#10: The Texas Star

Open from July 1 to November 1, 2021. Accepted poems were published from September 1 through November 1, 2021.

ASSIGNMENT PURPOSE

The purpose of this assignment is to write a poem using the formal constraints of a new form we will call The Texas Star. Poems of this type will have five five-line stanzas or quintains. The Texas Star has no constraints in subject matter, except that it should refer to Texas in some way. There are also no constraints in syllables per line or in rhyme. However, special extra credit in this assignment will be awarded for poems that include other poetic elements in groups of five.

EXAMPLES

See poems published in this series.

And here is an example by Laurence Musgrove.

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 to editor@texaspoetryassignment.org and include within the body of the email a brief cover letter and a 50-word biography.

EXTRA CREDIT

We are also interested in receiving poems accompanied by brief audio or video recordings of the sonnet by the author. Audio or video files should be saved in or converted to MP4 format and attached to the submission email.

ACCEPTANCE AND PUBLICATION

This call was open from July 1 to November 1, 2021. Accepted poems were published from September 1 through November 1, 2021.

READING

Texas Poetry Assignment will also host a reading of selected poems from this assignment. Date and time to be announced.

PUBLICATION RIGHTS

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