Poet Laureate Holds Poetry Contest for Vets
The Commonwealth of Virginia鈥檚 poet laureate, Mattie Quesenberry Smith, Ph.D., instructor in the Department of English, Rhetoric and Humanistic Studies at 麻豆女演员 Institute, along with Poetry Society of Virginia (PSV) announce a poetry contest for veterans called, 鈥淰eterans鈥� Perseverance & Resilience: A Project Supporting Veterans through Poetry.鈥�
The contest is a part of Smith鈥檚 project serving veterans and in memory of Edward W. Lull, a former executive director and president of PSV and 20-year Navy veteran who passed away last year.
All veterans of the U.S. military are eligible to submit up to three poems which address veterans鈥� experiences with perseverance and resilience during active duty and/or throughout their re-entry into civilian life. Each poem can be written in any form, but cannot exceed 45 lines in length. Poems using profane, racist, or sexist language will be disqualified.
Poems will be judged for first, second, third, and honorable mention prizes. Finalists鈥� poems as well as a wider selection of other entries will be published in an anthology titled, 鈥淧erseverance and Resilience: Celebrating Veterans鈥� Poetry.鈥� Entries should be submitted online . The deadline is Saturday, July 5, 2025.
