PST is pleased to announce a special members-only contest sponsored by the Full Moon Poetry Group, comprised of members of our middle Tennessee region. The contest is free to enter and will be open for entries August 15-September 1, 2024.

Something for Everyone

As with other members-only contests offered this program year, the first-place winner of the Full Moon Poetry Contest will be published in Tennessee Voices Anthology, 2024-2025. The big twist is that Full Moon Poetry Group is donating time and expertise rather than money: all entrants will receive a minimum of two electronic written evaluations of their entry! (Anyone who has submitted to lit mags knows evaluations like this are rarely offered … and often expensive!)

We thank the Full Moon Poetry Group for sponsoring this contest and for their donation of time and expertise, and we encourage members to take advantage of this unique contest.

Contest Guidelines

The contest theme is the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter), or a combination of seasons, or seasonal transition. Entries must be 10-40 lines. Winners will be announced and evaluations will be returned by mid-November. Unless otherwise noted, this contest follows members-only contest guidelines. Please review closely.

As with our other members-only contests, the judges seek original, previously unpublished poems created without use of AI.  No simultaneous submissions. You must be a paid member to participate. (Join or renew here. Unsure of your membership status? Contact us at poetrytennessee@gmail.com).

This contest accepts email entries only. For email submission subject line, type “Submission for Full Moon Contest-[Last Name].”  For more specifics regarding entry format, submission, etc., please see PST Members Only Contest Rules. (If you need help submitting an email entry, please contact us at poetrytennessee@gmail.com, SUBJECT: Email Entry Help.)

About Entry Evaluation

As with our other contests, entries will be judged blind (ensure your identity does not appear anywhere in your blind copy or its file name). Poems will be judged in 4 areas: diction, figurative language, technique, and theme. Details and criteria weighting are as follows:

• Diction: vocabulary, word choice, syntax (20% of total score)
• Figurative language: imagery, alliteration, metaphor, simile, assonance, and consonance (20%)
• Technique: volta (turns), line breaks, enjambment, visual layout, title, 1^st line, last line, foreshadowing (30%)
• Theme: symbolism, message, layers of meaning (30%)

Poems will be evaluated individually and then awards will be agreed upon by the judges collectively. Judges (Cynthia Storrs, Cathy Hollister, Ione Singletary, Nikki Noushin, and Scott Pierce) include experienced published poets and educators along with poets actively studying the practice of poetry evaluation.

More PST Contests

Get details on other PST contests as they develop at our website contest page.