World Poetry Day

What Is World Poetry Day?

Every March 21st is "World Poetry Day," established by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1999. Its aims include supporting linguistic diversity through poetry and increasing opportunities for endangered languages to be heard. Poetry has been cherished around the world as a way of sharing feelings across countries and cultures.

The Origins and Role of Poetry

Poetry has been part of people's lives as oral literature since before writing existed.

• Memory and tradition: Ancient myths and heroic tales were passed down in the form of poetry with rhyme and rhythm. Epics such as the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey" are thought to have originally been transmitted orally.
• Poetry and society: Poetry has been used not only to express joy and sorrow, but also to voice hopes for freedom and objections to society.

Japan's Tradition of Poetry

Japan is one of the countries where poetry is especially close to everyday life.

• Waka and the Man'yoshu: The "Man'yoshu," compiled around the 8th century, contains poems by a wide range of people, from emperors to commoners.
• The spread of haiku: The 5-7-5 haiku is known as one of the shortest fixed forms of poetry in the world, and today "haiku" are written in many languages.
• A living tradition of submissions: Newspaper tanka and haiku columns and the annual New Year's Poetry Reading at the Imperial Palace are among the many places where ordinary people still compose and share poems.

Fun Facts About Poetry

• Poetry slams: The "poetry slam," where poets perform their own work on stage and are scored by the audience, began in the United States in the 1980s and spread around the world.
• UN commemorative stamps: The UN Postal Administration has issued commemorative stamps for World Poetry Day.
• The sonnet: The sonnet, a classic European fixed form, has 14 lines; Shakespeare's sonnets are especially famous.
• Around the equinox: March 21st falls around the spring equinox, a time when spring arrives in the Northern Hemisphere.

Tips for Enjoying World Poetry Day

• Read a favorite poem aloud
• Turn your current mood or the seasonal scenery into a 5-7-5 haiku
• Read a poem by a foreign poet in both the original and a translation
• Share a line of poetry or a song lyric that stays with you with family or coworkers

Few Words That Stay With You for a Long Time

Poetry packs a great deal of feeling into a limited number of words. On March 21st, why not make time in your busy day to enjoy a poem or a single haiku?