Write a Humanist Haiku for National Poetry Month

Poetry has the power to transform minds and bring forth powerful moments of introspection. Now in its sixth year, TheHumanist.com’s annual haiku contest is back in 2025 to give our readers the opportunity to commemorate April’s National Poetry Month through creative and provocative poems.

A haiku is a seemingly-simple form of poetry in three lines: five syllables for the first line, seven syllables for the second, and five syllables for the third. The challenge is to capture a moment in just seventeen total syllables. The best haikus should convey evocative imagery through words. A title is optional—and some say a skilled haiku writer doesn’t need one.

We invite you to express your thoughts about humanism and humanist values while adhering to the haiku format. Your submissions will be reviewed by our editors and staff, and we’ll publish our favorite haikus right here on theHumanist.com on Wednesday, April 30th. Entrants may submit as many haiku as they wish.

The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, April 23rd.

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Can’t see the below embedded form? Submit your haiku directly here.