Share your poetry with the community during our Celebration of Poetry!
We celebrate our newest poets right here in south central Pennsylvania!
Each year, we ask students from across York and Adams Counties to submit their best poems for our annual Celebration of Poetry. The judges read dozens of entries in six different age brackets:
- Grades 1-2
- Grades 3-4
- Grades 5-6
- Grades 7-8
- Grades 9-10
- Grades 11-12
Let your creativity soar! Previous poem entries have included themes of nature, people, trips, and the universe! Four winning poems will be selected for each of the six age brackets.
Read the 2023 Winning Poems
Read the Celebration of Poetry Book below or borrow it from your local library. This book features the top four winning poems from students in each age group!
2023 Finalists
Congratulations to all of our 2023 finalists (pictured), and a huge thank you to all who entered—please keep writing and sharing your work with the world. The world needs its poets and artists!
Celebration of Poetry 2023
Guidelines for Submission
- Entrants must be between Grades 1-12.
- Entrants may submit one original poem in the style of their choice.
- Poems must be the work of an individual and not a group or collaboration.
- Poems should be typed or neatly printed.
- Contact information should not be included directly on the poem – include it on your entry form or email **This is part of our fair judging process.
- Any accompanying artwork must be original.
- Poems will become the property of York County Libraries and will not be returned, so please keep a copy of your poem for yourself.
- Poems can be submitted between November 20, 2022 and January 20, 2023.
- Submit your poems by dropping them off at any library location or by using the online entry form below.
- If submitting at a library: Download, print, and complete the Celebration of Poetry submission form
Have questions? Email us at [email protected].
Sorry, this form is no longer available. Thank you to this year's participants. Check back in November 2023 to compete in next year's Celebration of Poetry!