#39 Texas Letters

ASSIGNMENT PURPOSE

The purpose of this assignment is to ask poets to submit new poems that take the form of a letter addressed to a person, place, emotion, object, or concept. Other addressees may also be possible. Poets may also wish to compose the letter using the narrative perspective of someone or something other than themselves—past, present, or future.

EXAMPLES

Example epistolary or letter poems from Poetry Foundation can be found here.

Poems published so far in this series will be linked here.

FORMAL INTERESTS

We are specifically interested in poems that demonstrate careful attention to the elements of shape, line, music, comparison, and balance, and especially how those choices contribute to the cooperative harmony of structure and sentiment in the poem.

Poems that do not meet these interests may be declined. For more on this perspective, see the five formal causes of beauty in poetry.

We also challenge you to consider new choices you might take in audience and poetic form as it pertains to aspects of narrative perspective, shape, sound, repetition, and enjambment.

HOW TO SUBMIT

Poetry submissions should be saved in Microsoft Word document format and composed in Times New Roman, 12-point font. They should be attached to an email addressed to editor@texaspoetryassignment.org and include within the body of the email a brief cover letter and a 50-word biography.

ACCEPTANCE AND PUBLICATION

Poems will be published as accepted.

PUBLICATION RIGHTS

Writers will retain all rights to their work published on this site.