Inaugural Poet Laureate Contest

In honor of National Poetry Month, the Robert Holland Chapter of the National English Honor Society (NEHS), invites you to apply to be the first Woodstock Academy Poet Laureate! Like many, the NEHS was inspired by the inaugural poem by Amanda Gorman, the first U.S. Youth Poet Laureate. The Woodstock Academy Poet Laureate will be selected yearly to inspire and engage the community through poetry.

Here are the details:

Eligibility

Any current WA student who will be attending The Woodstock Academy next school year is eligible to apply. 

Process

1. Interested students will submit three original poems that demonstrate their range of style, form, and content.  Individual poems must be no more than 100 lines. Students will submit electronically through Turnitin by April 30, 2021. Submission must one Microsoft Word document containing all three poems, with no name or identifying information. (Turnitin Class ID: 28916927, Enrollment Password: Poetry)

2. After April 30, current student members of the NEHS will meet to select finalists by a blind reading of all entries.  Up to five students will be selected as finalists.

3. Finalists must prepare a video of a reading of one of their poems.  These videos will be shared with the entire WA community, who will vote for their favorite. The WA Poet Laureate will then be announced by the beginning of June. The first official act of the WA Poet Laureate will be to write and recite an original poem at the Commencement on June 12, 2021.

For any questions, please reach out to any member of the NEHS, an English teacher, Hans Rhynhart hryhnhart2022@woodstockacademy.org or Dr. Harten mharten@woodstockacademy.org.

The Woodstock Academy is an independent, day and boarding, co-educational, college preparatory high school for grades 9–12 and postgraduates located in Woodstock, CT. The mission of The Woodstock Academy is to prepare all students for a lifetime of learning by providing academic rigor, a safe environment, and a diversity of educational experiences which will foster a sense of respect for self and others, and will encourage active investment in family, school, community, and the world.