Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize
Awarded annually, the $100,000 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize honors a living U.S. poet whose lifetime accomplishments warrant extraordinary recognition. Established in 1986 by Ruth Lilly, the Prize is one of the most prestigious awards given to American poets and is one of the largest literary honors for work in the English language.


Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowships
Five Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowships in the amount of  $15,000 will be awarded to young poets through a national competition sponsored by the Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry. Established in 1989 by the Indianapolis philanthropist Ruth Lilly, the fellowships are intended to encourage the further study and writing of poetry. Applicants must be us citizens between the age of twenty-one and thirty-one as of  March 31, 2008.


Pegasus Awards
The Poetry Foundation has established a family of prizes with an emphasis on new awards to under-recognized poets and types of poetry. Inaugurated in 2004, the Pegasus Awards series are named annually in the Fall. Additional prizes are envisioned for the future.

• Neglected Masters Award
  The Neglected Masters Award of $50,000 brings to the reading public renewed critical attention to the work of an under-recognized, significant American poet. If not previously published or longer in print, the works of Neglected Masters are published in collaboration with the Library of America. No applications or unsolicited nominations are accepted.
  
  
  
• Emily Dickinson Award
  The Emily Dickinson First Book Award recognizes an American Poet over the age of 50 who has yet to publish a first book. In addition to publication and promotion of the manuscript, the winner receives a prize of $10,000.
  
  
  
• Mark Twain Poetry Award
  The Mark Twain Poetry Award of $25,000 recognizes a poet's contributions to humor in American poetry. The Award is given in the belief that humorous poetry can also be seriously good poetry, and in the hope that American poetry will in time produce its own Mark Twain. No applications or unsolicited nominations are accepted.
  
  
  
• Randall Jarrell Award in Criticism
  The Randall Jarrell Award in Criticism recognizes and rewards poetry criticism that is intelligent and learned, as well as lively and enjoyable to read. The prize is intended for criticism aimed at a large general readership rather than an audience of specialists. No applications or unsolicited nominations are accepted.
  
  
  
• Children’s Poet Laureate
  The Children’s Poet Laureate: Consultant in Children’s Poetry to the Poetry Foundation award is given to a living American writer in recognition of a career devoted to writing exceptional poetry for the young child. The award aims to raise awareness that children have a natural receptivity to poetry and are its most appreciative audience, especially when poems are written specifically for them. The Children’s Poet Laureate will advise the Poetry Foundation on matters relating to children’s literature and may engage in a variety of projects to help instill a love of poetry among the nation’s youngest readers. The length of the laureate’s tenure is two years and includes a prize of $25,000. The Children’s Poet Laureate will also give two major readings for children and their families, teachers, librarians, and friends over the course of the two-year tenure.
  
  
  
• Verse Drama Prize
  The Verse Drama Prize seeks to bring renewed attention to an underrecognized area of poetry. The prize will honor a living poet who has written a previously unpublished, outstanding original verse drama in English. The award recipient will receive a cash purse of $10,000 and a staged reading of his or her winning manuscript in Chicago.