Poets.org
Poets.org, the official website of the Academy of American Poets, offers poet bios, poems, essays, audio clips and more.
Read about Jane Campion's film Bright Star, chronicling the love affair between John Keat and his neighbor Fanny Brawne, as well as the poems and love letters featured in the biopic.
Read about Jane Campion's film Bright Star, chronicling the love affair between John Keat and his neighbor Fanny Brawne, as well as the poems and love letters featured in the biopic.
Posted: September 18, 2009, 9:18 am
While it is seems even literary science fiction pieces are rarely categorized as literature, many serious poets have written poems on the topic of life beyond our world.
While it is seems even literary science fiction pieces are rarely categorized as literature, many serious poets have written poems on the topic of life beyond our world.
Posted: July 24, 2009, 6:03 am
The author of numerous books and chapbooks or poetry, Duhamel writes poems that communicate "the ache of human existence."
The author of numerous books and chapbooks or poetry, Duhamel writes poems that communicate "the ache of human existence."
Posted: July 24, 2009, 6:03 am
Oh, summer has clothed the earth / In a cloak from the loom of the sun! / And a mantle, too, of the skies' soft blue...
Oh, summer has clothed the earth / In a cloak from the loom of the sun! / And a mantle, too, of the skies' soft blue...
Posted: July 24, 2009, 6:03 am
The American Revolution inspired a vast body of literature, much of which attempts to allegorize the fledgling nation's birth and cast its genesis in the language of archetypal struggles and timeless human themes.
The American Revolution inspired a vast body of literature, much of which attempts to allegorize the fledgling nation's birth and cast its genesis in the language of archetypal struggles and timeless human themes.
Posted: July 6, 2009, 6:03 am
The author of several books of poetry and a novel, Wheeler writes poems that speak in the "the jangling discourse of our nation."
The author of several books of poetry and a novel, Wheeler writes poems that speak in the "the jangling discourse of our nation."
Posted: July 6, 2009, 6:03 am
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, / And often is his gold complexion dimmed; / And every fair from fair sometime declines, / By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimmed...
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, / And often is his gold complexion dimmed; / And every fair from fair sometime declines, / By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimmed...
Posted: July 6, 2009, 6:03 am
Join the Poets.org Street Team, Create and publish notebooks of your favorite poems, browse writing exercises, join a discussion forum, and more!
Join the Poets.org Street Team, Create and publish notebooks of your favorite poems, browse writing exercises, join a discussion forum, and more!
Posted: June 26, 2009, 6:03 am
Join the Poets.org Street Team, Create and publish notebooks of your favorite poems, browse writing exercises, join a discussion forum, and more!
Join the Poets.org Street Team, Create and publish notebooks of your favorite poems, browse writing exercises, join a discussion forum, and more!
Posted: June 26, 2009, 6:03 am
like summer melon / hit by a part / from a washing machine
like summer melon / hit by a part / from a washing machine
Posted: June 19, 2009, 6:03 am
"It doesn't matter who my father was," Anne Sexton once wrote, "it matters who I remember he was." That memory--of the enormous, perhaps protective, perhaps absent, often mythic man--looms large in poems about fathers.
"It doesn't matter who my father was," Anne Sexton once wrote, "it matters who I remember he was." That memory--of the enormous, perhaps protective, perhaps absent, often mythic man--looms large in poems about fathers.
Posted: June 19, 2009, 6:03 am
Down in a green and shady bed / A modest violet grew; / Its stalk was bent, it hung its head, / As if to hide from view.
Down in a green and shady bed / A modest violet grew; / Its stalk was bent, it hung its head, / As if to hide from view.
Posted: June 19, 2009, 6:03 am
Works of concrete poetry are as much pieces of visual art made with words as they are poems.
Works of concrete poetry are as much pieces of visual art made with words as they are poems.
Posted: June 9, 2009, 6:03 am
Looking up at the stars, I know quite well / That, for all they care, I can go to hell, / But on earth indifference is the least / We have to dread from man or beast.
Looking up at the stars, I know quite well / That, for all they care, I can go to hell, / But on earth indifference is the least / We have to dread from man or beast.
Posted: June 9, 2009, 6:03 am
A recipient of the MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship in 2005, C. D. Wright is the author of twelve collections of poetry and prose, most recently Rising, Falling, Hovering.
A recipient of the MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship in 2005, C. D. Wright is the author of twelve collections of poetry and prose, most recently Rising, Falling, Hovering.
Posted: June 9, 2009, 6:03 am
These three American poets demonstrate radical and radically different strategies with which poetry can confront and represent extreme situations.
These three American poets demonstrate radical and radically different strategies with which poetry can confront and represent extreme situations.
Posted: June 4, 2009, 6:03 am
"Both Whitman and Dickinson purposely infuse a radical and personal erotic into the elegiac tradition."
"Both Whitman and Dickinson purposely infuse a radical and personal erotic into the elegiac tradition."
Posted: May 29, 2009, 6:03 am
John Ashbery has said: "Ann Lauterbach's poetry goes straight to the elastic, infinite core of time."
John Ashbery has said: "Ann Lauterbach's poetry goes straight to the elastic, infinite core of time."
Posted: May 29, 2009, 6:03 am
Recipient of the 2009 Walt Whitman Award for a first collection, Martinez is the author of Heredities, which will be published in 2010.
Recipient of the 2009 Walt Whitman Award for a first collection, Martinez is the author of Heredities, which will be published in 2010.
Posted: May 29, 2009, 6:03 am
Found poems take existing texts and refashion them, reorder them, and present them as poems. The literary equivalent of a collage, found poetry is often made from newspaper articles, street signs, graffiti, speeches, letters, or even other poems.
Found poems take existing texts and refashion them, reorder them, and present them as poems. The literary equivalent of a collage, found poetry is often made from newspaper articles, street signs, graffiti, speeches, letters, or even other poems.
Posted: May 29, 2009, 6:03 am
The bee-boy, merops apiaster, on sultry thundery days / filled his bosom between his coarse shirt and his skin / with bees--his every meal wild honey.
The bee-boy, merops apiaster, on sultry thundery days / filled his bosom between his coarse shirt and his skin / with bees--his every meal wild honey.
Posted: May 29, 2009, 6:03 am
It is in his attitude, his attitude toward words / that George Oppen finds the ground for being and so / creates poetry that is, for me, a source for a richer and more / communal life.
It is in his attitude, his attitude toward words / that George Oppen finds the ground for being and so / creates poetry that is, for me, a source for a richer and more / communal life.
Posted: May 29, 2009, 6:03 am
A link between their romantic precursors and their surrealist successors, the Symbolists were undeniably influential and built their structures and conceits upon grand, illogical, intuitive associations.
A link between their romantic precursors and their surrealist successors, the Symbolists were undeniably influential and built their structures and conceits upon grand, illogical, intuitive associations.
Posted: May 29, 2009, 6:03 am
Sherman Alexie, a Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian, was born in 1966 on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, Washington.
Sherman Alexie, a Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian, was born in 1966 on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, Washington.
Posted: May 29, 2009, 6:03 am
About Oppen, poet James Longenbach has written: "Oppen's respect for the art of making, no matter how small, is at every moment palpable, and it infuses his work with sweetness that makes difficulty feel like life's reward."
About Oppen, poet James Longenbach has written: "Oppen's respect for the art of making, no matter how small, is at every moment palpable, and it infuses his work with sweetness that makes difficulty feel like life's reward."
Posted: May 29, 2009, 6:03 am
The world is charged with the grandeur of God. / It will flame out, like shining from shook foil; / It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil / Crushed.
The world is charged with the grandeur of God. / It will flame out, like shining from shook foil; / It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil / Crushed.
Posted: May 29, 2009, 6:03 am
A neighbor, for a few of those years, was D. W. Griffith, whose studio was nearby in Mamaroneck. They may never have met, though the child later mastered and adapted certain of the director's inventions. The close-up and the iris: the isolation of the particular in the panorama of history or of culture.
A neighbor, for a few of those years, was D. W. Griffith, whose studio was nearby in Mamaroneck. They may never have met, though the child later mastered and adapted certain of the director's inventions. The close-up and the iris: the isolation of the particular in the panorama of history or of culture.
Posted: May 29, 2009, 6:03 am
This ultra-high quality black American Apparel tee features a line from Wallace Stevens' poem Le Monocle de Mon Oncle screen-printed in striking electric blue lettering on the back of the shirt, with the scansion of that line across the front. This shirt is available exclusively from Poets.org, and comes in XL, L, M, and S unisex sizes.
This ultra-high quality black American Apparel tee features a line from Wallace Stevens' poem Le Monocle de Mon Oncle screen-printed in striking electric blue lettering on the back of the shirt, with the scansion of that line across the front. This shirt is available exclusively from Poets.org, and comes in XL, L, M, and S unisex sizes.
Posted: May 7, 2009, 6:03 am
Write lines from a favorite poem on a sandy beach, assemble twigs on a hillside, or chalk the sidewalk. Take a photo before it disappears and post it in the Free Verse group page on Flickr, or on the Academy's Fan Page on Facebook. Be sure to include the source of your lines in the photo caption.
