World Poetry Day – from big to new names

World Poetry Day is celebrated on March 21 and was declared by UNESCO in 1999. Its purpose is to promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world. “Poetry speaks to our common humanity and our shared values, transforming the simplest of poems into a powerful catalyst for dialogue and peace” – UNESCO.

What’s your favourite poem? Here is mine:

Irish Pride

Four Irishmen have won the Nobel Prize in Literature: William Butler Yeats (1923), George Bernard Shaw (1925), Samuel Beckett (1969) and Séamus Heaney (1995)

However, we feel deeply inspired by Yeats’ words. He is one of the few writers whose greatest works were written after the award of the Nobel Prize. His poetry made him one of the outstanding and most influential twentieth-century poets writing in English. Today, we pay tribute to the Irishman by sharing his work. Click here for The Winding Stair and Other Poems (1933).

New age

Also, as well as celebrating notorious big names, we have few new artists writing poetry for the millennial age. Check them out:

Let us know what you think in the comments!

We recognise the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind. So, on World Poetry Day we encourage you to celebrate by reading, sharing and writing poetry.

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PS. Yesterday was the International Day of Happiness, here are our tips to keep smiling!