LibGuides: Poets and Poetry: Start Here

Use this guide to deepen your appreciation of and to explore information and resources related to poets and poetry.

“Poetry, by its nature, is a ganglion of memories, impressions, influences. A poem without secrets lies dead on the page. Words themselves come to us dragging their roots behind them: roots that are as long as the history of the language.” -- Stanley Kunitz ( July 29, 1905 – May 14, 2006) was an American poet. He was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress twice, first in 1974 and then again in 2000.

Learn more about poets and poetry

"Poetry is writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in language chosen and arranged to create a specific emotional response through meaning, sound and rhythm." (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

What is a poet?

In Lyrical Ballads, Wordsworth puts a question to himself: What is a poet? Then he replies: "He is a man speaking to men; a man endowed with more lively sensibility, more enthusiasm and tenderness, who has a greater knowledge of human nature, and a more comprehensive soul, than are supposed to be common among mankind". Poetry humanizes mankind. "Poetry’s object is truth, not individual and local, but general and universal. Poetry is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge; the objects of the poet's thoughts are everywhere covering the vast empire of human society. As a result, the reader of poetry must necessarily be in some degree enlightened, and his affections strengthened. Poetry is the first and last of all knowledge - it is as immortal as the heart of man."

Source: Lyrical Ballads (1798-1800)

April is National Poetry Month!

National Poetry Month
Launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996, National Poetry Month reminds the public that poets have an integral role to play in our culture and that poetry matters. Over the years, it has become the largest literary celebration in the world, with tens of millions of readers, students, K–12 teachers, librarians, booksellers, literary events curators, publishers, families, and, of course, poets, marking poetry's important place in our lives. In 2021, the Academy of American Poets looks forward to celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of this annual celebration!
National Poetry Month, Official Poster

A poem by Naomi Shihab Nye

Next Time Ask More Questions (1952)

Before jumping, remember
the span of time is long and gracious.

No one perches dangerously on any cliff
till you reply. Is there a pouch of rain

desperately thirsty people wait to drink from
when you say yes or no? I don’t think so.

Hold that thought. Hold everything.
When they say “crucial”—well, maybe for them?

Hold your horses and your minutes and
your Hong Kong dollar coins in your pocket,

you are not a corner or a critical turning page.
Wait. I’ll think about it.

This pressure you share is a misplaced hinge, a fantasy.
I am exactly where I wanted to be.

Related LibGuides

African American Poets and Poetry
by Rebecca Benson Last Updated Sep 23, 2022 86 views this year

Poetry in Credo (easy access to ebooks and more)
Use tabs at the top of this guide to find available resources in our Credo Reference database. Topics include Books, Forms & Genres, Ancient Poetry, British Poetry, American Poetry, and World Poetry.