Coming Soon: Hawkeye Haiku Contest
The Hawkeye Haiku contest starts on Nov. 3, and we want to read your poems!
You don’t need to be an Iowa grad—or have experience writing haiku—to join the fun.
Write one traditional haiku (5–7–5 syllable pattern) that evokes a specific theme, which will be announced here on Monday, November 3, 2025, at 9 a.m. CST.
Contest Details
The contest begins on Monday, November 3, 2025, at 9 a.m. CST, and runs through Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, at 4 p.m. CST.
Submissions must be in a traditional haiku format (5–7–5 syllable pattern) and composed in their entirety before the deadline. All contestants will receive the same theme, which we will post here on Monday, November 3, 2025, at 9 a.m. CST. The contest is free and open to UI alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends from each of the following age categories:
- Grades 3 & 4
- Grades 5 & 6
- Grades 7 & 8
- Grades 9–12
- Adult: University of Iowa alumni
- Adult: Friend of the university
We will select one winner from each category and post the winning haikus here on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, at 9 a.m. CST.
About Haiku:
Haiku first emerged in Japanese literature during the 17th century, as a terse reaction to elaborate poetic traditions, though it did not become known by the name “haiku” until the 19th century. (source: https://www.britannica.com/art/haiku)
Contest Guidelines:
Haiku has evolved throughout time, but we ask that you follow the traditional 5–7–5 syllable pattern for your entry. The structure of your haiku should adhere to the following: Haiku has evolved throughout time, but we ask that you follow the traditional 5–7–5 syllable pattern for your entry. The structure of your haiku should adhere to the following:
- It should only be three lines, totaling 17 syllables:
- The first line should be five syllables.
- The second line should be seven syllables.
- The third line should be five syllables.
- Punctuation and capitalization are up to you and don’t need to follow the rigid rules used in structuring sentences.
- It does not have to rhyme; in fact, a haiku usually does not rhyme.
- It can include repeated words or sounds.
Each contestant may submit only one haiku entry for this contest.
Haiku Examples:
An old silent pond...
A frog jumps into the pond,
splash! Silence again.
—Matsuo Basho
The season gives way.
Winter lays down her mantle,
As spring bursts to life
—Kelly Roper
Winners’ Prizes
Winners in each of the four grade-school categories will receive an Iowa scribe pack that includes a writing journal, canvas bag, and $25 Bookshop.org gift card.
Winners in each of the two adult categories will receive a $50 Bookshop.org gift card and a book—A Little Book on Form: An Exploration into the Formal Imagination of Poetry—by former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Hass, who taught in the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and received its 2018 Truman Capote Award.
Learn More
Deadline and Submission Format
- Deadline: You must submit your completed haiku by Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, at 4 p.m. CST. All entries received by the University of Iowa Center for Advancement after the deadline will be ineligible.
- File format: You must upload your haiku at foriowa.org/write-now as a Word document (.doc), text file (.txt), or rich text format document (.rtf). Haiku submitted in Apple’s Pages format will not be accepted. The name of the file must be the first word of your haiku. For example, if the first word of your haiku is “candy,” then the name of your file must be “candy.doc,” “candy.txt,” or “candy.rtf.” Contestants will also have the option of submitting their haiku via email to write.now@foriowa.org.
- Font: Submissions must be typed in 12-point font.
- Anonymity: Your name must not appear anywhere in the haiku document; you will only submit your name on the web entry form.
- Length: The maximum length for each haiku is three lines. Entries with more than three lines will be disqualified.
Before the contest begins, enjoy some of these amazing writing samples from your fellow Hawkeyes. Check out entries from past winners and explore the University of Iowa's writing resources to inspire your own creativity.