Georgia’s Poet Laureate, Judson Mitcham, in collaboration with Georgia Council for the Arts, is pleased to announce the winner and finalists of the fourth annual Poet Laureate’s Prize.

“The work of these young poets exemplify not only the power of a 30-line poem to elicit emotion in a reader, but also the dedication to technique and the skill of building a successful poem that is required to draw a reader in and make a connection in just a few lines,” said Karen Paty, executive director of Georgia Council for the Arts. “We are incredibly proud to honor their craft and their talent and look forward to seeing where their writing takes them in the future.”

The prize is awarded for an original poem written by a Georgia high school student. This annual program is designed to encourage students in grades 9 through 12 to write original poems and to engage in the unique art form of poetry. The winner and four finalists who were selected by Judson Mitcham were honored by Governor Deal, First Lady Sandra Deal, and the Poet Laureate at the Georgia State Capitol on May 2.

All Georgia high school students are encouraged to participate. Students interested in participating in next year’s program should check for details about the 2018 competition on the Georgia Council for the Arts website in the fall of 2017. The annual submission deadline will be at the beginning of March. 

Meet the 2017 winner and finalists below.

2017 WINNER

Max Morella

“Existential Haiku: A Choose Your Own Adventure Poem”

10th grade

Milton High School

Alpharetta, GA

2017 FINALISTS

Anna Crossley

“Anxiety”

12th grade

Roswell High School

Roswell, GA

Rosasharn Brown

“Revolution”

11th grade

The Weber School

Atlanta, GA

Sophia Seufert

“A Day in Her Shoes: 3 Perspectives of Women Throughout History”

11th grade

DeKalb School of the Arts

Avondale Estates, GA

Minjung Yu

“Surface Tension”

11th grade

Oconee County High School

Watkinsville, GA