Tagged Poetry
Celebrating Diversity Through Poetry in Philly and Beyond
April is both Celebrate Diversity Month and National Poetry Month. Therefore, it is the perfect time to shine a spotlight on the City of Philadelphia's Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate, as well as past and present Poet…
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at the Fifth Latin American Book Fair!
The vibrant spirit of the Latino community comes alive at the fifth annual Latin American Book Fair in Philadelphia (LABF). This annual celebration, organized by a dedicated team of community leaders, has become a staple event…
Introducing the 2023–24 Philadelphia Youth Poet Laureate
The Free Library of Philadelphia is pleased to announce the 2023–24 Philadelphia Youth Poet Laureate: Oyewumi Oyeniyi, a senior at Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School! She was selected from a competitive pool of applicants by the…
Are You Philadelphia’s Next Youth Poet Laureate?
Are you a creative, engaged student who is passionate about writing, reading, performing, and experiencing poetry? Are you equally passionate about working with your peers and other students to bring more poetry to Philadelphia? If so,…
Picture Book Highlights | National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month. It is fitting for it to be so, at the start of spring, at the start of renewal and new life. Everyone can be a poet and see poems in the world, in everyday life. Stop and take a moment…
"La femme noir" by Philadelphia's Youth Poet Laureate, Telicia Darius
The City of Philadelphia in conjunction with the Free Library administered the title of Youth Poet Laureate to Telicia Darius in September 2022. This civic position recognizes an exceptional poet who also demonstrates a commitment to…
Virtual Monday Poets - Now in its 28th season!
Monday Poets is one of the longest continuously running programs at the Free Library, currently in its 28th season. Join us for a very special virtual event on Monday, December 19 at 6:30 p.m. with Philadelphia Poet Laureate Airea D.…
Introducing the 2022–23 Philadelphia Youth Poet Laureate...
The Free Library of Philadelphia is pleased to announce the 2022–23 Philadelphia Youth Poet Laureate: Telicia Darius, a senior at Hardy Williams Mastery Charter School in a dual enrollment program at the Community College of…
Are You Philadelphia’s Next Youth Poet Laureate?
Are you a creative, engaged student who is passionate about writing, reading, performing, and experiencing poetry? Are you equally passionate about working with your peers and other students to bring more poetry to Philadelphia? If so,…
The lyrical speaker: Finding your own voice through poetry!
“La poesía es un espacio de libertad/ Poetry is a space of freedom”. Carlos José Pérez Sámano, Mexican poet and writer Poetry explores the language and its limitations. It’s a way to get…
In April, Every Day Is a Poem!
April showers, as they say, bring May flowers, and we’ll be very glad to see them this year! But what else does April bring? It’s National Poetry Month , and there are so many ways to celebrate poetry! Get to know…
Novels-In-Verse Recommendations for Poetry Month
Ah, Spring, that magical season when a young person's mind turns to thoughts of friendship, feelings, and free verse. No wonder April is Poetry Month! Here in Philadelphia, the days are getting longer, the temperatures are getting…
Philly, Meet Your New Poet Laureate
The Free Library and the Philadelphia Poet Laureate Governing Committee are excited to announce that Airea D. Matthews has been appointed the 2022-2023 Philadelphia Poet Laureate . The committee of poets, educators, and…
Nourishing Literacy | Veggie Rap!
If you like sweet beets, nourish your literacy with extra flavor and spice! Brocc out with the Veggie Rap! It's a jam, and it might even make you feel butter. Lime for lime you can farro along. Phyllo ears with some grape…
¡Celebremos la Fiesta del Libro en Español!