Write lines from a favorite poem on a sandy beach, assemble twigs on a hillside, or chalk the sidewalk. Take a photo before it disappears and post it in the Free Verse group page on Flickr, or on the Academy's Fan Page on Facebook. Be sure to include the source of your lines in the photo caption.
Posted: May 7, 2009, 6:03 am
Just appointed Britain's Poet Laureate, Duffy is the first woman to hold the position in its 341 year history, a post once held by Dryden, Tennyson, and Wordsworth.
Just appointed Britain's Poet Laureate, Duffy is the first woman to hold the position in its 341 year history, a post once held by Dryden, Tennyson, and Wordsworth.
Posted: May 7, 2009, 6:03 am
There is no substitute for the intimacy of a handwritten note, no gift as singular as words carefully considered and chosen. The impulse to personalize correspondence is evident in the custom to sign letters by hand, even when the rest is typed.
There is no substitute for the intimacy of a handwritten note, no gift as singular as words carefully considered and chosen. The impulse to personalize correspondence is evident in the custom to sign letters by hand, even when the rest is typed.
Posted: May 7, 2009, 6:03 am
It fell to me to tell the bees, / though I had wanted another duty— / to be the scribbler at his death, / there chart the third day's quickening.
It fell to me to tell the bees, / though I had wanted another duty— / to be the scribbler at his death, / there chart the third day's quickening.
Posted: April 17, 2009, 6:03 am
Spring is like a perhaps hand / (which comes carefully / out of Nowhere)arranging / a window,into which people look(while / people stare / arranging and changing placing / carefully there a strange / thing and a known thing here)and / changing everything carefully
Spring is like a perhaps hand / (which comes carefully / out of Nowhere)arranging / a window,into which people look(while / people stare / arranging and changing placing / carefully there a strange / thing and a known thing here)and / changing everything carefully
Posted: April 17, 2009, 6:03 am
The sea is calm tonight. / The tide is full, the moon lies fair / Upon the straits...
The sea is calm tonight. / The tide is full, the moon lies fair / Upon the straits...
Posted: April 13, 2009, 6:03 am
A list of new poetry titles that will be published in spring 2009 by the sponsors of National Poetry Month. Browse the list by poet, title, or press. Click on a title to get more information and a sample poem.
A list of new poetry titles that will be published in spring 2009 by the sponsors of National Poetry Month. Browse the list by poet, title, or press. Click on a title to get more information and a sample poem.
Posted: April 13, 2009, 6:03 am
"Directive" reads to me like the height of Frost's poetry, the poem he climbed toward for perhaps forty years. Imagery and tone both tell that he's taken this road before...
"Directive" reads to me like the height of Frost's poetry, the poem he climbed toward for perhaps forty years. Imagery and tone both tell that he's taken this road before...
Posted: April 9, 2009, 6:03 am
Frost spoke at some length about tone, believing as he did that the "One who concerns himself with it [the sound of sense] more than the subject is an artist..."
Frost spoke at some length about tone, believing as he did that the "One who concerns himself with it [the sound of sense] more than the subject is an artist..."
Posted: April 9, 2009, 6:03 am
Contrarieties, opposing goods, opposing truths: they are everywhere in his art...
Contrarieties, opposing goods, opposing truths: they are everywhere in his art...
Posted: April 9, 2009, 6:03 am
Updated frequently, find generative writing exercises and reading assignments to inspire and engage.
Updated frequently, find generative writing exercises and reading assignments to inspire and engage.
Posted: April 2, 2009, 6:03 am
Each year poet bloggers throughout the country participate in NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month). An adaptation of National Novel Writing Month, NaPoWriMo challenges participants to write and post a poem each day in April.
Each year poet bloggers throughout the country participate in NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month). An adaptation of National Novel Writing Month, NaPoWriMo challenges participants to write and post a poem each day in April.
Posted: April 2, 2009, 6:03 am
Sign up now to receive a poem each day in April!
Sign up now to receive a poem each day in April!
Posted: April 2, 2009, 6:03 am
"Bidart's poems crucify themselves between their confessionalism and their classicism."
"Bidart's poems crucify themselves between their confessionalism and their classicism."
Posted: March 20, 2009, 6:03 am
An epigram is a short, pithy saying, usually in verse, often with a quick, satirical twist at the end. The subject is usually a single thought or event.
An epigram is a short, pithy saying, usually in verse, often with a quick, satirical twist at the end. The subject is usually a single thought or event.
Posted: March 20, 2009, 6:03 am
Published in conjunction with the Academy of American Poets, Poem in Your Pocket enables you to select a poem you love, neatly tear it out from the book, and then carry it with you all day to read, be inspired by, and share with coworkers, family, and friends. This innovative format features 200 poems from Shakespeare to Sexton, cleverly organized by theme. This collection also features an introduction by U.S. Poet Laureate Kay Ryan.
Published in conjunction with the Academy of American Poets, Poem in Your Pocket enables you to select a poem you love, neatly tear it out from the book, and then carry it with you all day to read, be inspired by, and share with coworkers, family, and friends. This innovative format features 200 poems from Shakespeare to Sexton, cleverly organized by theme. This collection also features an introduction by U.S. Poet Laureate Kay Ryan.
Posted: March 12, 2009, 6:03 am
Unlike her contemporaries, Bishop avoided explicit accounts of her personal life, and focused her crafted lines on subtle impressions of the physical world.
Unlike her contemporaries, Bishop avoided explicit accounts of her personal life, and focused her crafted lines on subtle impressions of the physical world.
Posted: March 12, 2009, 6:03 am
Born in Kansas, Keith Waldrop met his wife, the poet and translator Rosmarie Waldrop, in 1954, while stationed in Kitzingen, Germany with the United States military. Together they founded Burning Deck Press, in 1968.
Born in Kansas, Keith Waldrop met his wife, the poet and translator Rosmarie Waldrop, in 1954, while stationed in Kitzingen, Germany with the United States military. Together they founded Burning Deck Press, in 1968.
Posted: March 12, 2009, 6:03 am
After publishing her first book in 1912, Akhmatova became a cult figure among the literary scene in Russia and a leader of Acmeism, a movement which praised lucid, carefully-crafted verse.
After publishing her first book in 1912, Akhmatova became a cult figure among the literary scene in Russia and a leader of Acmeism, a movement which praised lucid, carefully-crafted verse.
Posted: March 6, 2009, 6:03 am
The end of World War II left poets such as Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Gregory Corso questioning mainstream politics and culture.
The end of World War II left poets such as Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Gregory Corso questioning mainstream politics and culture.
Posted: March 6, 2009, 6:03 am
I strongly feel that every poem, every work of art, everything that is well done, well made, well said, generously given, adds to our chances of survival by making the world and our lives more habitable.
I strongly feel that every poem, every work of art, everything that is well done, well made, well said, generously given, adds to our chances of survival by making the world and our lives more habitable.
Posted: March 5, 2009, 6:03 am
At the earliest ending of winter, / In March, a scrawny cry from outside...
At the earliest ending of winter, / In March, a scrawny cry from outside...
Posted: March 5, 2009, 6:03 am
This year's benefit will include readings by Jorie Graham, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Chip Kidd, Wynton Marsalis, Steve Reich, and other special guests to be announced.
This year's benefit will include readings by Jorie Graham, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Chip Kidd, Wynton Marsalis, Steve Reich, and other special guests to be announced.
Posted: March 4, 2009, 6:03 am
Largely influenced by the New York School, Young's work combines aspects of experimentation and surrealism. About him, Charles Simic wrote: "This man reminds us that there is nothing more serious than a joke."
Largely influenced by the New York School, Young's work combines aspects of experimentation and surrealism. About him, Charles Simic wrote: "This man reminds us that there is nothing more serious than a joke."
Posted: February 27, 2009, 6:03 am
The Fireside poets (also called the "schoolroom" or "household" poets) were the first group of American poets to rival British poets in popularity in either country.
The Fireside poets (also called the "schoolroom" or "household" poets) were the first group of American poets to rival British poets in popularity in either country.
Posted: February 27, 2009, 6:03 am
The rain falls on. / Acres of violets unfold. / Dandelion, mayflower / Myrtle and forsythia follow.
The rain falls on. / Acres of violets unfold. / Dandelion, mayflower / Myrtle and forsythia follow.
Posted: February 27, 2009, 6:03 am
please advise stop / basin of hills polished with the pour of sunset / please / easing down on one knee...
please advise stop / basin of hills polished with the pour of sunset / please / easing down on one knee...
Posted: February 20, 2009, 6:03 am
The son of two accountants, Eric Pankey published his first collection, For the New Year, after it was selected by Mark Strand as the winner of the 1984 Walt Whitman Award.
The son of two accountants, Eric Pankey published his first collection, For the New Year, after it was selected by Mark Strand as the winner of the 1984 Walt Whitman Award.
Posted: February 20, 2009, 6:03 am
I am not a painter, I am a poet. / Why? I think I would rather be / a painter, but I am not...
I am not a painter, I am a poet. / Why? I think I would rather be / a painter, but I am not...
