A Celebration of Poetry in the Collections

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed March 21 as World Poetry Day, and April has been proclaimed National Poetry Month by the Academy of American Poets. In recognition, explore our poetry-related collections and listen to poetry with Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.

Thoughts on Calligraphers and Poets in cursive script

The Last Poets, Douglas 3

Stamp with Joseph Brodsky in black and white looking directly at us, above lime-green text “Brodsky”

Forever Twentieth-Century Poets: Joseph Brodsky single

Stamp with Robert Hayden in black and white in three-quarter view above purple text “Hayden”

Forever Twentieth-Century Poets: Robert Hayden single

The Women and the Men

Stamp with Sylvia Plath in black and white in three-quarter view above blood-orange text “Plath”

Forever Twentieth-Century Poets: Sylvia Plath single

Stamp with Elizabeth Bishop in black and white looking at us above purple text “Bishop”

Forever Twentieth-Century Poets: Elizabeth Bishop single

Stamp with Wallace Stevens in black and white in three quarter view above red-orange text “Stevens”

Forever Twentieth-Century Poets: Wallace Stevens single

Stamp with Denise Levertov in black and white looking at us above lime-green text “Levertov”

Forever Twentieth-Century Poets: Denise Levertov single

Stamp with Theodore Roethke in black and white looking directly at us above sky-blue text “Roethke”

Forever Twentieth-Century Poets: Theodore Roethke single

Stamp with Gwendolyn Brooks in black and white smiling directly at us above sky-blue text “Brooks”

Forever Twentieth-Century Poets: Gwendolyn Brooks single

Stamp with William Carlos Williams in black and white peering at us above purple text “Williams”

Forever Twentieth-Century Poets: William Carlos Williams single

Stamp with E.E. Cummings in black and white in three-quarter view above purple text “Cummings”

Forever Twentieth-Century Poets: E. E. Cummings single

10c American Poets James Whitcomb Riley first day cover

Sylvia Plath

Witty Matchings of the Thirty-Six Poets (Mitate Sanjurokkasen no uchi)

1c American Poets Henry Wadsworth Longfellow plate block of four

2c American Poets John Greenleaf Whittier plate block of four

3c American Poets James Russell Lowell plate block of four

10c American Poets James Whitcomb Riley plate block of four

Folio from a Haft Awrang (Seven Thrones) by Jami (d.1492); recto: the gnostic has a vision of angels carrying trays of light to the poet Sa'di; verso: text

Robert Duncan

Robinson Jeffers

Bust of Percy Bysshe Shelly

Edwin Markham, from the portfolio "Portraiture"

John Updike

Walt Whitman

Lord Byron

Langston Hughes, from the portfolio 'O, Write My Name': American Portraits, Harlem Heroes

Lord Byron

Robinson Jeffers

Robert Frost

Portrait of Kahlil Gibran

Robinson Jeffers

Robert Burns

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