The love for the Spanish language and culture can transcend frontiers! The stories, poems and illustrations of the books can reflect personal narratives that touch our collective unconsciousness. A team of talented community…
Nourishing Literacy | Books and Cooks: Strong Rocks
Books and Cooks, a collaboration between the Parkway Central Library Children’s Department and the Culinary Literacy Center’s Nourishing Literacy team, offers an afterschool series of story read-alouds, cooking ideas,…
Andre’a Rhoads Named the 2021-2022 Philadelphia Youth Poet Laureate
You got some change? Bring it out Don’t just stand there Playing a poor man’s game Change jingles in your pocket Like the dangling shackles Stuck in my ear, hurting my soul — from “Jukebox,” by…
Palestinian Stories in Literature for Young People
by Erin H . and Kayla H. What does it feel like to be a child living through war and displacement? How can young people in the United States learn to develop empathy for young people around the world? How do we explain to our children…
Creative Writing: Discovering Your Inner Voice
I always wanted to explore creative writing! It’s fascinating to understand what tools and mechanisms writers use to craft a story or a poem. Creating with words is an amazing and fun experience! The pandemic gave me the…
One Book, One Philadelphia | Youth in Verse
This year’s One Book, One Philadelphia youth titles are Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X and Hey Black Child by Useni Eugene Perkins—both written in verse. While novels in verse are nothing new, with some of the first…
Project Poetry
Project Poetry Tuesday, June 25 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 2 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 9 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 16 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 23 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 30 at 2:00 p.m. Join us for poetry activities and…
Project Poetry
Project Poetry Tuesday, June 25 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 2 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 9 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 16 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 23 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 30 at 2:00 p.m. Join us for poetry activities and…
Project Poetry
Project Poetry Tuesday, June 25 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 2 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 9 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 16 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 23 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 30 at 2:00 p.m. Join us for poetry activities and…
Project Poetry
Project Poetry Tuesday, June 25 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 2 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 9 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 16 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 23 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 30 at 2:00 p.m. Join us for poetry activities and…
Project Poetry
Project Poetry Tuesday, June 25 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 2 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 9 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 16 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 23 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 30 at 2:00 p.m. Join us for poetry activities and…
Project Poetry
Project Poetry Tuesday, June 25 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 2 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 9 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 16 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 23 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 30 at 2:00 p.m. Join us for poetry activities and…
Treasures from the Literature Vault
Do you love old books? Then join us for Treasures from the Vault– a casual, hands-on book club program spotlighting items from the Literature vault! The vault, home to our closed reference collections, is a treasure trove of…
One Book, One Philadelphia Finale Celebration: A Conversation with Sara Nović and Ilya Kaminsky
Join us at 7:30 p.m. at the Parkway Central Library for a celebration to conclude the One Book, One Philadelphia 2024 season, featuring a conversation between True Biz author Sara Nović and poet Ilya Kaminsky, author of 2019 National…
Alice Dunbar-Nelson
Free Library resources in support of the Rosenbach's Digital Exhibition: "I Am an American!" The Authorship and Activism of Alice Dunbar-Nelson
Poetry - Poets on Film
Documentaries about poets and fictional films based on their lives or featuring their poetry.
Poetry in Translation
Take pleasure in reading poets from other languages and cultures.
Poetry - Novels in Verse
Poetry with special appeal for tweens and teens.
Poetry - Haiku
A poetry form which transcends its traditional roots.
Poetry - Great Contemporary Poetry
Selections from the Literature Department.
Poetry - Children's Poetry for Everyone
The young and the young at heart will relish children’s poetry for all ages.
Poetry - New Poetry for Children
Enjoy new poetry books for children
LitFinder
Discover literature content from more than 150,000 full-text poems, 840,000 poem citations and excerpts, 7,100 full-text short stories and novels, 3,800 full-text essays published in the 16th-20th centuries, 2,400 full-text speeches, and…
Gale Literary Sources (formerly Artemis)
Cross-search all of Gale’s literature databases from a single digital space to find biographies, primary sources, contextual reference, and criticism. Includes Dictionary of Literary Biography, Something About the Author, LitFinder,…
M. Nzadi Keita | Migration Letters: Poems
In conversation with Herman Beavers M. Nzadi Keita is the author of the poetry collection Brief Evidence of Heaven , a finalist for the Phillis Wheatley Poetry Prize that explored the life of Anna Murray Douglass, Frederick Douglass’…
Rahul Mehta | Feeding the Ghosts: Poems
Rahul Mehta’s debut poetry collection, Feeding the Ghosts , explores the solace to be found in the everyday beauty sometimes overshadowed by larger calamity, as well as the author’s identities, relationships, and culture. Also the…
Nam Le | 36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem
In conversation with Airea Dee Matthews Referred to by Nick Cave as “exquisitely crafted fire bombs of incandescent rage,” Nam Le ’s 36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem is a debut collection of verse that both honors and shatters…
Shayla Lawson | How to Live Free in a Dangerous World: A Decolonial Memoir