Posted: February 20, 2009, 6:03 am
Celebrate and explore the rich tradition of African American poetry through essays on literary milestones, intersections of music, poetry and art, and profiles and poems of historical and contemporary poets who continue to pioneer new ground while keeping an eye on the past.
Celebrate and explore the rich tradition of African American poetry through essays on literary milestones, intersections of music, poetry and art, and profiles and poems of historical and contemporary poets who continue to pioneer new ground while keeping an eye on the past.
Posted: February 19, 2009, 6:03 am
In an essay that examines the endurance of common speech in poetry, Tom Thompson argues that Wordsworth's Preface, written to support a poetic "experiment" in 1800, is now the rule.
In an essay that examines the endurance of common speech in poetry, Tom Thompson argues that Wordsworth's Preface, written to support a poetic "experiment" in 1800, is now the rule.
Posted: February 19, 2009, 6:03 am
Body, remember not only how much you were loved, / not only the beds where you lay, / but also those desires for you, / shining clearly in eyes / and trembling in a voice—and some chance / obstacle thwarted them.
Body, remember not only how much you were loved, / not only the beds where you lay, / but also those desires for you, / shining clearly in eyes / and trembling in a voice—and some chance / obstacle thwarted them.
Posted: February 13, 2009, 6:03 am
What have I to say to you / When we shall meet? / Yet— / I lie here thinking of you. / The stain of love / Is upon the world. / Yellow, yellow, yellow, / It eats into the leaves...
What have I to say to you / When we shall meet? / Yet— / I lie here thinking of you. / The stain of love / Is upon the world. / Yellow, yellow, yellow, / It eats into the leaves...
Posted: February 13, 2009, 6:03 am
It ended, and the morrow brought the task. / Her eyes were guilty gates, that let him in / By shutting all too zealous for their sin: / Each sucked a secret, and each wore a mask. / But, oh, the bitter taste her beauty had.
It ended, and the morrow brought the task. / Her eyes were guilty gates, that let him in / By shutting all too zealous for their sin: / Each sucked a secret, and each wore a mask. / But, oh, the bitter taste her beauty had.
Posted: February 13, 2009, 6:03 am
Therefore the Love which us doth bind, / But Fate so enviously debars, / Is the conjunction of the Mind, / And opposition of the Stars.
Therefore the Love which us doth bind, / But Fate so enviously debars, / Is the conjunction of the Mind, / And opposition of the Stars.
Posted: February 13, 2009, 6:03 am
Woo your sweetie by pairing the perfect poem with dessert, drinks, and flowers. The irresistible combination is sure to result in wobbly knees, a melting heart, and a thoroughly smitten valentine. From lustful to sacred verse, and classic to contemporary authors, pick up a few ideas from this selection of ten poetic pairings to lure your adored one straight into your arms.
Woo your sweetie by pairing the perfect poem with dessert, drinks, and flowers. The irresistible combination is sure to result in wobbly knees, a melting heart, and a thoroughly smitten valentine. From lustful to sacred verse, and classic to contemporary authors, pick up a few ideas from this selection of ten poetic pairings to lure your adored one straight into your arms.
Posted: February 13, 2009, 6:03 am
Free cards to share by paper or screen with your sweethearts, friends, family, classmates, and co-workers. From the irreverent to romantic, they feature lines from Emily Dickinson, Andrew Marvell, E. E. Cummings, Robert Frost, Robert Desnos, and James Wright. Just download, print, and send.
Free cards to share by paper or screen with your sweethearts, friends, family, classmates, and co-workers. From the irreverent to romantic, they feature lines from Emily Dickinson, Andrew Marvell, E. E. Cummings, Robert Frost, Robert Desnos, and James Wright. Just download, print, and send.
Posted: February 10, 2009, 6:03 am
They talk all day / and when it starts to get dark / they lower their voices / to converse with their own shadows...
They talk all day / and when it starts to get dark / they lower their voices / to converse with their own shadows...
Posted: February 9, 2009, 6:03 am
Though predominantly known as a novelist, John Updike wrote several collections of poetry, most recently Americana and Other Poems.
Though predominantly known as a novelist, John Updike wrote several collections of poetry, most recently Americana and Other Poems.
Posted: February 9, 2009, 6:03 am
from, prep. 1. Starting at (a particular place or time): As in, John was from Chicago, but he played guitar straight from the Delta...
from, prep. 1. Starting at (a particular place or time): As in, John was from Chicago, but he played guitar straight from the Delta...
Posted: February 9, 2009, 6:03 am
Read their biographies and selected poems at poets.org/ehirs and poets.org/mhack.
Read their biographies and selected poems at poets.org/ehirs and poets.org/mhack.
Posted: February 9, 2009, 6:03 am
The rondeau began as a lyric form in thirteenth-century France, popular among medieval court poets and musicians.
The rondeau began as a lyric form in thirteenth-century France, popular among medieval court poets and musicians.
Posted: February 9, 2009, 6:03 am
Each day we go about our business, / walking past each other, catching each other's / eyes or not, about to speak or speaking. / All about us is noise.
Each day we go about our business, / walking past each other, catching each other's / eyes or not, about to speak or speaking. / All about us is noise.
Posted: January 21, 2009, 6:03 am
In the words of the poet William Meredith, the decision to include Frost in the inauguration "focused attention on Kennedy as a man of culture, as a man interested in culture." Kennedy's decision to include Frost, however, was more likely a personal gesture to the poet, who was responsible for much of the momentum early in the President's campaign.
In the words of the poet William Meredith, the decision to include Frost in the inauguration "focused attention on Kennedy as a man of culture, as a man interested in culture." Kennedy's decision to include Frost, however, was more likely a personal gesture to the poet, who was responsible for much of the momentum early in the President's campaign.
Posted: January 21, 2009, 6:03 am
Some of the world's oldest surviving poems are about great armies and heroic battles. While Homer may have idealized his combatants and revered their triumphant fighting, the treatment of war in poetry has grown increasingly more complex since then.
Some of the world's oldest surviving poems are about great armies and heroic battles. While Homer may have idealized his combatants and revered their triumphant fighting, the treatment of war in poetry has grown increasingly more complex since then.
Posted: January 13, 2009, 6:03 am
Up they soar, the planet's butterflies, pigments from the warm body of the earth...
Up they soar, the planet's butterflies, pigments from the warm body of the earth...
Posted: January 9, 2009, 6:03 am
Selected to read at President Barack Obama's inauguration, Alexander is the author of four books of poems, including American Sublime, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Selected to read at President Barack Obama's inauguration, Alexander is the author of four books of poems, including American Sublime, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Posted: December 17, 2008, 6:03 am
When you have forgotten (to bring into / Play that fragrant morsel of rhetoric, / Crisp as autumnal air), when...
When you have forgotten (to bring into / Play that fragrant morsel of rhetoric, / Crisp as autumnal air), when...
Posted: December 16, 2008, 6:03 am
Applauded for their ambitious experimentation with language and syntax, Dickey's poems address humanity and violence by presenting the instincts of humans and animals as antithetical to the false safety of civilization.
Applauded for their ambitious experimentation with language and syntax, Dickey's poems address humanity and violence by presenting the instincts of humans and animals as antithetical to the false safety of civilization.
Posted: December 16, 2008, 6:03 am
Please advise stop. / Only gray rocks with drifting mist..."
Please advise stop. / Only gray rocks with drifting mist..."
Posted: December 5, 2008, 6:03 am
And suppose the darlings get to Mantua, / suppose they cheat the crypt, what next? Begin / with him, unshaven.
And suppose the darlings get to Mantua, / suppose they cheat the crypt, what next? Begin / with him, unshaven.
Posted: December 5, 2008, 6:03 am
...listen—your final pleasure—to the voices, / to the exquisite music of that strange procession, / to say goodbye to her, to the Alexandria you are losing...
...listen—your final pleasure—to the voices, / to the exquisite music of that strange procession, / to say goodbye to her, to the Alexandria you are losing...
Posted: December 2, 2008, 6:03 am
That's what misery is, / Nothing to have at heart. / It is to have or nothing...
That's what misery is, / Nothing to have at heart. / It is to have or nothing...
Posted: December 1, 2008, 6:03 am
In his review of The Bridge, Winters reported that "the flaws in Mr. Crane's genius are, I believe, so great as to partake, if they persist, almost of the nature of public catastrophe.
In his review of The Bridge, Winters reported that "the flaws in Mr. Crane's genius are, I believe, so great as to partake, if they persist, almost of the nature of public catastrophe.
Posted: December 1, 2008, 6:03 am
Poems for giving thanks from W. S. Merwin, Marvin Bell, Christian Hawkey, Rumi, James Weldon Johnson, Naomi Shihab Nye, Robert Browning, and others.
Poems for giving thanks from W. S. Merwin, Marvin Bell, Christian Hawkey, Rumi, James Weldon Johnson, Naomi Shihab Nye, Robert Browning, and others.
Posted: November 25, 2008, 6:03 am
Born in Jamaica, West Indies, in 1889, Claude McKay influenced the writers of the Harlem Renaissance and gained the deep respect of younger black poets, including his friend Langston Hughes.
