Hexapod Haiku Challenge

Ever flip a log and watch millipedes scurry away? Or seen a bumble bee buzz a flower? Have you ever opened a bag of flour, only to discover it's infested with tiny beetles? These moments are perfect inspirations for writing haiku!

Who can participate: Anyone in the world who draws joy from poetry, insects and their relatives, or all of the above! Submissions from all ages and backgrounds are welcome.

What: Submissions should be haiku inspired by insects (or spiders or millipedes or other related arthropods), but related forms of poetry, like senryu & monoku, will also be considered.

Haiku are brief poems that capture a moment in time and are thus written in the present tense. These brief poems generally have 17 or fewer syllables and three or fewer lines; haiku poets who write in the English language no longer focus on counting syllables. Instead they focus on the special moment they are writing about, and keep their haiku brief.

Haiku strive to celebrate the extraordinary in the ordinary, and often create meaning through a juxtaposition of two images, and through everyday language that is sensory-oriented.  

When: Submissions for 2025 will be accepted starting March 15, 2025 and through June 15, 2025 at 11:59pm EST.

How: Check back soon for the 2025 submission form that will be available here.

Entry Fee: None!

Bonus: All selections will be announced and featured on the Frost Entomological Museum's website, shared in the museum's exhibit space, and the haiku laureates will receive a small congratulatory gift.

2025 Special Category:  In addition to the usual age-related award categories, we will offer a special topic award this year for the best haiku featuring ground-dwelling arthropods. We encourage you to explore the world beneath your feet, under stones and logs, in the leaves and soil, on the floor, and anywhere else you can find arthropods down low.

We can't wait to read your submissions!

Have a question? Feel free to message us: frost.museum@psu.edu

Need help writing haiku? The website Graceguts has a great article that will help you get started. 

Looking for tips on how to begin teaching haiku to students? This interview with Anne Burgevin in Teachers & Writers Magazine provides some guidance. 

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