Free Poetry Contests

Poetry contests are an excellent way for aspiring poets to showcase their talent and get recognized for their work. These contests, listed below, offer a platform for poets to share their creative expressions with a broader audience and gain feedback from experts in the field. It's an excellent opportunity to challenge oneself, improve one's writing skills, and win prizes and accolades. Whether you're an amateur poet or a seasoned professional, there are plenty of poetry contests that cater to all levels and styles. So why not try it and see where your words can take you?

About PoetrySoup Poetry Contests

Below is a list of free online poetry contests that you can enter right now. They are managed by PoetrySoup Premium Members. Poetry contests are held every day, and anyone can enter. All competitions are free; you can enter as many contests as you want. You keep copyrights on all of your poems. Some poetry contests even have prizes! 

Contest Submission Guidelines

1. Submit your poems to PoetrySoup using the Submit Poems link at the top of any PoetrySoup page
2. Return to the poetry contest page
3. Select a contest to enter and click the Enter Contest button associated with the poetry contest you want to enter.
4. Select your poem to enter by clicking the Enter Contest button (You may need to scroll to see more of your poems).
5. The entrant’s name, address, e-mail, and phone number must not appear in the poems.
6. Do not identify yourself in your contest entries.
7. The poet’s name should not appear anywhere in the poem field.

How to Win

• Enter the contest early. A contest closes when the number of allowed entries is reached or the deadline passes.
• Study the past winners of a contest sponsored by that member
• Before entering a contest, have your poem critiqued in the High Critique Forum
• Enter a lot of contests. The more contests you enter, the better your chance of winning one.

Tips for New Poets

• 10 Steps to Writing Great Poetry
• What is Good Poetry?
• How to Write Poetry
• What is Poetry? What Famous Poets Say

More Contest Links

• Poetry Contest Winners and Status
• Top Poetry Contest Poets
• Archived PoetrySoup Contest Winners

List of Current Contests

Afghanistan, Aland Islands, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijani Republic, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus Republic, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Congo (DR), Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote D'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, England, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia Republic, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Heard and McDonald Islands, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Isle Of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea (North), Korea (South), Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestinian Territories, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts And Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Georgia, South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, US Minor Outlying Islands, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Various Countries, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands (British), Virgin Islands (US), Wales, Wallis And Futuna, Wallis and Futuna Islands, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe.