America's oldest poetry magazine, publishing in print since 1889. Poet Lore is a biannual print journal of poetry, featuring the finest in contemporary writing. We love featuring poems that broaden the spectrum of what poetry is – and can be – on the page.

Book-length issues deliver news from the interior—poems that make concerns of our moment both urgent and intimate. Published with the conviction that poetry provides a record of human experience as valuable as history, Poet Lore’s intended audience is broadly inclusive.

Like that of Poet Lore’s founders, the continued mission is one of discovery.

Unlike most journals, Poet Lore welcomes long poems and sequences. In this way, Poet Lore invites cover-to-cover reading, bringing diverse poems into conversation with one another. Our newly redesigned issue measures 8.5 x 11 inches, allowing us to position multiple poems on one page to invite readers to make connections between each poem.

Poet Lore’s reputation for discovery arises from this unique editorial culture: a commitment to considering each submission with care and engaging authors in a meaningful exchange. The goal is nothing less than offering its readers poems built to last.

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Poet Lore

We have a mission of discovery at Poet Lore. Therefore, every submission is read without regard to reputation by our team of readers and editors. 
 
Poet Lore publishes a range of established and award winning poets such as Erika Meitner, Jose Hernandez Diaz, Sharon Olds, Kim Addonizio, Terrance Hayes, Linda Pastan, Mary Oliver & Carl Philips, who share the space with emerging poets. Someone's first published poem may stand alongside another author's 100th. We nominate select published poems for both the Pushcart Prize and Best New Poets.
 
We are committed to diversity and inclusivity and highly encourage submissions from marginalized voices. We do not tolerate racism, bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, ableism, or any work that promotes harmful stereotypes and viewpoints. 
 
In an effort to feature a wide variety of voices, please refrain from submitting again until the next cycle if you have been featured in Poet Lore in either of our Volume 119 issues. Thank you! 
 
Poet Lore pays contributors $50 per published poem.
 
Due to the volume of poems we receive, those submitted during this period will be considered for our Summer/Fall 2026 issue. We currently have about a 6 month response time.
 
You may submit up to 5 poems (maximum 10 pages).
 

  Include all poems in 1 single document and please only submit once per submission period.
  Include the titles of all poems in your cover letter (bullet points or numbers are easiest).
  We accept simultaneous submissions, however, let us know in your cover letter if poems are simultaneously submitted, and please inform us immediately if a poem is accepted elsewhere.
  We do not accept work that has been previously published. This includes on personal blogs and social media.
  Upon acceptance, we ask for first serial rights, with rights reverting back to the author upon publication.
  To withdraw part of your submission, please send a message via Submittable noting the title(s) of the piece(s) withdrawn.

General Poetry Submissions

We have a mission of discovery at Poet Lore. Therefore, every submission is read without regard to reputation by our team of readers and editors. 
 
We are open to translation submissions from January 1 - June 30 and from August 1 - November 30.
 
Poet Lore publishes a range of established and award winning poets such as Erika Meitner, Jose Hernandez Diaz, Sharon Olds, Kim Addonizio, Terrance Hayes, Linda Pastan, Mary Oliver & Carl Philips, who share the space with emerging poets. Someone's first published poem may stand alongside another author's 100th. We nominate select published poems for both the Pushcart Prize and Best New Poets.

We are committed to diversity and inclusivity and highly encourage submissions from marginalized voices. We do not tolerate racism, bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, ableism, or any work that promotes harmful stereotypes and viewpoints.

Before submitting translations of works that are not in the public domain, please identify the rights holder and obtain a statement that the rights to publish an English translation are available. Include the original text if possible, as well as a short biography of the writer and the translator, and a short introduction of the work. If there are extenuating circumstances that prevent you from including a copy of the original text at the time of your submission, please note that in the cover letter.  

Poet Lore pays contributors $50 per published poem.
We accept translations on a rolling basis, but hope to return responses within 6-8 months of submission.
You may submit up to 5 English translations of poems. This category is for translation submissions ONLY. Submissions that are original poems and not translations will not be evaluated. Please note that we do not accept self-translations.
 

  Include all poems in 1 single document and please only submit once per submission period.
  Include the titles of all poems in your cover letter (bullet points or numbers are easiest).
  We accept simultaneous submissions, however, let us know in your cover letter if poems are simultaneously submitted, and please inform us immediately if a poem is accepted elsewhere.
  We do not accept work that has been previously published. This includes on personal blogs and social media.
  Upon acceptance, we ask for first serial rights, with rights reverting back to the author upon publication.

Poet Lore

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