Poems for Hope 2024
A Call for Poems from
Students in Grades 3 - 12
Theme: Hope
Diverse Verse invites young poets in grades 3 through 12 to send us a poem on the theme of hope during Poetry Month 2024. Students may interpret the theme of hope in whatever way they wish:
What does hope mean to you?
How does poetry keep your hope alive?
All participants will receive a printable certificate to honor their time and effort.
Requirements
Poems must relate to the theme of hope
The length of the poem must not exceed 30 lines (longer poems will be disqualified)
Multi-lingual poems are welcome, with English translation
Authors must declare their poem to be their original work, created without adult assistance or use of generative AI
An adult (parent, guardian, or teacher) may submit one poem on behalf of each young poet*
Submitted work must list the entrance category for consideration: Elementary (grades 3-5), Middle School (grades 6-8), High School (grades 9-12)
Home schooled students are welcome
To enter
Individual poems MUST have the following information on EACH page or poems will be disqualified:
Poem title and entrance category
Student’s name and grade level (only student’s first name and grade level will be published)
Adult’s name and email —parent, guardian, or teacher (address must accept outside emails)
Upload poem via Google Form no later than April 30, 2024
*Students under 18 must have adult permission to enter this contest, due to COPPA guidelines
Three winning poets will be chosen (one in each category). Each will receive an award certificate from Diverse Verse.
Winning entries will be published
on the Diverse Verse website.
Winning poems will be announced on May 15, 2024
Exemplars
There are many powerful and lyrical poetic works by BIPOC poets on the theme of HOPE.
Below is an annotated list of five resources for each grade category. We hope this will help inspire young writers as they prepare to submit their own work.
All Grade Levels
In Poetry Magazine's March 2021 issue, several poems resonate with hope, including Linda Sue Park's "Red Crowned Crane” Suma Subramaniam’s “Filter,” and Padma Venkatraman's “Whenever You See a Tree,” in which respectively, a bird, a sweet, and a tree, become symbols for hope. Ari Tison’s “The Storyteller Gets Her Name” reveals the hope every poet and storyteller carries within them. The powerful introduction, “Weight,” which is written by Jacqueline Woodson, expresses, among other things, how vital poetry is to keeping hope alive during difficult times.
Elementary (Grades 3-5)
Through a series of poems, each illustrated vividly by Ekua Holmes, Carole Boston Weatherford's biography, VOICE OF FREEDOM: FANNIE LOU HAMMER: SPIRIT OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, is a tribute to one woman's tremendous courage, perseverance and unwavering hope, which allowed her to overcome terrible hardship.
The anthology WHAT IS HOPE, published by Pomelo Books and edited by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong, includes contributions from Suma Subramaniam and several other BIPOC poets.
Marilyn Nelson's poem - and picture book - SNOOK ALONE - brings alive the hope that one little, lonely, frightened dog preserves when a storm separates him from his friend.
Hanh Bui's Poetic picture book, ÁNH'S NEW WORD, which features a resilient protagonist who survives in a refugee camp, may allow for age-relevant discussions on keeping hope alive in desperate circumstances.
Sing a Song: How Lift Every Voice and Sing Inspired Generations by Kelly Starling Lyons, is a wonderful picture book that pays tribute to power of poetry to lift our hearts.
Middle School (Grades 6-8)
The spirit of our theme resonates throughout Jacqueline Woodson's memoir in verse, BROWN GIRL DREAMING, which speaks to the power of poetry to lift the soul.
Lisa Stringfellow's prose fantasy, A COMB OF WISHES, may be used to inspire a discussion on the relationship between hopes and wishes.
Langston Hughes defines the word with succinct mastery in his poem “Hope.”
Hope is a shining thread that connects the poems in Margarita Engle's memoir in verse, ENCHANTED AIR, about her experience growing up between two cultures (American and Cuban) during the Cold War.
Sarah J. Donovan's Ethical ELA blog features not a writing prompt that may be shared in the classroom. The prompt focuses on revision by showcasing one poem on the theme of hope, in different stages of development: 14/30: Hate, Outlived.
High School (Grades 9-12)
In Naomi Shihab Nye's “Yellow Glove,” the chance discovery of yellow glove becomes a metaphor for hope.
Joy Harjo's “A Map to the Next World” bears witness to the suffering of indigenous peoples, while looking with strength, toward the future.
Nikki Grimes's ORDINARY HAZARDS is a memoir in verse that highlights, among other things, the place that poetry, creative writing, and reading (of books such as Khalil Gibran's THE PROPHET) have in helping the poet triumph over trauma.
Maya Angelou's “Still I Rise” is a testament to hope, courage and resilience.
Elizabeth Acevedo's THE POET X features a fifteen year old who finds her way through devastating loss and familial conflict by harnessing her gift of poetry.
FAQ
Will all entries be read?
Yes. Judging will be conducted by a panel of authors who belong to Diverse Verse who will read each submission.
What personal information will be published, should a student’s poem be selected?
Diverse Verse requires permission from a parent or guardian in order to consider publication of a minor's poem. An adult's email address is required in the entry form. We will only publish the student's first name and grade level.
I am a teacher submitting my students' poems. Google Forms only allows 10 files to be uploaded at a time. How do I submit more than 10 poems?
You may submit the form more than once, or combine files.
Who should I contact if I have a question?
If you need assistance, please email Diverse Verse at diverseversepoet@gmail.com
Padma Venkatraman is the author of The Bridge Home, Born Behind Bars, A Time to Dance, Island's End and Climbing the Stairs which have sold over ¼ million copies, received over 20 starred reviews, and won numerous awards: Walter Dean Myers Award, South Asia Book Award, Golden Kite, ALA Notable etc. Her poetry has been published in Poetry Magazine and nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Padma loves teaching and sharing her love for reading and writing with others, and her doctorate in oceanography inspired her latest novel, Safe Harbor, which School Library Journal described as a must-read, in a starred review. Visit her author website (padmavenkatraman.com) for free resources or arrange a visit via her speaking agency, The Author Village. Dr. Padma Venkatraman's newest novel, SAFE HARBOR, is available for pre-order : https://buff.ly/3XLA0eK
