Poetry Society of America’s Four Quartets Prize

The Four Quartets Prize, presented by the Poetry Society of America, honors a unified and complete sequence of poems published in the United States within the 2025 calendar year. This prize celebrates the art of the multi-part poem, including entire volumes formed as a sequence, novels in verse, and book-length verse narratives. It aims to spotlight poetic works that are both structurally cohesive and thematically unified, exemplified by historical works such as Gwendolyn Brooks's "The Anniad" and John Berryman’s "His Toy, His Dream, His Rest." Administered by one of the country's leading literary nonprofits, the Poetry Society of America, the prize underscores its commitment to recognizing innovation and excellence in American poetry. The award offers a substantial monetary recognition: $20,000 to the winner and $1,000 to each of three finalists. Eligible sequences must consist of at least fourteen pages of poems and must be unified by subject, form, and style. All poems must have been published in print or online journals, chapbooks, or books within the 2025 calendar year. Self-published work and translations are explicitly ineligible. Submissions must include a completed entry form and a paragraph describing the aims of the sequence. If a sequence was published across multiple journals or chapbooks, four copies of each table of contents and copyright page must be submitted. If the sequence is part of a book, applicants must provide four copies of the sequence along with the corresponding book metadata. For book-length entries, four copies of the complete book are required. Only one submission per author is allowed, and submissions by more than one author or by Poetry Society employees and affiliates are not eligible. The submission period opens on October 1, 2025, and closes on December 15, 2025, based on the postmark date. Submissions must be mailed via USPS to the Poetry Society of America’s Brooklyn office. There is no fee to apply. Email or phone queries regarding receipt or correctness of submissions will not be answered, though a self-addressed, stamped postcard may be included for acknowledgment. Finalists will be announced, and the winner will be revealed in early summer of 2026. All submitted work will not be returned. The prize continues to recognize innovative poetry annually and encourages authors, publishers, and agents to submit qualifying work for consideration. For inquiries, Brett Fletcher Lauer, Deputy Director of the Poetry Society of America, is listed as the contact person via email.

Submit all documentation in correct form; self-addressed postcard needed for acknowledgment.