Born in Jamaica, West Indies, in 1889, Claude McKay influenced the writers of the Harlem Renaissance and gained the deep respect of younger black poets, including his friend Langston Hughes.
Posted: November 25, 2008, 6:03 am
I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear, / Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong, /
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam...
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam...
I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear, / Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong, /
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam...
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam...
Posted: November 5, 2008, 6:03 am
Hope is the thing with feathers / That perches in the soul, /And sings the tune without the words, / And never stops at all...
Hope is the thing with feathers / That perches in the soul, /And sings the tune without the words, / And never stops at all...
Posted: November 5, 2008, 6:03 am
A ghoulish collection of spooky poems, a guide to poets' graves, and poems for the hellish depths of the underworld.
A ghoulish collection of spooky poems, a guide to poets' graves, and poems for the hellish depths of the underworld.
Posted: October 30, 2008, 6:03 am
If it is true that what we read helps shape us, just as true is that our choices in reading are the result of our sensibility...
If it is true that what we read helps shape us, just as true is that our choices in reading are the result of our sensibility...
Posted: October 30, 2008, 6:03 am
The Walt Whitman Award brings first-book publication, a cash prize of $5,000, and a one-month residency at the Vermont Studio Center to an American who has never before published a book of poetry. The winning manuscript, chosen by an eminent poet, is published by Louisiana State University Press.
The Walt Whitman Award brings first-book publication, a cash prize of $5,000, and a one-month residency at the Vermont Studio Center to an American who has never before published a book of poetry. The winning manuscript, chosen by an eminent poet, is published by Louisiana State University Press.
Posted: October 29, 2008, 6:03 am
We went out/ into the school yard together, me and the boy / whose name and face...
We went out/ into the school yard together, me and the boy / whose name and face...
Posted: October 29, 2008, 6:03 am
Where else in all America are we so symbolized / As in this hall? ...
Where else in all America are we so symbolized / As in this hall? ...
Posted: October 24, 2008, 6:03 am
Born in 1803, Emerson challenged traditional thought and was the chief spokesman for Transcendentalism, believing that everything in the world, even a drop of dew, is a microcosm of the universe
Born in 1803, Emerson challenged traditional thought and was the chief spokesman for Transcendentalism, believing that everything in the world, even a drop of dew, is a microcosm of the universe
Posted: October 24, 2008, 6:03 am
Interviewed by Cortney Davis, physician and poet Rafael Campo discusses the shared attributes of caregiving and writing.
Interviewed by Cortney Davis, physician and poet Rafael Campo discusses the shared attributes of caregiving and writing.
Posted: October 21, 2008, 6:03 am
Born in Louisiana in 1902, Arna Bontemps was a successful novelist, poet, historian and biographer and much of his writing was dedicated to portraying the life of African Americans.
Born in Louisiana in 1902, Arna Bontemps was a successful novelist, poet, historian and biographer and much of his writing was dedicated to portraying the life of African Americans.
Posted: October 16, 2008, 6:03 am
So this guy walks into a bar and asks for a beer. Sorry, /
the bartender says, I only sell atom smashers...
the bartender says, I only sell atom smashers...
So this guy walks into a bar and asks for a beer. Sorry, /
the bartender says, I only sell atom smashers...
the bartender says, I only sell atom smashers...
Posted: October 16, 2008, 6:03 am
The solid houses in the mist / are thin as tissue paper; / the water laps slowly at the rocks...
The solid houses in the mist / are thin as tissue paper; / the water laps slowly at the rocks...
Posted: October 14, 2008, 6:03 am
Poems for the Fall from Robert Frost, Larry Levis, Gerard Manley Hopkins, James Wright, Tomas Transtromer, John Keats, and others.
Poems for the Fall from Robert Frost, Larry Levis, Gerard Manley Hopkins, James Wright, Tomas Transtromer, John Keats, and others.
Posted: October 14, 2008, 6:03 am
An open letter from Academy of American Poets Executive Director Tree Swenson, and a selection of poems.
An open letter from Academy of American Poets Executive Director Tree Swenson, and a selection of poems.
Posted: October 14, 2008, 6:03 am
A jet of mere phantom / Is a brook, as the land around / Turns rocky and hollow...
A jet of mere phantom / Is a brook, as the land around / Turns rocky and hollow...
Posted: October 6, 2008, 6:03 am
About Cole's winning book, judge John Koethe remarked: Henri Cole has become one of his generation's most assured and accomplished poets, and Blackbird and Wolf is a powerful and masterful book: powerful in the psychological directness of its self-scrutiny, and masterful in its achievement of a poetry so artful it almost seems artless.
About Cole's winning book, judge John Koethe remarked: Henri Cole has become one of his generation's most assured and accomplished poets, and Blackbird and Wolf is a powerful and masterful book: powerful in the psychological directness of its self-scrutiny, and masterful in its achievement of a poetry so artful it almost seems artless.
Posted: October 6, 2008, 6:03 am
"I don’t think I could have said then why...Hayden’s poems meant as much to me as it did. But the poems sank deeply into me, and they consoled me. By now I can say why."
"I don’t think I could have said then why...Hayden’s poems meant as much to me as it did. But the poems sank deeply into me, and they consoled me. By now I can say why."
Posted: October 1, 2008, 6:03 am
About Hayden Carruth, the poet Galway Kinnell has said, "This is not a man who sits down to 'write a poem'; rather, some burden of understanding and feeling, some need to know, forces his poems into being."
About Hayden Carruth, the poet Galway Kinnell has said, "This is not a man who sits down to 'write a poem'; rather, some burden of understanding and feeling, some need to know, forces his poems into being."
Posted: October 1, 2008, 6:03 am
Of course I know the story of the scorpion / and the frog. I've known Biggers all my life. / I've cast down my bucket...
Of course I know the story of the scorpion / and the frog. I've known Biggers all my life. / I've cast down my bucket...
Posted: September 30, 2008, 6:03 am
According to poet and critic Stephen Burt, the essay "serves as a backhanded guide to O'Hara's own practice."
According to poet and critic Stephen Burt, the essay "serves as a backhanded guide to O'Hara's own practice."
Posted: September 30, 2008, 6:03 am
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, / Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; / Conspiring with him how to load and bless / With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run...
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, / Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; / Conspiring with him how to load and bless / With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run...
Posted: September 15, 2008, 6:03 am
Through her close relationship with Ezra Pound, H. D. grew interested in and quickly became a leader of the Imagist movement.
Through her close relationship with Ezra Pound, H. D. grew interested in and quickly became a leader of the Imagist movement.
Posted: September 15, 2008, 6:03 am
Now that no one looking at the night— / Sky blanked by leakage from electric lamps...
Now that no one looking at the night— / Sky blanked by leakage from electric lamps...
Posted: September 11, 2008, 6:03 am
Marilyn Hacker has called Shepherd "a writer always concious of the shadowy borders where myth and history—his own and Western civilization's—mingle."
Marilyn Hacker has called Shepherd "a writer always concious of the shadowy borders where myth and history—his own and Western civilization's—mingle."
Posted: September 11, 2008, 6:03 am
Kanaka Maoli has become associated with poets who attempt to honor the use of native Hawaiian language in their work.
Kanaka Maoli has become associated with poets who attempt to honor the use of native Hawaiian language in their work.
Posted: September 10, 2008, 6:03 am
Born in Iowa in 1921, Mona Van Duyn is the author of ten collections of poems, including To See, To Take, which received the National Book Award in 1971.
Born in Iowa in 1921, Mona Van Duyn is the author of ten collections of poems, including To See, To Take, which received the National Book Award in 1971.
Posted: September 2, 2008, 6:03 am
When God at first made man, / Having a glass of blessings standing by, / "Let us," said he, "pour on him all we can. / Let the world's riches, which dispersed lie, / Contract into a span."
When God at first made man, / Having a glass of blessings standing by, / "Let us," said he, "pour on him all we can. / Let the world's riches, which dispersed lie, / Contract into a span."
Posted: September 2, 2008, 6:03 am
From ready-to-wear to haute couture, poetry addresses the coat, the jacket, the shoe and other loved articles we keep closest to us.
From ready-to-wear to haute couture, poetry addresses the coat, the jacket, the shoe and other loved articles we keep closest to us.
Posted: August 28, 2008, 6:03 am
They didn't have much trouble / teaching the ape to write poems: / first they strapped him into the chair...
They didn't have much trouble / teaching the ape to write poems: / first they strapped him into the chair...
Posted: August 28, 2008, 6:03 am
"Mahmoud Darwish is the Essential Breath of the Palestinian people, the eloquent witness of exile and belonging," writes poet Naomi Shihab Nye about the eminent writer who died this August after undergoing heart surgery in Texas. In a retrospective written by his translator, Fady Joudah explains: "his writing stands clearly at the border of earth and sky, reality and myth, love and exile, poetry and prose." Learn more about Darwish, and read the essay and a selection of his poems.
"Mahmoud Darwish is the Essential Breath of the Palestinian people, the eloquent witness of exile and belonging," writes poet Naomi Shihab Nye about the eminent writer who died this August after undergoing heart surgery in Texas. In a retrospective written by his translator, Fady Joudah explains: "his writing stands clearly at the border of earth and sky, reality and myth, love and exile, poetry and prose." Learn more about Darwish, and read the essay and a selection of his poems.
