Scientists working in the Arctic and Antarctic are documenting some of the most rapid environmental changes on Earth. Through ice cores, ocean measurements, satellite imagery and ecological observation, they help us understand how polar regions are changing and why those changes matter.
Poets work differently.
Through image, rhythm, metaphor, story and attention, poetry offers another way of engaging with a changing world. Poetry can linger with uncertainty, wonder, grief, beauty, contradiction and imagination. It can ask questions that data alone cannot answer.
PRAx, Spring Creek Project, and Terrain.org invite poets to create original poems in response to a selection of polar science papers from Oregon State University researchers. Participants are encouraged to read one or more of the featured papers and allow the research to spark creative inquiry.
What We Are Looking For
We welcome work that is curious, imaginative, surprising and attentive. Poems may engage with the science directly or indirectly. They may be personal, lyrical, narrative, experimental, contemplative or playful.
We are not seeking poems that explain science or summarize findings. Rather, we are interested in the conversations that emerge when scientific inquiry and poetic practice meet. You do not need to understand every detail of a paper to participate. A single image, question, observation, graph or idea may be enough to inspire a poem. We encourage you to follow what captures your imagination.
Scientific Papers
Poems must be in conversation with one or more of the featured scientific papers listed below:
Submission Guidelines
- Submit up to 3 original poems in response to the papers listed above.
- No AI-generated or -edited work will be accepted.
- Combine all poems into a single document that contains only the poem title(s), poem(s) and scientific paper(s) that inspired the poem(s). Do not include the author name or contact information in the document, including in the header/footer.
- Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but previously published material in any format, including blogs or social media, will not be considered.
- Submissions can be withdrawn through the submission system. Individual components of submissions (i.e., a single poem in a poem set) may be withdrawn by sending a message through Submittable.