In conversation with Jeannine Cook, owner of Harriett’s Bookshop and Ida’s Books Shayla Lawson is the author of This Is Major: Notes on Diana Ross, Dark Girls, and Being Dope , a “whip-smart” ( People ) essay collection about…
Safiya Sinclair | How to Say Babylon: A Memoir
In conversation with Airea D Matthews Hailed by Tara Westover as “Dazzling. Potent Vital. A light shining on the path of self-deliverance,” Safiya Sinclair ’s memoir How to Say Babylon recounts her struggle to break free from her…
Kwame Alexander | Why Fathers Cry at Night: A Memoir in Love Poems, Recipes, Letters, and Remembrances
In conversation with Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts Kwame Alexander is the author of The Crossover , a “beautifully measured novel” ( The New York Times Book Review ) that follows twin brother basketball stars coming to terms with…
Airea D. Matthews | Bread and Circus
In conversation with poet Phillip B. Williams Airea D. Matthews is the 2022–23 Philadelphia Poet Laureate and directs the poetry program at Bryn Mawr College. Her collection Simulacra won the 2016 Yale Series of Younger Poets Prize and…
Camille Dungy | Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden
In conversation with Abra Lee Camille T. Dungy is the author of Guidebook to Relative Strangers: Journeys into Race, Motherhood, and History , a debut personal essay collection that was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle…
Eileen Myles | a “Working Life”
“Unflinching but also irrepressibly humorous” ( The New York Times Book Review ), Eileen Myles is the celebrated author of nearly two dozen books of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, plays, and performance pieces, including Pathetic…
Camonghne Felix | Dyscalculia: A Love Story of Epic Miscalculation
In conversation with Sharon G. Flake Camonghne Felix is the author of Build Yourself a Boat , “an exquisite and thoughtful” ( Bustle ) poetry collection that was longlisted for the National Book Award in poetry and shortlisted for the…
Reginald Dwayne Betts | Redaction
In conversation with Airea D. Matthews A “powerful work of lyric art” and “tour de force indictment of the carceral industrial state” ( The New York Times Book Review ), Reginald Dwayne Betts ’ poetry collection Felon won the NAACP…
Ross Gay | Inciting Joy: Essays with Major Jackson | A Beat Beyond: Selected Prose of Major Jackson
Ross Gay is the author of The Book of Delights , a life-affirming collection of short lyric essays that reminds readers to appreciate so-called ordinary wonders, even during turbulent times. His several volumes of poetry include Catalog…
Ada Limón | The Hurting Kind
The 24th United States Poet Laureate, Ada Limón is acclaimed for her explorations of the “frightening mysteries and hopeful uncertainties of the everyday” ( The New York Times Book Review ). Her many poetry collections include the…
Raquel Salas Rivera | antes que isla es volcán / before island is volcano
Introduced by Denice Frohman In conversation with Cynthia Dewi Oka The 2018–19 Poet Laureate of Philadelphia, Raquel Salas Rivera is the author of five full-length books of poetry. These poetry collections include lo terciario/the…
Garrett Hongo | The Perfect Sound: A Memoir in Stereo
In conversation with Major Jackson Garrett Hongo was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for the poetry collection The River of Heaven . His other books of poetry include Yellow Light and Coral Road . The distinguished professor in the…
Bernardine Evaristo | Manifesto: On Never Giving Up
In conversation with Tamala Edwards, anchor, 6ABC Action News morning edition Bernardine Evaristo won the 2019 Man Booker Prize and the Dublin Literary Award for Girl, Woman, Other , “a breathtaking symphony of Black women’s…
Nikole Hannah-Jones | The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story
In conversation with Tamala Edwards, anchor, 6ABC Action News morning edition, and Dr. Anthea Butler, Geraldine R. Segal Professor in American Social Thought and Chair of Religious Studies, University of Pennsylvania Introduced by…
Tracy K. Smith | Lucille Clifton’s Generations: A Memoir
In conversation with Trapeta B. Mayson Chronicling African American family life and women through 14 celebrated poetry collections, Lucille Clifton won the National Book Award and the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, and is the only author ever…
Honorée Fanonne Jeffers | The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois with Kevin Young | Stones
Honorée Fanonne Jeffers is the author of five poetry collections, including The Gospel of Barbecue , Red Clay Suite , and T he Age of Phillis , which was longlisted for the 2020 National Book Award for Poetry and won a 2021 NAACP Image…
Jackie Kay | Bessie Smith: A Poet’s Biography of a Blues Legend
In conversation with Sapphire The National Poet Laureate of Scotland from 2016 to 2021, Jackie Kay is the author of the celebrated poetry collections Life Mask , Off Colour , and The Adoption Papers , winner of the Scottish Arts…
Representative Poetry Online
An incredible set of poetry indexes, including poets, alphabetically by last name or chronologically, poems, by title, first line or last line, a timeline, of poets, poems, and events, a calendar, the year's days, a keyword search of…
Poets.org
“Launched in 1996, Poets.org is the award-winning website of the Academy of American Poets. Visitors to Poets.org will find thousands of poems as well as hundreds of poet biographies, essays, interviews, and poetry recordings—with new…
Poetry Magazine
Read the latest issue, read and listen to articles and podcasts in the archive.
Poetry 180
From the Library of Congress, this project aims to post one poem for each day of a typical school year. From their site: “Poems can inspire and make us think about what it means to be a member of the human race. By just spending a few…
Favorite Poem
The website from former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky dedicated to celebrating, documenting and promoting poetry's role in Americans' lives. Contains many videos of people reading their favorite poems.
An Incomplete History of Slam: A Biography of an Evolving Poetry Movement
This website focuses on the development of slam poetry and slam poetry contests from the 1970s to now.
American Life in Poetry
Former Poet Laureate Ted Kooser posts a short poem each week. You can also browse the archive.
Poetry
Poetry in all its forms including classic selections from our Literature Department, Haikus, poetry for children, and poetry with special appeal for tweens and teens. Read poets from diverse cultures and in other languages, as well as…