Posted: August 25, 2008, 6:03 am
Spanning over two hundred years, Michael Harper's and Anthony Walton's anthology produces a vast narration of struggle, love, race, and redemption through the work of fifty poets.
Spanning over two hundred years, Michael Harper's and Anthony Walton's anthology produces a vast narration of struggle, love, race, and redemption through the work of fifty poets.
Posted: August 7, 2008, 6:03 am
Someone put that basket under the dresser. / Chose to. Bent. Kicked it maybe...
Someone put that basket under the dresser. / Chose to. Bent. Kicked it maybe...
Posted: August 7, 2008, 6:03 am
The flower sermon: / critique is like a swoon / but with a step increase, / the awkward daughter who grows / to join the NBA.
The flower sermon: / critique is like a swoon / but with a step increase, / the awkward daughter who grows / to join the NBA.
Posted: August 7, 2008, 6:03 am
One of the most distinguished members of the New York School of poets, Frank O'Hara wrote impromptu lyrics that jumble witty talk, journalistic parodies, and surrealist imagery.
One of the most distinguished members of the New York School of poets, Frank O'Hara wrote impromptu lyrics that jumble witty talk, journalistic parodies, and surrealist imagery.
Posted: August 7, 2008, 6:03 am
Celebrate the quadracentennial of one of history's greatest poets, with poems, prose, translations, a biography and more from Poets.org
Celebrate the quadracentennial of one of history's greatest poets, with poems, prose, translations, a biography and more from Poets.org
Posted: August 6, 2008, 6:03 am
The name of the author is the first to go / followed obediently by the title, the plot, / the heartbreaking conclusion, the entire novel / which suddenly becomes one you have never read, / never even heard of...
The name of the author is the first to go / followed obediently by the title, the plot, / the heartbreaking conclusion, the entire novel / which suddenly becomes one you have never read, / never even heard of...
Posted: July 22, 2008, 6:03 am
Beat the heat with poems by Rita Dove, William Meredith, Lynda Hull, Jack Spicer, Liam Rector, Joshua Beckman, Derek Walcott, Mark Jarman, and more.
Beat the heat with poems by Rita Dove, William Meredith, Lynda Hull, Jack Spicer, Liam Rector, Joshua Beckman, Derek Walcott, Mark Jarman, and more.
Posted: July 18, 2008, 6:03 am
Chancellor Kay Ryan has just been named US Poet Laureate. Learn all about her - and read poems, listen to audio, and watch video of Ryan - on Poets.org
Chancellor Kay Ryan has just been named US Poet Laureate. Learn all about her - and read poems, listen to audio, and watch video of Ryan - on Poets.org
Posted: July 18, 2008, 6:03 am
Nothing can ever happen twice. / In consequence, the sorry fact is / that we arrive here improvised...
Nothing can ever happen twice. / In consequence, the sorry fact is / that we arrive here improvised...
Posted: July 14, 2008, 6:03 am
After serving in the United States Navy and touring Europe and the Middle East, Kinnell worked as an activist, eventually publishing The Book of Nightmares, a book-length poem concerned with the Vietnam War.
After serving in the United States Navy and touring Europe and the Middle East, Kinnell worked as an activist, eventually publishing The Book of Nightmares, a book-length poem concerned with the Vietnam War.
Posted: July 11, 2008, 6:03 am
A popular form in children’s verse, the limerick is often comical, nonsensical, and sometimes even lewd.
A popular form in children’s verse, the limerick is often comical, nonsensical, and sometimes even lewd.
Posted: July 11, 2008, 6:03 am
The struggle for American independence inspired—and continues to inspire—a vast body of literature. Read an essay tracing this tradition, along with poems by William Blake, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walt Whitman, and others, all written as a new nation was being born.
The struggle for American independence inspired—and continues to inspire—a vast body of literature. Read an essay tracing this tradition, along with poems by William Blake, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walt Whitman, and others, all written as a new nation was being born.
Posted: July 3, 2008, 6:03 am
"Describing the wind that drives it, cloud rides between Earth and space..."
"Describing the wind that drives it, cloud rides between Earth and space..."
Posted: July 3, 2008, 6:03 am
Also known as a persona poem, the dramatic monologue offers one person's speech without overt analysis or commentary.
Also known as a persona poem, the dramatic monologue offers one person's speech without overt analysis or commentary.
Posted: June 30, 2008, 6:03 am
Adonis has fearlessly experimented with form and content, pioneering the prose poem in Arabic, and taking a influential, and sometimes controversial role in Arab modernism.
Adonis has fearlessly experimented with form and content, pioneering the prose poem in Arabic, and taking a influential, and sometimes controversial role in Arab modernism.
Posted: June 30, 2008, 6:03 am
"The chickens are circling and blotting out the day." Now that's a really funny thing to say. You know, somebody has written me a letter and told me: "I love your poem 'Home to Roost' but you should know we raise chickens, and you need to know chickens don't really fly."
"The chickens are circling and blotting out the day." Now that's a really funny thing to say. You know, somebody has written me a letter and told me: "I love your poem 'Home to Roost' but you should know we raise chickens, and you need to know chickens don't really fly."
Posted: June 30, 2008, 6:03 am
My sweetest Lesbia, let us live and love; / And though the sager sort our deeds reprove, / Let us not weigh them.
My sweetest Lesbia, let us live and love; / And though the sager sort our deeds reprove, / Let us not weigh them.
Posted: June 26, 2008, 6:03 am
With all the passion and drama surrounding "Howl and Other Poems", it's interesting to consider that the bulk of the cultural weight that it carries comes not from its text but instead from its material form.
With all the passion and drama surrounding "Howl and Other Poems", it's interesting to consider that the bulk of the cultural weight that it carries comes not from its text but instead from its material form.
Posted: June 26, 2008, 6:03 am
A champion of common speech in poems, Wordsworth challenged poetry to include the so-called vulgarities of reality, and propelled the Romantic period by calling for "emotion recollected in tranquility."
A champion of common speech in poems, Wordsworth challenged poetry to include the so-called vulgarities of reality, and propelled the Romantic period by calling for "emotion recollected in tranquility."
Posted: June 24, 2008, 6:03 am
boooooooo. spooky ripplings of icy waves. this / umpteenth time she returns...
boooooooo. spooky ripplings of icy waves. this / umpteenth time she returns...
Posted: June 23, 2008, 6:03 am
Let us begin with a simple line, / Drawn as a child would draw it, / To indicate the horizon...
Let us begin with a simple line, / Drawn as a child would draw it, / To indicate the horizon...
Posted: June 23, 2008, 6:03 am
Jazz has had extensive influence on poetry, and many of our contemporaries, as far-ranging as Wanda Coleman and Marie Ponsot, have used jazz in their poems.
Jazz has had extensive influence on poetry, and many of our contemporaries, as far-ranging as Wanda Coleman and Marie Ponsot, have used jazz in their poems.
Posted: June 19, 2008, 6:03 am
Let us roll all our strength and all / Our sweetness up into one ball, / And tear our pleasures with rough strife / Thorough the iron gates of life: / Thus, though we cannot make our sun / Stand still, yet we will make him run.
Let us roll all our strength and all / Our sweetness up into one ball, / And tear our pleasures with rough strife / Thorough the iron gates of life: / Thus, though we cannot make our sun / Stand still, yet we will make him run.
Posted: June 19, 2008, 6:03 am
People have been trying to kill me since I was born, / a man tells his son, trying to explain...
People have been trying to kill me since I was born, / a man tells his son, trying to explain...
Posted: June 11, 2008, 6:03 am
A feather table: reckless gratitude. / It is that-there that means best. / White the green grinding trimming thing!
A feather table: reckless gratitude. / It is that-there that means best. / White the green grinding trimming thing!
Posted: June 10, 2008, 6:03 am
Known for his long narrative poems, Longfellow's poems were widely translated, making him one of the most famous writers of his day.
Known for his long narrative poems, Longfellow's poems were widely translated, making him one of the most famous writers of his day.
Posted: June 9, 2008, 6:03 am
The spirit world the negative of this one, / soft outlines of soft whites against soft darks...
The spirit world the negative of this one, / soft outlines of soft whites against soft darks...
Posted: June 9, 2008, 6:03 am
In Guest's hands, art can say something about itself without becoming pedantic; it can be absorbed in the quandaries of perception without getting lost. Her poems more often evoke the joy of being found.
In Guest's hands, art can say something about itself without becoming pedantic; it can be absorbed in the quandaries of perception without getting lost. Her poems more often evoke the joy of being found.
Posted: June 6, 2008, 6:03 am
They are like those crazy women / who tore Orpheus / when he refused to sing, / these men grinding / in the strobe...
They are like those crazy women / who tore Orpheus / when he refused to sing, / these men grinding / in the strobe...
Posted: June 6, 2008, 6:03 am
This 1973 book was nominated for a National Book Award and contains many of Hugo's most loved and anthologized poems.
