ANNUAL POET'S SEAT POETRY
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This annual contest is held in honor of Frederick Goddard Tuckerman who lived in Greenfield from 1847 until his death in 1873 and was considered by his contemporaries — Emerson, Thoreau, and Tennyson — to be a gifted poet. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he shunned law in favor of botany and writing poetry. Although he never achieved wide public acclaim, his poems are often included in anthologies of noted American poets.
Our annual contest is open to all residents and students in Franklin county in two categories: adult and young poets. It culminates with the Poet's Seat Poetry Contest Celebration* at which poets read their work and winners are announced.
The first place winner also takes home the Poet's Chair for the year (see information about the Poet's Seat Poetry Contest Silver Anniversary Edition Book).
Our annual contest is open to all residents and students in Franklin county in two categories: adult and young poets. It culminates with the Poet's Seat Poetry Contest Celebration* at which poets read their work and winners are announced.
The first place winner also takes home the Poet's Chair for the year (see information about the Poet's Seat Poetry Contest Silver Anniversary Edition Book).
Friends of Greenfield Public Library
34th Annual Poet’s Seat Poetry Contest
Announcing the 2025 Poet's Seat Poetry Contest!
The 34th Poet's Seat Poetry Contest is open to all Franklin County residents and to students ages 12-18 who attend school in Franklin County. Each entrant may submit a maximum of three poems.
Rules for submission:
• Poems must be unpublished.
• Previous 1st Place Adult winners of the Poet's Seat Poetry Contest are not eligible to enter again.
• Previous top-placing Youth winners of the Poet's Seat Poetry Contest are eligible to enter again when they enter a new age category.
• Entrants may submit up to three poems; the finalist poems will be reproduced in a booklet as originally submitted.
• Entries must either be submitted via:
• No individual poem may exceed 3 standard pages.
• Please do not staple pages together.
• On reverse of poem (or on a second page in the case of an email entry) please include the following contact information for the poet:
• No identifying information should be written on the same side of the paper as the poem(s).
• Youth entries must include age, for category purposes at the bottom of their poem(s).
• Poems should be printed in plain typeface (12 pt preferred) or printed clearly in pen, on white paper - with no extraneous marks - or submitted electronically.
• If poem(s) are mailed or hand-delivered, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for notification of receipt of entry; if emailed, notification of receipt will be via email.
• Poems will not be returned.
• Entries must be received by February 21, 2025 (postmarked date or date email received).
• Our annual contest is open to all residents and students in Franklin county in two categories: adult and young poets. (postmark or form received date).
* The award ceremony will take place Tuesday, April 29, 2025 6-7:30 p.m.
In the community room of the Greenfield Public Library
Awards will be given as follows:
For further information email [email protected]
The 34th Poet's Seat Poetry Contest is open to all Franklin County residents and to students ages 12-18 who attend school in Franklin County. Each entrant may submit a maximum of three poems.
Rules for submission:
• Poems must be unpublished.
• Previous 1st Place Adult winners of the Poet's Seat Poetry Contest are not eligible to enter again.
• Previous top-placing Youth winners of the Poet's Seat Poetry Contest are eligible to enter again when they enter a new age category.
• Entrants may submit up to three poems; the finalist poems will be reproduced in a booklet as originally submitted.
• Entries must either be submitted via:
- USPS to Poet's Seat Poetry Contest, 412 Main Street, Greenfield, MA 01301;
- hand-delivered to the Greenfield Public Library at 412 Main Street, Greenfield MA; or
- (preferably) submitted via the online form: https://forms.gle/fFpR7JkbamGqjM7a7
- or if you want to share: wlm.im/gflib/poet
• No individual poem may exceed 3 standard pages.
• Please do not staple pages together.
• On reverse of poem (or on a second page in the case of an email entry) please include the following contact information for the poet:
- Name
- Address
- Telephone number
- Email address, if available
• No identifying information should be written on the same side of the paper as the poem(s).
• Youth entries must include age, for category purposes at the bottom of their poem(s).
• Poems should be printed in plain typeface (12 pt preferred) or printed clearly in pen, on white paper - with no extraneous marks - or submitted electronically.
• If poem(s) are mailed or hand-delivered, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for notification of receipt of entry; if emailed, notification of receipt will be via email.
• Poems will not be returned.
• Entries must be received by February 21, 2025 (postmarked date or date email received).
• Our annual contest is open to all residents and students in Franklin county in two categories: adult and young poets. (postmark or form received date).
* The award ceremony will take place Tuesday, April 29, 2025 6-7:30 p.m.
In the community room of the Greenfield Public Library
Awards will be given as follows:
- Adult category:
- Prizes for first, second and third place poems.
- Youth category:
- Two winners for each subcategory (ages 12-14 and ages 15-18); these winners are not ranked.
For further information email [email protected]
