General Guidelines

• Open to children in kindergarten through grade six.

• Contestants must be residents of or attend school in Allen County, IN.

• Only one poem, no more than one page in length, per person, may be submitted.

• Submissions will be accepted October 1 through November 13, 2026.

• Any style of poetry is welcome.

• Poems must be original work and not previously published.

• Poems do not have to adhere to a specific theme.

• Submissions should be on 8.5" x 11" paper and delivered to any library location. All entries must have the poet's name, address, phone number, email (if available), name of school, and grade on the back of the poem.

• Entries will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Effective use of poetic form

  • Creativity

  • Legibility

  • Originality

• All Poetry Contest entries become the property of the Allen County Public Library.

• Judges will select place winners for each grade level.

• Winners will be notified by mail.

• For further information, call the Library at (260) 421–1220.