5 Great Resources For Fans Of Poetry
Poetry is an art form that draws in people of all ages from a wide spectrum of backgrounds. That's why it's important to have a variety of resources that share works and teach people about the history and different styles of verse. The organizations listed here include journals, television programs, and associations that are sure to pique the interest of poetry fans. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.
Wonderful Resources For Poetry Lovers
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Poetry in America | Public television series and multi-platform educational initiative that brings poetry into classrooms & living rooms |
| Beltway Poetry Quarterly | Online literary journal that showcases the readers and writers of Washington, D.C. and the surrounding Mid-Atlantic region |
| Red Room Poetry | Not-for-profit organization that creates, publishes, and promotes poetry in unusual and useful ways |
| Mom Egg Review | Annual collection of literary work about mothers and motherhood |
| Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association | Group that aims to bring together poets and readers interested in speculative poetry |
Five Famous Poets From History
How Poetry Can Help Kids Turn A Fear Of Literature Into Love
Things Every Aspiring Poet Should Have
- A journal where you can keep track of your thoughts & ideas
- Some coffee or tea to get you through late-night bursts of inspiration
- A good poetry book to inspire you
- A comfortable keyboard so you don't end up with carpal-tunnel syndrome
- A laptop that's easy to bring along to your local coffee shop
- A height-adjustable desk to help you avoid hurting your lower back
- A foam roller for when you inevitably hurt your lower back anyway
8 Great Movies About Poets & Poetry
- Orpheus (1950)
- The Butterfly's Dream (2013)
- Poetry (2010)
- Slam (1998)
- Kill Your Darlings (2013)
- Dead Poets Society (1989)
- Wilde (1997)
- Papusza (2013)
What Makes a Poem a Poem?
In Depth
Poetry is a classic art form, dating back to at least ancient Greece. Students who were taught Homer's epics, Lucille Clifton's "Two-Headed Woman," or Whitman's groundbreaking "Leaves of Grass" may become lifelong fans of verse, taken with the art's meter, rhythm, and sonic play. If this describes you, you're in luck. In no particular order, here are several resources for poetry enthusiasts.
Our #1 entry is Poetry in America, created and directed by Harvard professor Elisa New. This public television series and multi-platform educational initiative brings verse into classrooms and living rooms around the world. Guests on the series have included hip hop artist Nas, poet Sonia Sanchez, and jazz pianist Herbie Hancock.
Every half-hour episode of the show offers the viewer an immersive experience in hearing, reading, and interpreting a single American poem. Poetry in America also offers courses for primary and secondary school educators, which include video lectures and tutorials, roundtable conversations, and one-on-one conversations with poets, scholars, scientists, activists, curators, designers, and performing artists.
Poetry in America also offers courses for primary and secondary school educators, which include video lectures and tutorials, roundtable conversations, and one-on-one conversations with poets, scholars, scientists, activists, curators, designers, and performing artists.
For #2, we have Beltway Poetry Quarterly, an award-winning online literary journal that showcases the readers and writers of Washington, D.C. and the surrounding Mid-Atlantic region. Staff includes editor Indran Amirthanayagam, who writes in English, Spanish, French, Haitian, and Portuguese, and associate editor Sara Cahill Marron, who has been published in a number of literary journals including Crab Fat Magazine.
Beltway Poetry Quarterly was founded in 2000 by Washington DC poet Kim Roberts. For three years in a row, Roberts was a finalist for a DC Mayor's Arts Award, in the category of Service to the Arts. The journal features a special theme issue once per year. Themes have included Walt Whitman and "DC Places." In 2004, Beltway Poetry Quarterly released an issue with responses from poets to the Iraq War.
Coming in at #3 is Red Room Poetry, a not-for-profit organization that creates, publishes, and promotes verse in unusual and useful ways, by collaborating with schools, communities, and writers. It is based in Zetland, New South Wales. Every year, Red Room runs a writing competition for young writers under the age of 18.
It is based in Zetland, New South Wales.
Red Room Poetry also helps educators design creative writing curricula. One lesson, Poetry Object, pairs animations with terms such as alliteration, metaphor, and personification. It is intended for learners age 3-5, and can be used to plan an individual learning session or a unit of work.
The #4 entry is Mom Egg Review, an annual collection of literary work about mothers and motherhood based in Bardonia, New York. The journal also reviews books of poetry, fiction, and creative prose by mother writers, as well as books focused on motherhood or women's experiences and issues.
Mom Egg Review also maintains MER VOX, an online quarterly publication that contains creative writing, art, craft tips, interviews, hybrid works, and more. It focuses on motherhood and the life experiences of women. Poets published in MER VOX include Wisconsin Poet Laureate Margaret Rozga, Pramila Venkateswaran, Melissa Joplin Higley, and Ann Farley. The journal hosts several events and readings throughout the year, including at the Massachusetts Poetry Festival.
Mom Egg Review also maintains MER VOX, an online quarterly publication that contains creative writing, art, craft tips, interviews, hybrid works, and more.
Last but not least, we have our #5 entry, the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association. The group was formed by Suzette Haden Elgin in 1978 to bring together poets and readers interested in speculative poetry. Elgin also launched Star*Line, a newsletter that includes interviews, articles, and creative writing by members and nonmembers alike.
The association offers a few honors for writers. One, the Dwarf Stars Award, recognizes speculative verse of up to ten lines published in the previous year. The best poems are collected into an anthology. The Rhysling Awards are named for the blind poet in Robert A. Heinlein's short story "The Green Hills of Earth." Two poems, one long and one short, are selected as winners.
