Every National Poetry Month we present Dear Poet, a multimedia education project that invites young people in grades five through twelve to write letters in response to poems written and read by award-winning poets.
Students may choose a poem provided below, watch the poet read their poem, and write a letter in response to the reading. Students may submit their letters themselves, or teachers may submit on behalf of their students using the linked Google forms below.
Every letter will be read by a team of volunteers, and all students can expect a general response from the poet to whom they wrote, as well as a certificate honoring their work. Five letters to each of our nine participating poets will be selected at the end of National Poetry Month, and the poets will write a personalized response to the selected student letters. The letters will be published in a shareable, PDF booklet during the summer.
Submissions for Dear Poet 2026 will close on May 15, 2026.
If you are a student, click here to submit your letter.
If you are a teacher, click here to submit your students’ letters.