Poetry

Each April, librarians throughout NYPL post readings, discussions and events celebrating National Poetry Month, a time when publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, schools and poets around the country band together to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture.

NYPL Acquires First Book of Poetry by Aleksis Rannit

Aleksis/Aleksei Rannit was an Estonian poet, art critic, and librarian. He worked at the Library from 1956-1961 before becoming the curator of the Slavic and East European collections at Yale University Library where he remained for 20 years. 

Fragments of Shelley

On May 4, 2021, a group of scholars and admirers of both Shelleys gathered online to celebrate a milestone in the editing of his poems: the appearance of Volume VII of The Complete Poetry of Percy Bysshe Shelley from the Johns Hopkins University Press, edited by Nora Crook. The online event is available for viewing.

Nine New Poetry Collections to Savor

This summer, turn beach reading on its head and dive into one of these new poetry collections from longtime masters of the art and daring new voices.

World Literature Festival Recap: The Languages of Poetry with Dunya Mikhail and T. Urayoán Noel

On April 12th, the Library hosted poets Dunya Mikhail and T. Urayoán Noel for “Languages of Poetry,” a panel discussion about poetry and language. In conversation with NYPL librarians Grace Yamada and Leanna Frankland, they discussed poetry in translation, their writing process, and other poets they look up to.

Art and Artists Book Club: Frank O'Hara, a Poet Among Painters

Twenty readers joined us, from New York City’s boroughs to South Korea, as we read out loud, interpreted and reflected on the poems, the poet, and poetry’s relationship to painting.

It's Poetry Month: Here Are NYPL's Best Poetry Books of 2020

Friendship, race, motherhood, nature, womanhood, trauma, identity: these topics and many more are explored within the pages of our staff's favorite poetry books of last year.

8 Picture Books to Teach Figurative Language: A Guide for Elementary Educators

Understanding figurative language can be confusing and challenging for young readers. With the appropriate picture books as a teaching tool, students can begin to learn how to process and imagine the descriptive text through a book’s illustrations.

Books in Verse to Celebrate Poetry Month With Your Students

While poetry can sometimes be a difficult genre of writing for students to get into, exploring different types of poetry can help students connect more with the genre, engage in a new way, and possibly even consider putting pen to paper and creating their own poems and stories.

Postcards for National Poetry Month

We're celebrating with poems that capture the spirit of the city we’ve called home for 125 years. Send a poetry postcard to someone in your life!

Cyberspace and Poetry: Pandemics and Finding Comfort Through Words In Community

A series of poetry workshops, led by Silvina López Medin, resulted in the creation of a zine of participants' work.

#PocketPoems 2020: NYPL's Celebration of National Poetry Month

This year we asked poets to create a poem in response to an image that inspires them from NYPL's Digital Collection.

Make a Resolution to Read More Poetry Next Year

Sometimes, you read a poem and feel the poet peered into your heart and understood your emotions in ways you didn’t think another human being could. If you plan to read more poetry in 2020, here are some suggestions to start you on your poetry adventure.

The Year in Poetry: NYPL's Best Poetry Books of 2019

The New York Public Library's Poetry Committee has just released its 2019 Best Poetry Books list. These 10 collections are fiercely imaginative and unique, covering identity, climate change, politics, pop culture, and everything in between.

Think of Me as a Place: Remembering David Berman

David Berman's book of poems, Actual Air, is the type of collection that can travel with someone for decades - to new cities, new homes, new shelves - just as it has for this author.

'A Small, Portable Truth': NYPL's Poem in Your Pocket Day 2019

We're inviting patrons—in our branches all over the city and anywhere you are online—to take a breath, take a break from the news, and take a poem.

#PocketPoems: NYPL's Celebration of National Poetry Month

To celebrate National Poetry Month, The New York Public Library has collected poetry from over 30 contemporary poets and staff members, with some writing especially for this project.

Inside Poetry Series: What Is Poetry, Anyway?

If you're thinking of returning to poetry now, you may have tons of questions: what really constitutes poetry? How do you find poems that suit your tastes? How do you find cool new poets or figure out which classics to read? We're here to help!

Experiments with the New York School of Poets

Our March poetry workshop discussed the New York School of poets, their influences, their style, and their writing habits as it captured the spirit of the 1950s and 60s in New York City. Taking some of these habits, we wrote poetry, trying for a slice of life or a walk down a New York street, using drips and splashes of collaged ideas.

Celebrating Our Voices During National Poetry Month

The Schomburg Center's Public Programs Pre-Professional, Jamara Wakefield, shares what inspires her as a spoken word artist in honor of April's National Poetry Month.

Novedades de Abril 2015: Celebrando el Mes Nacional de la Poesía

He aquí algunas obras que nos inspiran a celebrar cada día ¡el mes nacional de la poesía!