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 watch documentaries about poets and fictional films based on their lives or featuring their poetry.
Links
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American Life in Poetry
Former Poet Laureate Ted Kooser posts a short poem each week. You can also browse the archive. -
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. -
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. -
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 minutes reading a poem each day, new worlds can be revealed.” -
Poetry Magazine
Read the latest issue, read and listen to articles and podcasts in the archive. -
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 material being added constantly. Also available are resources such as the National Poetry Map, a national events calendar, and poetry lesson plans for teachers. Poets.org receives a million visitors each month, making it the most popular site about poetry on the web.” -
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 words in the poem, a glossary, of poetic terms and form, a writings on poetry, by great poets and reader, a bibliography and links.
Alice Dunbar-Nelson by explore
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 by explore
Documentaries about poets and fictional films based on their lives or featuring their poetry.
Poetry in Translation (6 items)
Take pleasure in reading poets from other languages and cultures.
Poetry - Novels in Verse (19 items)
Poetry with special appeal for tweens and teens.
Poetry - Haiku (13 items)
A poetry form which transcends its traditional roots.
Poetry - Great Contemporary Poetry (5 items)
Selections from the Literature Department.
Poetry - Children's Poetry for Everyone (7 items)
The young and the young at heart will relish children’s poetry for all ages.
Poetry - New Poetry for Children (16 items)
Enjoy new poetry books for children
Electronic Resources
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Gale Literary Sources (formerly Artemis)
Cross-search all of Gale’s literature databases from a single digital space. Includes Dictionary of Literary Biography, Something About the Author, LitFinder, Literature Criticism Online, and Literature Resource Center.
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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LitFinder *
Find the sonnets of Shakespeare, the poetry of Angelou, presidential speeches, and short stories by Poe. Discover full-text literature from more than 150,000 poems, 7,100 short stories & novels, 3,800 essays, 2,400 speeches, and 1,250 plays.
Available To: All Free Library locations and online with your library card.
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Upcoming Events
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Poetree
Create your own poem in the form of tree that's leaves have all sprouted just in time for spring and National… more details
Wed, April 5, 2023 3:30 PM
Fumo Family Library
2437 South Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19148-3508
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The Language of Food: An Open Mic Poetry Night
Adult Young Adult School Age Senior
"I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox...." William Carlos Williams From Dunbar ,… more details
Wed, April 5, 2023 6:00 PM
Parkway Central Library
1901 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
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The Language of Food: An Open Mic Poetry Night
Adult Young Adult School Age Senior
"I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox...." William Carlos Williams From Dunbar ,… more details
Wed, April 5, 2023 6:00 PM
Parkway Central Library
1901 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
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Paint Your Own Black Out Poem
Write a poem by finding it in the pages of a book! Then decorate it with colorful painted picture. Materials… more details
Wed, April 12, 2023 3:30 PM
Fumo Family Library
2437 South Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19148-3508
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Blog Posts
"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…
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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.…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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¡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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Celebrate Poetry Month Virtually!
Is it any wonder that April is National Poetry Month ? What a beautiful time of year to be in Philadelphia—a veritable poetry capital, vibrant in the face of challenges—and with April showers and the cherry blossoms in…
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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,…
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Poetry: The Art of Expression!
A Voice for Peace, Concord, and Harmony: The XV International Poetry Festival in Philadelphia will virtually congregate poets from Latin America and the United States in an evening of verse and music. The Free Library, Acción…
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Making Her Mark Spotlight: Poetry and Movement Building
by Suzanna Urminska and Sam Perduta Our words carry power—whether as balm or as burnish, our words have the power to come together to form poetry that recalls and reconnects a range of human experiences both personal and…
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So You’re Reading a Poem…
If you’re unfamiliar with poetry, or it’s just been a while since you really sat down and read a poem, we can walk through one together! Here’s a look at some of the tools used by Jericho Brown in his collection The…
