"Rise Up" Poetry Contest Information

Oprelle is respecting your strength and resiliency, and the many things that you may have had to overcome in your life. For instance: adversity, discrimination, heartbreak, fear, loss, abuse, poverty. Hence, this time your poems are to be about feeling at the bottom and turning that around…finding your strength…finding your power. Hats off to Maya Angelou’s famous poem, Still I Rise.

“You may tread me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.”

- Maya Angelou

We have a feeling that “Rise Up” may be our most sought-after poetry anthology yet. Any style of poetry works, as long as you follow the rules and write 14 or less lines. Oh, and make sure your poetry is 100% original. We will consider both published and unpublished poems. You are competing for cash and/or publication.


Full Rules & Info

Prizes

Contest entries for "Rise Up" will be accepted March 11th, 2021 through April 30th, 2021. The top three winners will receive a letter and prize winnings by regular mail. Winners may be called to verify their identities. The names of all winners and finalists will be posted on our site.


submit


1st –

$200.00 - 1st Place Certificate - Prime Anthology Placement (Back cover and Middle page of the “Rise Up” Anthology) - Free paperback copy of “Rise Up," and a feature for a minimum of one week on Oprelle Publication’s Website.

2nd –

$100.00 - 2nd Place Certificate - Prime Anthology Placement (1st poem in the“Rise Up” Anthology) - Free paperback copy of the “Rise Up” Anthology.

3rd –

$50.00- 3rd Place Certificate - Prime Anthology Placement – (Last poem in the “Rise Up” Anthology) Free paperback copy of the “Rise Up” Anthology.


Additional Finalists (40-80) will receive publication in the in the “Rise Up” Anthology.

Eligibility

The contest is open to anyone age 14 and up who writes poetry.

Judging

A minimum of 2 winning writers must present an overall score of 1 to 5 stars on each scoring item in our rubric…with 4.4 etc. being acceptable scores. Highest possible score is a 25. In the event of a tie, at least one more judge will be asked to participate.

Publication

Contestants who reach the Finalist stage of the contest (between 40 and 80) will be featured in the “Rise Up” Anthology. All finalists will receive a free digital copy of the anthology.

This anthology will be available for purchase through Amazon.com and possibly other bookstores worldwide. By submitting a poem to our contest… you accept that, if selected, your entry may appear online and in print in any Oprelle Publications, Affiliates, Books and Websites.
Finally, really great writers can be published in something that reminds us of all of the strength of spirit and resiliency that pushes us to overcome.


Examples



Dear Basketball,
“I gave you my heart
I played through the sweat and the hurt, not because
CHALLENGE called me but
because You called me.”
-Kobe

“Inside of this darkness–

that I love so well,
I search for my pieces

that broke when I fell.
A mosaic of strength

built for your eyes to feast
I came to hell, shaken

but I'm leaving, a beast."

― cwpoet

I learned
to love my scars
by forgiving those
who gave them to me,
including myself.

Love is easier to carry
than hate.
-cwpoet