poetry contest may 2026

Welcome!

This is where you can submit your poetry for the first All Words Bright & Beautiful poetry contest!

There will be 3 winners; if you win 1st place, you get $100 in cash; if you win 2nd, you get $75 in cash; if you win 3rd, you get $50. Your winning piece will also be featured in a non-paywalled post to our 850+ subscribers.

Your poem should be inspired by this word: coruscate.

To coruscate means to shine with a living, joyful radiance, to reflect light brilliantly. Write your poem about something you love that coruscates, either literally or metaphorically. Please note: it is not necessary or encouraged that you include the word "coruscate" in your poem. The important thing is to get the idea the word evokes across.

There are only 3 rules:

1. Thou shalt make the poem rhythm and rhyme. It is not enough that the poem merely rhymes. It must also have a recognizable rhythm when read out loud. Examples of poetry that both rhymes and rhythms well are "Noel" by J. R. R. Tolkien, "The Wreck of the Hesperus" by H. W. Longfellow, and "The Ballad of the White Horse" by G. K. Chesterton. 
2. Thou shalt make the poem imaginative and beautiful. The poem must use beautiful and imaginative language! For example, we want the same kind of language that describes the moon as a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas, stars as silver sky-fish swimming in a sea of darkness, and grassy lawns as worlds of adventure to explore, if only you were the size of an acorn. 
3. Thou shalt make the poem's meaning easy to understand. The poem needs to not be difficult to understand for the average person. Make sure when you write it that it is something that most people would be able to appreciate. 

If you've pledged a paid subscription to All Words Bright & Beautiful, you get to enter this contest and all poetry contests we hold after this date for free. You may submit as many entries as you like without having to pay an entry fee at any time.

If you haven't pledged a paid subscription yet but want to, feel free to do it here!

Submissions close: on May 27, 2026 or once we reach 33 submissions, whichever happens first.

We look forward to seeing what you send us! Godspeed! :)