We welcome submissions responding to works in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s permanent collection and special exhibits - all areas, including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, costume, musical instruments, and the Met building itself. All styles are welcome from poets around the world.
We pay: $13 per poem
Please send up to three poems with a note about the work(s) they reference.
Simultaneous Submissions: Absolutely fine. Just let us know if a piece is accepted elsewhere.
Reprints: Occasionally. Please mention in your cover letter where the poem(s) first appeared.
AI-Generated Work: No, thanks.
Please Note: We get a number of submissions about works in other museums, and we get many that are simply not ekphrastic poems. We are unable to respond to these entries. Only ekphrastic poems about artwork at the Met will be considered and responded to. Please note the artwork(s) in your cover letter.
Notification: We notify everyone usually 2-3 weeks after the deadline.
Metphrastics is a fan zine, not officially affiliated with the Met, and we are run by a small staff of volunteers. Each poem is read carefully by both editors. Your patience is appreciated.