National Poetry Month at NYPL
The New York Public Library is celebrating National Poetry Month throughout April! Discover everything the Library offers, including free events, reading recommendations, and fun ways to get involved on social media.
Just Announced! NYPL’s Best New Poetry Books
Just in time for National Poetry Month, NYPL’s expert librarians and staff reviewed over 250 of the latest poetry titles and selected the best 25 of them for readers to discover. Whether you’re a longtime poetry lover or just getting started, there is something on this list for everyone!
Free Events
Discover free poetry programs and events this month and beyond at branches in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island. From workshops, discussion groups, and open mic hours to special storytimes, crafts, and performances, the Library has something for everyone.
Explore the Library’s Treasures
The Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library’s Treasures showcases extraordinary items from the 56 million in our collections. Free to experience at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building and online, the exhibition features poetry in various languages—including Gwendolyn Brooks' “The Sermon on the Warpland”, Julia Alvarez’s draft of Sonnet 33, ABC de Puerto Rico, Diwan (Collection of Poems), and more.
Plus, explore the exhibit in many languages with the digital guide on the Bloomberg Connects app, available via automated translation.
Four Poets, One Legacy: Celebrating National Poetry Month & the Schomburg Centennial
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Poetry has always been at its core, from the Harlem Renaissance to the Black Arts Movement and beyond. In honor of National Poetry Month, we’re highlighting four iconic poets—Gwendolyn Brooks, Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, and James Weldon Johnson—whose voices live on in our archives, shaping literature, culture, and consciousness around the world.
For Educators: Teach Poetry with Primary Sources
Explore the stories of three groundbreaking Black women poets—Phillis Wheatley, Zora Neale Hurston, and Sonia Sanchez—through this curriculum guide from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in collaboration with NYPL’s Center for Educators & Schools. Featuring archival materials from the renowned Schomburg Center, this resource is designed to help middle and high school students engage with primary sources to deepen their understanding of Black history, experience, and culture.
Digital Poetry Postcards from NYPL
Celebrate the resurgence of spring with our digital poetry postcards! We’re sharing poems in English, español (Spanish), and 中文 (Chinese) about fantastic flowers and beautiful blooms, along with images from the Library's Digital Collections. Download yours now.
More from the Digital Collections
Delve into the Library’s Digital Collections and discover poetry across languages and cultures through illustrations, lithographs, rare manuscripts, and more. From the mischief of Jack Huckaback, a classic of German children’s poetry, to the works of influential Latvian poets Linards Laicens and Pāvils Vīlips—there’s so much to explore.
Poetry at NYPL
Explore poetry recommendations from our librarians, research materials related to poets and their work, and more.
Made at NYPL: Inspiring Poetry Research Projects Using NYPL's Collections
Get inspired by writers, historians, and scholars using The New York Public Library’s collections to explore poetry—translating Józef Czechowicz’s avant-garde works, uncovering Laura Riding’s self-fashioned legacy, and shedding light on overlooked haiku poets. Plus, learn about other projects that began at NYPL and explore resources to start your own.
Watch Now: Poetry Events
Explore a wide array of recorded readings and discussions about poetry hosted by the Library.
- Emily Wilson: Reading The Iliad, featuring Ben Shenkman and Morgan Spector
- Written Work: Poetry Celebrating Labor and the Global City
- Lesbian Poetic Traditions: Judy Grahn, Julie R. Enszer, JP Howard, & Alicia Mountain
- Poetry for Our Time: Cynthia Manick at the 5th Annual Schomburg Literary Festival
- Language as Inheritance: Zeina Hashem Beck, Sun Yung Shin, & José Olivarez
Poetry Is for Sharing
If you look closely, you might find poetry where you least expect it! Follow Patience the Lion as he discovers renowned poets along the sidewalks of Library Way—a two-block stretch between Park and Fifth Avenues, featuring nearly one hundred sculpted bronze plaques. Learn more about Library Way.
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Multilingual Resources
The New York Public Library is here for everyone! At our 92 locations across the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, we welcome speakers and readers of a wide range of languages. The Library is committed to helping everyone navigate our free services and resources: Get a library card, learn about Library offerings, search the catalog, and more in world languages.
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