2025 Helen Schaible International Sonnet Contest
Helen Schaible was a poet, mother, teacher, classicist. The Helen Schaible International Sonnet Contest was established in her memory in 1998 by
the Poets Club of Chicago and funded by a gift
from Helen's daughters Jane Edwards, Lucy Parker, and Katherine Martin, and her son, the late David Schaible.
Contest Rules coming soon…
Some Thoughts on Defining a Modern Sonnet:
Modern sonnets are poems that violate one or more of the rules of traditional sonnets, but still contain what the Poetry Foundation website refers to as a “ghost” of the sonnet form. Modern sonnets may or may not be rhymed, and they may experiment with various meters or not use a regular meter at all. Usually they are 14 lines, but this may also vary slightly. Rules about subject matter are looser than in more traditional sonnets, although modern sonnets should offer some sort of final point or insight in the closing lines. If you have questions, the following articles and resources may help:
Rachel Richardson’s article, “Learning the Sonnet” on the Poetry Foundation’s website: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/70051/learning-the-sonnet
Litcharts article on sonnets: https://www.litcharts.com/literary-devices-and-terms/sonnet
Annie Finch’s article, “Chaos in Fourteen Lines:” https://www.cprw.com/Misc/finch2.htm
Stephanie Burt’s article in Slate: https://slate.com/culture/2019/05/terrance-hayes-sonnet-poetry-stephanie-burt.html?fbclid=IwAR2qSqnUxsnPtIDK16skYfcEUJR9APz1fZKITwxzBnka9dlBGQXp8uDlrTM