This 1973 book was nominated for a National Book Award and contains many of Hugo's most loved and anthologized poems.
Posted: June 4, 2008, 6:03 am
Next a Brazilian cut came / on Sophia picked. Paulinho's / voice lit our way for what / seemed eternity...
Next a Brazilian cut came / on Sophia picked. Paulinho's / voice lit our way for what / seemed eternity...
Posted: June 4, 2008, 6:03 am
A representative of neo-romanticism during the Modernist period, Stevenson was an incredibly popular and successful writer, though many leading critics initially dismissed his work entirely.
A representative of neo-romanticism during the Modernist period, Stevenson was an incredibly popular and successful writer, though many leading critics initially dismissed his work entirely.
Posted: June 4, 2008, 6:03 am
In the worst hour of the worst season / of the worst year of a whole people / a man set out from the workhouse with his wife...
In the worst hour of the worst season / of the worst year of a whole people / a man set out from the workhouse with his wife...
Posted: June 4, 2008, 6:03 am
Jonathan Thirkield has been selected as the recipient of the 2008 Walt Whitman Award for his first book-length collection of poems, The Waker's Corridor, chosen by poet Linda Bierds from over 1,000 entries.
Jonathan Thirkield has been selected as the recipient of the 2008 Walt Whitman Award for his first book-length collection of poems, The Waker's Corridor, chosen by poet Linda Bierds from over 1,000 entries.
Posted: May 27, 2008, 6:03 am
Tonight I get down from my horse, / before the door of the house, where / I said farewell with the cock's crowing.
Tonight I get down from my horse, / before the door of the house, where / I said farewell with the cock's crowing.
Posted: May 27, 2008, 6:03 am
Author of The Lost Pilot (1967), Tate's first collection influenced a generation of poets in the late sixties and seventies with its use of dream logic and psychological play.
Author of The Lost Pilot (1967), Tate's first collection influenced a generation of poets in the late sixties and seventies with its use of dream logic and psychological play.
Posted: May 21, 2008, 6:03 am
"If we thrill to low hills because they are not composed / they are 'composed to our liking' / They say there is no defining that but to say that is / defining that, living in context"
"If we thrill to low hills because they are not composed / they are 'composed to our liking' / They say there is no defining that but to say that is / defining that, living in context"
Posted: May 19, 2008, 6:03 am
Author of The Lost Pilot (1967), Tate's first collection influenced a generation of poets in the late sixties and seventies with its use of dream logic and psychological play.
Author of The Lost Pilot (1967), Tate's first collection influenced a generation of poets in the late sixties and seventies with its use of dream logic and psychological play.
Posted: May 19, 2008, 6:03 am
"may favor obscure brainy aptitudes in you / and a love of the past so blind you would / venture..."
"may favor obscure brainy aptitudes in you / and a love of the past so blind you would / venture..."
Posted: May 19, 2008, 6:03 am
Organized by historical tragedies of the twentieth century, these poems deal with events ranging from Armenian Genocide to the pro-democratic demonstrations in China.
Organized by historical tragedies of the twentieth century, these poems deal with events ranging from Armenian Genocide to the pro-democratic demonstrations in China.
Posted: May 14, 2008, 6:03 am
Born in Peru, Vallejo's second poetry collection, Trilce, placed Latin American poetry at the center of the Western cultural tradition in the 1920s.
Born in Peru, Vallejo's second poetry collection, Trilce, placed Latin American poetry at the center of the Western cultural tradition in the 1920s.
Posted: May 14, 2008, 6:03 am
Is nothing real but when I was fifteen, / Going on sixteen, like a corny song? I see myself so clearly then, and painfully...
Is nothing real but when I was fifteen, / Going on sixteen, like a corny song? I see myself so clearly then, and painfully...
Posted: May 12, 2008, 6:03 am
I tried eating one there on the bridge’s fault line, listening out for / the dispatcher’s radio...
I tried eating one there on the bridge’s fault line, listening out for / the dispatcher’s radio...
Posted: May 12, 2008, 6:03 am
Mix a few paper flowers into your mother's day bouquet this year. Whether tulips or roses, orchids or lilies, find over fifty different poems arranged by flower.
Mix a few paper flowers into your mother's day bouquet this year. Whether tulips or roses, orchids or lilies, find over fifty different poems arranged by flower.
Posted: May 9, 2008, 6:03 am
How can it be a poem at all, lacking that seemingly essential formal marker of poetry, the line-break?
How can it be a poem at all, lacking that seemingly essential formal marker of poetry, the line-break?
Posted: May 9, 2008, 6:03 am
Torment by appetite / is itself an appetite / dulled by inarticulate, / dogged, daily / loving-others-to-death...
Torment by appetite / is itself an appetite / dulled by inarticulate, / dogged, daily / loving-others-to-death...
Posted: May 6, 2008, 6:03 am
Sometimes I feel I am living an extended farewell, where my eventual disappearance, my mortal nature, normally a deep human concern, has been washed away by my fear for the deeper mortality—the extinction-of other species, and of the natural world itself. I cannot look at the world hard enough.
Sometimes I feel I am living an extended farewell, where my eventual disappearance, my mortal nature, normally a deep human concern, has been washed away by my fear for the deeper mortality—the extinction-of other species, and of the natural world itself. I cannot look at the world hard enough.
Posted: May 6, 2008, 6:03 am
I ask them to take a poem / and hold it up to the light / like a color slide...
I ask them to take a poem / and hold it up to the light / like a color slide...
Posted: May 2, 2008, 6:03 am
i will die in havana in a hurricane / it will be morning, i'll be facing southwest / away from the gulf.
i will die in havana in a hurricane / it will be morning, i'll be facing southwest / away from the gulf.
Posted: May 2, 2008, 6:03 am
I've never told this story. / Even at the moment / of dying, / I would say / it was someone else's.
I've never told this story. / Even at the moment / of dying, / I would say / it was someone else's.
Posted: May 1, 2008, 6:03 am
The book is characterized by her distinctive use of a technique called "syllabics." While most poets either employ established meters or write free verse, Moore's poems are built from lines of counted syllables.
The book is characterized by her distinctive use of a technique called "syllabics." While most poets either employ established meters or write free verse, Moore's poems are built from lines of counted syllables.
Posted: April 29, 2008, 6:03 am
Why not put some poetry in your email? Many email programs allow you to create personalized signatures that are automatically added to the end of every email you send.
Why not put some poetry in your email? Many email programs allow you to create personalized signatures that are automatically added to the end of every email you send.
Posted: April 28, 2008, 6:03 am
Our "My Notebooks" feature serves as a scrapbook, allowing you to store links to items on the site that you want to keep track of, such as poems, biographies, upcoming events, and audio clips.
Our "My Notebooks" feature serves as a scrapbook, allowing you to store links to items on the site that you want to keep track of, such as poems, biographies, upcoming events, and audio clips.
Posted: April 25, 2008, 6:03 am
Associated with both the Black Mountain School and the San Francisco Renaissance, Robert Duncan forged a unique poetic style, presenting the poem as a "compositional field."
Associated with both the Black Mountain School and the San Francisco Renaissance, Robert Duncan forged a unique poetic style, presenting the poem as a "compositional field."
Posted: April 25, 2008, 6:03 am
Many libraries have undergone or are facing severe cuts in funding. These cuts are often made manifest on library shelves.
Many libraries have undergone or are facing severe cuts in funding. These cuts are often made manifest on library shelves.
Posted: April 23, 2008, 6:03 am
When looking for a venue, consider your local library, coffee shop, bookstore, art gallery, bar, or performance space.
When looking for a venue, consider your local library, coffee shop, bookstore, art gallery, bar, or performance space.
Posted: April 22, 2008, 6:03 am
"To write about poetry is to believe that there are answers to some of the questions poets ask of their art, or at least that there are reasons for writing it."
"To write about poetry is to believe that there are answers to some of the questions poets ask of their art, or at least that there are reasons for writing it."
Posted: April 22, 2008, 6:03 am
Where did these enormous children come from, / More ladylike than we have ever been? / Some of ours look older than we feel. How did they appear...
Where did these enormous children come from, / More ladylike than we have ever been? / Some of ours look older than we feel. How did they appear...
Posted: April 22, 2008, 6:03 am
In his essay on poetics, Poe defines "the Poetry of words as The Rhythmical Creation of Beauty."
In his essay on poetics, Poe defines "the Poetry of words as The Rhythmical Creation of Beauty."
Posted: April 21, 2008, 6:03 am
Poets writing about their own genre can often be illuminating, such as Wordsworth's preface to Lyrical Ballads, or T.S. Eliot's "Tradition and the Individual Talent." Most of the major writers of the twentieth century also wrote prose about poetry.
Poets writing about their own genre can often be illuminating, such as Wordsworth's preface to Lyrical Ballads, or T.S. Eliot's "Tradition and the Individual Talent." Most of the major writers of the twentieth century also wrote prose about poetry.
Posted: April 21, 2008, 6:03 am
The staff of the Academy of American Poets takes to the streets of NYC to distribute poems for the first national Poem In Your Pocket Day.
The staff of the Academy of American Poets takes to the streets of NYC to distribute poems for the first national Poem In Your Pocket Day.
