What the jackpine sonnet is: 
A sonnet-like poem.

Where it comes from: 
Milton Acorn (1923–1986), a poet from Prince Edward Island, created the genre and named it after the jack pine, a tree that seeds itself in fire.

How to write one: 
Write a poem with 14 lines, each line containing 7 to 13 syllables. But, in Acorn's words, "If your sonnet cuts itself off—click!—at, say line 12, 18 or 20, leave it at that." An odd number of lines is okay too. Apply the rhyme scheme of your choice, and if no rhyme comes up, be patient. Acorn advised writers to write internal rhymes (rhymes within a line) or external rhymes (rhymes at the end of consecutive lines) "to keep the flow." In the absence of rhyme, use assonance (the repetition of vowel sounds), "to keep the rhyme alive in order to come up with a true rhyme further on."

First prize: $500

Second prize: $250

Third prize: $125

How to enter the contest: Write a jackpine sonnet and send it to Geist by post or submit electronically. Include a $10 entry fee, which buys you a one-year subscription to Geist, digital edition.

Contest dead line: Canada Day, July 1, 2010

To keep up to date, join the discussion, and find out more about Milton Acorn, jackpine sonnets, and the Geist Jackpine Sonnet Contest, read the Geist Jackpine Sonnet Blog

Enter today!