Before we begin our national celebration of poetry this April, we widen the lens to acknowledge poetry and poets from around the globe today for World Poetry Day.
UNESCO proclaimed March 21 as World Poetry Day in 1999, with the aim to “support linguistic diversity through poetic expression and to offer endangered languages the opportunity to be heard within their communities.”
World Poetry Day also encourages the oral tradition of poetry, poetry in the classroom, and poetry in conversation with other art forms. Today, take some time to read the works of your favorite writers from around the globe, from Rumi to Sappho, Derek Walcott to Adam Zagajewski, Aimé Césaire to Wislawa Szymborska, Bei Dao to Mahmoud Darwish, and beyond. Browse poets on the site and visit our World Poetry Day page for more.