2025 Wisconsin Sijo Competition
Winners | Judges | Winners' Sijo
Winners
| Adult Division | Senior Division | Junior Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Prize | Rachel Leverenz Cleveland, WI sijo |
Asher Neumeyer Hartland, WI (Terri Carnell) sijo |
Quinnley Gronski Marshfield, WI (Kate Van Haren) sijo |
| Runners-up |
Yia Vue La Crosse, WI sijo |
Ananya David Green Bay, WI (David Fields) |
Leah Normington Pittsville, WI (Kate Van Haren) |
| Honorable Mention |
Genevieve Dwyer West Bend, WI sijo |
Nicole Anderson Delafield, WI (Elizabeth Jorgensen) |
Lilly Eggers Madison, WI (Johs Rasmussen) sijo |
Ivan Romashko Waukesha, WI (Elizabeth Jorgensen) sijo |
( ) Teacher's name
Adult division
I found this competition through the Wisconsin Library Association Bulletin. I’m glad I clicked on the link!
It has been a great experience to learn the sijo form. I really appreciate the structure that comes with sijo.
I have tried several times to write about the experience that is the focus of my sijo poem, and nothing else I previously wrote has come close to capturing the moment better. The syllable limit really makes you pack so much emotion into just a few words, distilling the poem and making it more powerful.
I would like to send a big thank you to the UW-Madison Center for East Asian Studies and the Sejong Cultural Society for introducing me to this form of poetry.
I was asked to share my aspirations for the future. I am studying to become a librarian! I am slowly working on an MLIS degree (Master of Library and Information Science), and my goal is to finish the program in the next few years.
The competition was recommended to me by Facebook.
I'd never written a sijo before so I had to learn fast.
I'm currently writing a book and pursuing my law degree, focusing on human rights and war refugees. I would consider those who put their lives on the line for others to be my heroes.
Character is defined in the actions we take in times of stress and fear.
I discovered this competition last year when I was searching for Korean-related events in which I could participate online.
While writing this sijo, I tried my best to convey the emotion of this true event. It was a challenge to accurately describe everything in a limited amount of syllables. My grandma once said that this was her favorite memory of me when I was much, much younger.
She passed away over two years ago, but I still remember that bedazzled denim jacket and how it sparkled. She was someone who always encouraged my creativity.
I hope to be like her, creating art and memories until I am old. This poem is for her.
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Senior division
I am Asher Neumeyer a senior at Arrowhead High School. I am currently enrolled in the dual enrollment program at WCTC for building trades so that I can start my journey to become an electrician.
I first found out about this competition during my Creative Writing class. My teacher Mrs. Carnell decided to have us try and write sijos. I was a little skeptical initially because I wasn’t sure how to make 3 lines have a big impact and keep the syllable count right. It took a lot of writing and rearranging words to end up with the piece I submitted.
My inspiration to write this piece was my GPA. He is my hero in that he taught me how to fish and since then I've never stopped.
I was introduced to the Wisconsin Sijo competition when a guest speaker came to my Introduction to East Asian Civilizations class. The guest speaker spoke about their experiences learning Korean, told us about the Wisconsin Sijo competition, and had us write a sijo on the spot.
Even though I don’t typically write poetry and had not previously known about sijo, I really enjoyed playing with my writing as I tried to reconcile creativity and musicality with the relatively limited structure of sijo.
That experience inspired me to write a sijo for the Wisconsin Sijo competition. While writing my sijo, I had to change my wording repeatedly to match the syllable structure of sijo; through that process, I learned that a concise, carefully composed phrase often embodies more meaning and beauty than an abundance of pretty words.
Currently, I plan to graduate college with a double major in Molecular Biology and Data Science, and hope to obtain a certificate in East Asian Studies with an emphasis on Korean language. After that, I intend to attend graduate school.
Though it’s a bit of a cliché, one of my heroes has to be my father. I admire his honesty and integrity, and I appreciate how he always pushes me to be better. He inspires me to sacrifice for others and to give my all in everything that I do.
I learned about this competition through my English class.
I learned that when I find something that I enjoy writing about, I love to express myself through the words I write on my screen.
One of my goals and aspirations is to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison for my college education.
Someone I consider as my hero is Olivia Rodrigo because of her powerful lyric writing and her advocacy for women’s health and reproductive rights.
I discovered this competition through my favorite English teacher, Elizabeth Jorgensen.
The most pivotal thing I learned while writing this sijo was just how much I enjoy writing poetry independently, rather than relying on prompts from a teacher like in the past. Since then, I’ve continued to write poetry whenever inspiration strikes, usually recording my poems in my personal journals.
I aspire to become a computer scientist specializing in AI, with a focus on developing ethical frameworks for artificial intelligence. My goal is to contribute to the advancement of AI while ensuring its responsible and ethical use.
My grandparents and my late great-grandfather are my heroes and the inspiration for my poem. Through their stories, as well as the photos and notes my great-grandfather left behind, I’ve learned to deeply value storytelling and the preservation of knowledge.
I now realize how essential it is to continue sharing stories—whether they be grand adventures like my great-grandfather’s or simple moments from everyday life.
Junior division
My name is Quinnley Gronski, I'm a 5th grader at Pittsville Elementary and my teacher, Ms Van Haren told me about the Sijo contest.
I love writing short stories and a poem was a fun new challenge. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my ponies, cat and dog, figure skating and playing basketball.
After college I plan to be a veterinarian and author and I hope to research horse genetics and diseases.
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