Genre: Poetry

In one of the most famous cat poems published, “Jubilate Agno, Fragment B, [For I will consider my Cat Jeoffry],” eighteenth century English poet Christopher Smart uses anaphora (each sentence in the poem begins with the word, “for”) to thoroughly meditate upon his cat, Jeoffry. More recently, the poet Chen Chen borrowed this form for his own poem “For I Will Consider My Boyfriend Jeffrey.” This week, try joining the tradition by writing a poem with the same form that begins with the words: “For I will consider.” Use the form to explore the behaviors and characteristics of a beloved person or pet in your life. 

Submissions are currently open for the Hippocrates Prize Open International Award. A prize of £1,000 (approximately $1,400) and publication in the Hippocrates Prize anthology and on the Hippocrates Initiative website is given annually for a poem on a medical theme. An additional prize of £1,000 is given for a poem on a medical theme by a health professional.

Using the online submission system, submit a poem of up to 50 lines with a £7 (approximately $10) entry fee by February 14. The judges will announce the winner at the 2018 International Symposium on Poetry and Medicine. Poet Mark Doty, multi-genre writer and medical practitioner Peter Goldsworthy, and poet Carol Rumens will judge. 

Established in 2009, the Hippocrates Initiative for Poetry and Medicine also sponsors an annual award for young poets and publishes books of poetry through Hippocrates Press, including Comfort Measures by author and doctor Rafael Campo. The organization also hosts the Hippocrates Society for Poetry and Medicine, an international forum of readings, workshops, and other programming to discuss the relationship between poetry and medicine. Visit the website for the contest entry form and complete guidelines.