Poetry Contest, please make sure to follow these guidelines:

• LENGTH: Your poem should be no longer than 40 lines. Any poem longer than 40 lines will be disqualified.

• STYLE/FORM: You can use any style of poetry—whether it’s rhyming, free verse, haiku, narrative, or something else. Choose the format that best fits your inspiration!

• VOICE: Draw from your inspiration. Write from the heart. Let your voice shine through in your poem.

• TITLE: Make sure to give your poem a creative title that reflects the theme or essence of your work.

• ARTIST STATEMENT: When you submit your poem for the Inspired Voices Poetry Contest, please include a brief Artist Statement of 1-2 sentences along with your poem. This statement should explain what inspired you to write your poem and why you wrote your poem. You can be inspired by anything from a personal experience, a feeling, a place, a favorite book, or even a dream. MAXIMUM LENGTH - 3 sentences.

• Why is this important?
  Your Artist Statement helps the judges understand the creative journey behind your poem and adds a personal touch to your submission. Reminder: ARTIST STATEMENT MAXIMUM LENGTH - 3 sentences.

Be sure to write from the heart and let your voice and inspiration shine through both your poem and your statement!

• NAMING CONVENTION: Your building G&T teacher will submit your letter for you. The document needs to follow this naming convention: VIP Grade # Student Initials 

Example:  VIP8-KZ

• AUTHOR'S INTEGRITY

Your writing must be all your own. You can only use conventional writing tools (spell/grammar checks). You cannot use any other AI tools to assist in your writing. Works that appear to be AI generated will be disqualified. By choosing to submit your poem, you are certifying that YOUR poem is YOUR work!

PLEASE CHECK THE GUIDELINES CAREFULLY.  POEMS THAT DON'T MEET THE GUIDELINES WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.