Posted: April 18, 2008, 6:03 am
Ask everyone to bring a favorite poem or two to share with the others. A member of the group can nominate a title for the next meeting.
Ask everyone to bring a favorite poem or two to share with the others. A member of the group can nominate a title for the next meeting.
Posted: April 18, 2008, 6:03 am
The late poet, playwright, essayist, and political activist Aime Cesaire helped establish the literary and ideological movement known as Negritude.
The late poet, playwright, essayist, and political activist Aime Cesaire helped establish the literary and ideological movement known as Negritude.
Posted: April 18, 2008, 6:03 am
Clayton Eshleman received the 2008 Harold Morton Landon Translation Award, selected by Jerome Rothenberg, for his translations of Cesar Vallejo.
Clayton Eshleman received the 2008 Harold Morton Landon Translation Award, selected by Jerome Rothenberg, for his translations of Cesar Vallejo.
Posted: April 17, 2008, 6:03 am
Celebrate the first national Poem In Your Pocket Day by carrying around a poem to share with friends and family.
Celebrate the first national Poem In Your Pocket Day by carrying around a poem to share with friends and family.
Posted: April 17, 2008, 6:03 am
Centre of equal daughters, equal sons, all, all alike endear'd, grown, ungrown, young or old...
Centre of equal daughters, equal sons, all, all alike endear'd, grown, ungrown, young or old...
Posted: April 16, 2008, 6:03 am
Adding a poem to lunch puts some poetry in your day and gives you something great to read while you eat.
Adding a poem to lunch puts some poetry in your day and gives you something great to read while you eat.
Posted: April 16, 2008, 6:03 am
To mark past tax days, the Academy has distributed thousands of free copies of The Waste Land at selected post offices across the country.
To mark past tax days, the Academy has distributed thousands of free copies of The Waste Land at selected post offices across the country.
Posted: April 15, 2008, 6:03 am
A recipient of a 2008 Pulitzer Prize for poetry, Robert Hass discusses the office of the Poet Laureate and its role in American culture.
A recipient of a 2008 Pulitzer Prize for poetry, Robert Hass discusses the office of the Poet Laureate and its role in American culture.
Posted: April 14, 2008, 6:03 am
Full of poetry, short fiction, interviews, and reviews, journals are at the forefront of contemporary literature.
Full of poetry, short fiction, interviews, and reviews, journals are at the forefront of contemporary literature.
Posted: April 14, 2008, 6:03 am
Regarded as one of the greatest poets of the Victorian era, Hopkins helped rejuvenate poetic language by developing new rhythmic effects.
Regarded as one of the greatest poets of the Victorian era, Hopkins helped rejuvenate poetic language by developing new rhythmic effects.
Posted: April 11, 2008, 6:03 am
Hearing an author read his or her own work can clarify questions about meaning and tone.
Hearing an author read his or her own work can clarify questions about meaning and tone.
Posted: April 11, 2008, 6:03 am
Many people carry single lines of verse with them, sometimes for years, and are eager to remember the rest of that particular poem.
Many people carry single lines of verse with them, sometimes for years, and are eager to remember the rest of that particular poem.
Posted: April 10, 2008, 6:03 am
"When Alexander Pope translated The Iliad and The Odyssey, he had a crew of clerks working for him, basically, translating and he was doing the finished versions. Bob Fagles did it all himself."
"When Alexander Pope translated The Iliad and The Odyssey, he had a crew of clerks working for him, basically, translating and he was doing the finished versions. Bob Fagles did it all himself."
Posted: April 10, 2008, 6:03 am
It's a great way to meet other writers in your area and find out about your local writing community.
It's a great way to meet other writers in your area and find out about your local writing community.
Posted: April 8, 2008, 6:03 am
The author of three collections, Brock-Broido has been praised for poems that are "gorgeous and mournful, ornate and deeply felt."
The author of three collections, Brock-Broido has been praised for poems that are "gorgeous and mournful, ornate and deeply felt."
Posted: April 8, 2008, 6:03 am
Each participant is unaware of what the others have written, thus producing a surprising—sometimes absurd—yet often beautiful poem.
Each participant is unaware of what the others have written, thus producing a surprising—sometimes absurd—yet often beautiful poem.
Posted: April 7, 2008, 6:03 am
The camera is trained on the door, no one in the frame, only the dog sleeping...
The camera is trained on the door, no one in the frame, only the dog sleeping...
Posted: April 7, 2008, 6:03 am
Each reading is unique, whether the poets are emerging or established, one never knows what to expect. You might be surprised or be emotionally challenged or laugh in fits.
Each reading is unique, whether the poets are emerging or established, one never knows what to expect. You might be surprised or be emotionally challenged or laugh in fits.
Posted: April 6, 2008, 6:03 am
Whether your spirituality leads you to a temple, church, sacred site, or theater, poetry and metaphysics often make a synergistic coupling.
Whether your spirituality leads you to a temple, church, sacred site, or theater, poetry and metaphysics often make a synergistic coupling.
Posted: April 5, 2008, 6:03 am
Books should be brought to the door like electricity or milk; they should be considered utilities.
Books should be brought to the door like electricity or milk; they should be considered utilities.
Posted: April 4, 2008, 6:03 am
I am so small walking on the beach at night under the widening sky...
I am so small walking on the beach at night under the widening sky...
Posted: April 4, 2008, 6:03 am
The secret of his popularity was that he looked like a bus driver who could dance...
The secret of his popularity was that he looked like a bus driver who could dance...
Posted: April 3, 2008, 6:03 am
Anthologies can be great starting points for browsing diverse styles and time periods...
Anthologies can be great starting points for browsing diverse styles and time periods...
Posted: April 2, 2008, 6:03 am
The rewards of recalling a private anthology of well-loved poems are both immediate and long-lasting.
The rewards of recalling a private anthology of well-loved poems are both immediate and long-lasting.
Posted: April 2, 2008, 6:03 am
"The real that's in the world is a word intending, absenting all it knows..."
"The real that's in the world is a word intending, absenting all it knows..."
Posted: March 31, 2008, 3:08 pm
Published posthumously in 1965, the darkly lyric poems in Sylvia Plath's Ariel address motherhood, sexuality, marriage, and her own experiences with depression.
Published posthumously in 1965, the darkly lyric poems in Sylvia Plath's Ariel address motherhood, sexuality, marriage, and her own experiences with depression.
Posted: March 31, 2008, 3:08 pm
"Nautilus Island's hermit / heiress still lives through winter in her Spartan cottage; / her sheep still graze above the sea. / Her son's a bishop..."
"Nautilus Island's hermit / heiress still lives through winter in her Spartan cottage; / her sheep still graze above the sea. / Her son's a bishop..."
Posted: March 28, 2008, 3:08 pm
Rage against the dying of the light with free downloadable ringtones for your mobile phone, available in MP3, AAC, and iPhone (M4R) formats.
Rage against the dying of the light with free downloadable ringtones for your mobile phone, available in MP3, AAC, and iPhone (M4R) formats.
Posted: March 28, 2008, 3:08 pm
The author of over ten collections of poetry, Stanford's work has been praised and elegized by many poets including Thomas Lux, James Dickey, and Franz Wright.
The author of over ten collections of poetry, Stanford's work has been praised and elegized by many poets including Thomas Lux, James Dickey, and Franz Wright.
Posted: March 28, 2008, 3:08 pm
"I was parading the Côte d'Azur, / hopping the short trains from Nice to Cannes,/ following the maze of streets in Monte Carlo..."
"I was parading the Côte d'Azur, / hopping the short trains from Nice to Cannes,/ following the maze of streets in Monte Carlo..."
Posted: March 20, 2008, 4:56 pm
For National Poetry Month 2008, the Academy of American Poets asks you to share the lines of poetry that are the most vital to you, along with notes about the precise situation that summoned them to mind. All participants will automatically be entered to win a piece of jewelry by San Francisco designer Jeanine Payer. Payer specializes in hand-engraving lines of poetry on earrings, necklaces, and other items. The winner will have their "life line" hand-engraved on a specially chosen piece.Entries can be emailed to npm@poets.org until April 1, 2008.
For National Poetry Month 2008, the Academy of American Poets asks you to share the lines of poetry that are the most vital to you, along with notes about the precise situation that summoned them to mind. All participants will automatically be entered to win a piece of jewelry by San Francisco designer Jeanine Payer. Payer specializes in hand-engraving lines of poetry on earrings, necklaces, and other items. The winner will have their "life line" hand-engraved on a specially chosen piece.Entries can be emailed to npm@poets.org until April 1, 2008.
Posted: March 20, 2008, 4:56 pm
A former Poet Laureate, Glück has been the recipient of numerous awards, including a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Critics Circle Award.
A former Poet Laureate, Glück has been the recipient of numerous awards, including a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Critics Circle Award.
Posted: March 20, 2008, 4:56 pm
"When people say they miss me, / I think how much I miss me too..."
"When people say they miss me, / I think how much I miss me too..."
Posted: March 17, 2008, 10:17 am
"They were talking to him about resurrection, about law, / about the suffering ahead. / They were talking as if to remind him who he was and / who they were. He was not..."
