2023 Anne Bradstreet Poetry Contest Winners and Finalists

The North Andover Poet Laureate Committee is pleased to announce the 2023 contest winners and finalists!

Our panel of  judges carefully read and evaluated the poems – 76 in total – inspired by the theme: 

“Let Anne Be Your Muse”.  

The poetry and history of Anne Dudley Bradstreet herself was the theme. The contestants of all ages in North Andover took this theme to heart. Some wonderful poetry was written.

The judges themselves were inspired by all the poems that were submitted. The judges all remarked - North Andover is a creative place!

Here are the results:

Grades 1-2

Winner – E. T. “Dear Woods”  
Finalist – G. C. “Anne was the first person to write poems.”  [ABECC]

Grades 3-5

Winner – R. K.  “- War -”  [Franklin]

Finalist – C. B.   “Anne (Bradstreet)” - cinquain  [Sargent]

Finalist – H. M.   “A cemetery”  [Sargent]

Finalist – L. B.  “Ode to the Trees”  [Sargent]

Finalist – S. D.  “America's first poet shall she be”  [Sargent]

Finalist – T.  “Anne Dudley Bradstreet” - acrostic  [Sargent]

Middle School
Winner – I. J.  “A Painting of a Tunnel”  [NAMS]
Finalist – T. N.  “Springs Embrace”  [NAMS]

High School

Winner – L. B. “A++”   [NAHS]

Finalist – D. A.  “Faith, a force beyond what we can see”  

Finalist – E. D.  “Gray”  

Finalist – L. G.  “The Fall”  [Brooks School]

Finalist – L. I.  “Deathbed Desires”  [NAHS]

Evocative Imagery – E. H.  “Leak”  [NAHS]

Metaphorical Imagination – J. S.  “Strings”  [Brooks School]

Adult

Winner & Metaphorical Imagination – Graham Jackson  “To Bradstreet: Her Book’s Reply”

Finalist & Evocative Imagery – Christine O’Connor  “A Modern Jeremiad for Mistress Bradstreet”

Finalist – Jessica Wolfenden  “A Parsley Wreath”

Finalist – Jim  Mealey “Sounds”

Finalist – Ron Searls  “On first hearing of Anne Bradstreet”

All award winners and finalists will read their poems at the Anne Bradstreet Poetry Contest Awards Ceremony on the Town Common on Saturday, May 6 at 1:00 PM on the band platform. (rain date Sat May 13)

Thank you to all who entered.  See you on Saturday May 6^th on the NA Common.

Mark Bohrer North Andover Poet Laureate

Karen M. Kline  Chair, North Andover Poet Laureate Committee

2023 Submissions Extended Through Sunday April 16

Submissions Extended Through Sunday April 16

To all North Andover Community members - 

If you were thinking of submitting a poem to this year's contest, you can still do so. We've extended the submission deadline through Sunday April 16.

Thanks to all who submitted poems so far to this all-ages community poetry event.
Anne Bradstreet herself is this year's theme: "Let Anne Be Your Muse". Look to Anne's poetry and history for inspiration.

Here are the rules, which has links to her poetry & story:
2023 Anne Bradstreet Poetry Contest - Rules and Info

Mark Bohrer, North Andover Poet Laureate

Karen M. Kline, Chair, North Andover Poet Laureate Committee