"They were talking to him about resurrection, about law, / about the suffering ahead. / They were talking as if to remind him who he was and / who they were. He was not..."
Posted: March 17, 2008, 10:17 am
Singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, daughter of poet Miller Williams, discusses her music, her influences, and how her father has been her "toughest critic."
Singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, daughter of poet Miller Williams, discusses her music, her influences, and how her father has been her "toughest critic."
Posted: March 14, 2008, 10:27 am
"The little elf is dressed in a floppy cap / and he has a big rosy nose and flaring white eyebrows..."
"The little elf is dressed in a floppy cap / and he has a big rosy nose and flaring white eyebrows..."
Posted: March 14, 2008, 10:27 am
The Academy of American Poets is proud to announce the launch of a mobile poetry archive which provides free and direct access to the entire collection of over 2,500 poems on Poets.org, as well as hundreds of biographies and essays, all in the palm of a hand.
Poems can be browsed by author, title, occasion, or form, and searched easily by keyword. Visitors can read a poem, anytime, anywhere—whether to fill a spare moment, woo a darling, toast a friend, find solace, or recite a few immortal lines—verse is now at your fingertips.
Poems can be browsed by author, title, occasion, or form, and searched easily by keyword. Visitors can read a poem, anytime, anywhere—whether to fill a spare moment, woo a darling, toast a friend, find solace, or recite a few immortal lines—verse is now at your fingertips.
The Academy of American Poets is proud to announce the launch of a mobile poetry archive which provides free and direct access to the entire collection of over 2,500 poems on Poets.org, as well as hundreds of biographies and essays, all in the palm of a hand.
Poems can be browsed by author, title, occasion, or form, and searched easily by keyword. Visitors can read a poem, anytime, anywhere—whether to fill a spare moment, woo a darling, toast a friend, find solace, or recite a few immortal lines—verse is now at your fingertips.
Poems can be browsed by author, title, occasion, or form, and searched easily by keyword. Visitors can read a poem, anytime, anywhere—whether to fill a spare moment, woo a darling, toast a friend, find solace, or recite a few immortal lines—verse is now at your fingertips.
Posted: March 11, 2008, 4:16 pm
"A peels an apple, while B kneels to God, / C telephones to D, who has a hand / On E’s knee"
"A peels an apple, while B kneels to God, / C telephones to D, who has a hand / On E’s knee"
Posted: March 5, 2008, 2:49 pm
"I is for interstate, the one that travels back and forth between investigation and identification. Interstate suggests Springsteen. I love the sheer wind-in-the-hair joy that "Born to Run" or "Jungle Land" induce — but I'm more fond of Nebraska. A moody boy, I'll take my minor-key melancholy with me for snack just about anywhere. I like his identification songs, but his laments seem more keen on investigation.
Music and poetics that invite investigation as opposed to declaring identification have always been somewhat more attractive to me, but perhaps not as a teenager. Investigation might very well lead to identification, but without the former, without the cerebral play of a Stevens or the musical play of a Zappa, I feel we're not meeting our potential as souls and sprits, as well as bodies."
Music and poetics that invite investigation as opposed to declaring identification have always been somewhat more attractive to me, but perhaps not as a teenager. Investigation might very well lead to identification, but without the former, without the cerebral play of a Stevens or the musical play of a Zappa, I feel we're not meeting our potential as souls and sprits, as well as bodies."
"I is for interstate, the one that travels back and forth between investigation and identification. Interstate suggests Springsteen. I love the sheer wind-in-the-hair joy that "Born to Run" or "Jungle Land" induce — but I'm more fond of Nebraska. A moody boy, I'll take my minor-key melancholy with me for snack just about anywhere. I like his identification songs, but his laments seem more keen on investigation.
Music and poetics that invite investigation as opposed to declaring identification have always been somewhat more attractive to me, but perhaps not as a teenager. Investigation might very well lead to identification, but without the former, without the cerebral play of a Stevens or the musical play of a Zappa, I feel we're not meeting our potential as souls and sprits, as well as bodies."
Music and poetics that invite investigation as opposed to declaring identification have always been somewhat more attractive to me, but perhaps not as a teenager. Investigation might very well lead to identification, but without the former, without the cerebral play of a Stevens or the musical play of a Zappa, I feel we're not meeting our potential as souls and sprits, as well as bodies."
Posted: March 3, 2008, 2:54 pm
Guided by alphabetical order, some of the earliest examples of this ancient poetic form occur in religious Hebrew poetry.
Guided by alphabetical order, some of the earliest examples of this ancient poetic form occur in religious Hebrew poetry.
Posted: March 3, 2008, 2:54 pm
"We real cool. We / Left school. We / Lurk late. We / Strike straight. We..."
"We real cool. We / Left school. We / Lurk late. We / Strike straight. We..."
Posted: March 3, 2008, 2:54 pm
The son of German-speaking Jews killed by the Nazis, Paul Celan wrote some of the most compelling poems to emerge from the Holocaust.
The son of German-speaking Jews killed by the Nazis, Paul Celan wrote some of the most compelling poems to emerge from the Holocaust.
Posted: February 25, 2008, 2:56 pm
"The poet must learn his trade in the same manner, and with the same painstaking care, as the cabinet-maker."
"The poet must learn his trade in the same manner, and with the same painstaking care, as the cabinet-maker."
Posted: February 25, 2008, 2:56 pm
The idea is simple: select a poem you love during National Poetry Month then carry it with you to share with co-workers, family, and friends on April 17. Poems from pockets will be unfolded throughout the day with events in parks, libraries, schools, workplaces, and bookstores. Create your own Poem In Your Pocket Day event using ideas below or let us know how you will celebrate Poem In Your Pocket Day by emailing npm@poets.org.
The idea is simple: select a poem you love during National Poetry Month then carry it with you to share with co-workers, family, and friends on April 17. Poems from pockets will be unfolded throughout the day with events in parks, libraries, schools, workplaces, and bookstores. Create your own Poem In Your Pocket Day event using ideas below or let us know how you will celebrate Poem In Your Pocket Day by emailing npm@poets.org.
Posted: February 25, 2008, 2:56 pm
"All their stanzas look alike. / All their fences, / all their prisons, / all their exercises, / all their agendas..."
"All their stanzas look alike. / All their fences, / all their prisons, / all their exercises, / all their agendas..."
Posted: February 21, 2008, 3:06 pm
"As virtuous men pass mildly away, / And whisper to their souls to go, / Whilst some of their sad friends do say..."
"As virtuous men pass mildly away, / And whisper to their souls to go, / Whilst some of their sad friends do say..."
Posted: February 21, 2008, 3:06 pm
In an interview with Tom Sleigh, Pinsky discusses the musicality of poetry, touching on topics such as jazz, the importance of voice in a poem, and the violent history of the English language.
In an interview with Tom Sleigh, Pinsky discusses the musicality of poetry, touching on topics such as jazz, the importance of voice in a poem, and the violent history of the English language.
Posted: February 19, 2008, 3:06 pm
Famously extolled by Pound, Loy has been labeled a Futurist, Dadaist, Surrealist, feminist, conceptualist, modernist, and post-modernist.
Famously extolled by Pound, Loy has been labeled a Futurist, Dadaist, Surrealist, feminist, conceptualist, modernist, and post-modernist.
Posted: February 15, 2008, 3:06 pm
"A campesino looked at the air / And told me: / With hurricanes it's not the wind..."
"A campesino looked at the air / And told me: / With hurricanes it's not the wind..."
Posted: February 15, 2008, 3:06 pm
"In a poem, one line may hide another line, / As at a crossing, one train may hide another train. / That is, if you are waiting to cross / The tracks, wait to do it for one moment at / Least after the first train is gone..."
"In a poem, one line may hide another line, / As at a crossing, one train may hide another train. / That is, if you are waiting to cross / The tracks, wait to do it for one moment at / Least after the first train is gone..."
Posted: February 11, 2008, 3:06 pm
For the past eight centuries "Poems of the Masters" has been China's most studied and memorized collection of verse.
For the past eight centuries "Poems of the Masters" has been China's most studied and memorized collection of verse.
Posted: February 8, 2008, 3:06 pm
"The teacher asks a question. / You know the answer, you suspect you are the only one..."
"The teacher asks a question. / You know the answer, you suspect you are the only one..."
Posted: February 8, 2008, 3:06 pm
"Born in the West Indies, poet and playwright Derek Walcott has received numerous honors for his work, including the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Queen's Medal for Poetry."
"Born in the West Indies, poet and playwright Derek Walcott has received numerous honors for his work, including the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Queen's Medal for Poetry."
Posted: February 8, 2008, 3:06 pm
"Finding the measure is finding the mantram, / is finding the moon, as index of measure, / is finding the moon's source..."
"Finding the measure is finding the mantram, / is finding the moon, as index of measure, / is finding the moon's source..."
Posted: February 4, 2008, 4:59 pm
"The stuff of language is words, and the sensuous material of words is sound..."
"The stuff of language is words, and the sensuous material of words is sound..."
Posted: February 4, 2008, 4:59 pm
English Poems
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