World Poetry Day

World Poetry Day
Also calledWPD
Observed byUN Members
CelebrationsUNESCO
ObservancesPromote poetry
Begins2000
Date21 March
Next time21 March 2027 (2027-03-21)
FrequencyAnnual
First time2000 (2000)

World Poetry Day is celebrated on 21 March.

It was declared by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) at their Paris conference November 1999,[1] "with the aim of supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard".[2] The first international celebration on March 21 took place in the year 2000.[1] Its purpose is to promote the reading, writing, publishing, and teaching of poetry throughout the world and, as the original UNESCO declaration says, to "give fresh recognition and impetus to national, regional, and international poetry movements".

In the 20th century the world community celebrated World Poetry Day on the 15th of October. The date was chosen to honor Pennsylvania Poet Laureate Ralph Cheyney.[3][4][5][6] The tradition to keep an October date for national or international poetry day celebrations still holds in many countries.[7] The United Kingdom generally uses the first Thursday in October,[8] but elsewhere a different October, or even sometimes a November date, is celebrated.

History of UNESCO World Poetry Day

Poets in both Turkey and Greece claim to be the originators of World Poetry Day. Vassilis Vassilikos, ambassador of Greece to UNESCO, proposed March 21st be named World Poetry Day.[9] The date following the equinox was chosen by Greek poet Lydia Stefanou, and the first Greek celebration of Poetry Day was held on March 21, 1998 in Athens.[10]

Turkish poet Tarık Günersel[11] also proposed World Poetry Day to PEN International in 1997 in Edinburgh, Scotland.[12][13] PEN International also claims to have originated World Poetry Day.

The 2021 World Poetry Day in the UNESCO headquarters in Paris was dedicated to the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great Macedonian poet, writer, literary translator and linguistic scholar Blaže Koneski.[14] At the same time, the British poet Carol Ann Duffy was announced as the recipient of the Golden Wreath Award of the Struga Poetry Evenings for 2021.[15]

History of October 15th observance

In 1937 Tessa Sweesy Webb celebrated the first Poetry Day in Ohio on the 3rd Friday of October by proclamation of the Ohio legislature.[4] In 1947 Ralph Cheyney's wife, Lucia Trent, standardized the date of Poetry Day to honor Cheyney on the yearly anniversary of his passing.[3][4] The holiday was first celebrated on October 15th, 1947 as Texas Poets Day by proclamation of Governor Beauford H. Jester.[4][6][5]

In 1950 Lucia Trent was a member of the National Poetry Day committee lead by Dr. Etta Josephean Murfey[16] which sought out an official recognition of the holiday by the president.[4] It expanded first to New York, Idaho,[17] and Pennsylvania in 1948 and by 1955, the National Poetry Day celebration grew to include 42 states.[18] The organization had regional and state representatives.[19]

In 1955 through the advocacy of Philadelphia poet Mary O'Connor, the holiday became World Poetry Day, with Cyprus and the Philippines being first to observe the holiday outside of the United States.[18][20] By 1960 World Poetry Day was celebrated in 32 countries.[20] O'Connor died in 1960.

In 1966 Dr. Frances Clark Handler of Florida incorporated the World Poetry Day Committee, Inc. as a non-profit to continue to promote the official adoption of the holiday by governments around the world.[21][16] By the time of Trent's death in 1977, Poetry Day was celebrated in all 50 states and 41 countries.[22] Dr. Handler continued to advocate for presidential recognition of the holiday throughout the 1980s. In 1982 and 1983 Florida Congressman Claude Pepper advocated for Poetry Day on the House floor.[23] She passed away in 1993.

Due to the advocacy of the Poetry Day Committee, National Poetry Month was widely celebrated across the United States in October beginning in the 1950s.[24] Prior to 1996 October was celebrated as national poetry month by the Academy of American Poets,[25][26] National League of American Pen Women,[27][28] National Federation of State Poetry Societies,[29] and the California Federation of Chaparral Poets.[30][31] In 1959 Academy of American Poets noted that over 100 poetry societies and 200 bookstores across the nation celebrated October as poetry month.[26][32] Some celebrations in the 1980s and 1990s referred to October as World Poetry Month.[33][34][35]

See also

  • United Nations
  • National Poetry Day, held in October in the United Kingdom
  • National Poetry Day in the United States - celebrated on October 15 since 1947
  • National Poetry Month, held in April in the United States and Canada
  • Honorary Poets, chosen on 1 November, Poetry Day in the Korea

References

  1. ^ a b "World Poetry Day". The Toronto Star. 21 March 2000. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  2. ^ "World Poetry Day". www.unesco.org. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  3. ^ a b "Poetry day founder is paid honor". The Austin American. 3 October 1965. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  4. ^ a b c d e Brewer, Anita (1 October 1963). "That's Lucia Trent, Poetry Advocate". Austin American Statesman. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  5. ^ a b "Poetry awards of month for Texas are awarded". Fort Worth Star Telegram. 19 February 1950. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  6. ^ a b "Poets Day Named". Houston Chronicle. 5 October 1947. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  7. ^ 41 countries observed World Poetry Day on 15 October 1951. Ref. cited: The International Who's Who in Poetry 1978-79. Ernest Kay, Ed. International Biographical Council, Cambridge, England.
  8. ^ National Poetry Day, United Kingdom. nationalpoetryday.co.uk.
  9. ^ Karvounaki, Georgia (23 March 2023). "World Poetry Day". Greek News and Radio. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  10. ^ "Reading Greece: Ilias Gris on Greek Poetry and the Generation of the 1970s". Greek News Agenda. 21 March 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  11. ^ "Günersel". The Sheboygan Press. 14 March 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  12. ^ "World Poetry Day". PEN International. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  13. ^ "PEN Turkey A History". PEN Turkey. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  14. ^ "World Poetry Day 2021". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  15. ^ "British poet Carol Ann Duffy is the recipient of the "Golden Wreath" Award of the SPE for 2021". Struga Poetry Evenings. 2021. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021.
  16. ^ a b "National Poetry Day Committee". The Miami Herald. 1 September 1974. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  17. ^ "Idaho Poetry Day celebrates work". Coeur d'Alene Press. 15 October 2000. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  18. ^ a b "World Poetry Day to be observed on October 15". Herald Journal. 12 October 1959. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  19. ^ "Letter from National Poetry Day Committee in 1955" (PDF). Chilean National Library. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  20. ^ a b Atkinson, Mabel Law (16 October 1960). "32 nations celebrate World Poetry Day". Herald Journal. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  21. ^ Congressional Record: Proceedings and debates of the 97th Congress. U.S. Printing Office. August 1982. p. 20638.
  22. ^ "Lucia Trent dies Poetry founder". New Port Richey Press. 2 March 1977. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  23. ^ "Extensions of Remarks" (PDF). U.S. Congress. 1983. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  24. ^ Doane, Myrtle (13 October 1984). "National Poetry Day celebrated October 15". Sun Journal. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  25. ^ "Poetry Theme". Syracuse Herald Journal. 16 October 1959. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  26. ^ a b "From chapel hill". News and Record. 18 October 1959. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  27. ^ "Local pen women note poetry month". Journal Gazette and Times Courier. 19 October 1978. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  28. ^ "Poetry month to be observed by pen women on Wednesday". Connecticut Post. 17 October 1964. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  29. ^ "Kentwood residents attend poetry day observance". The Daily Star. 9 November 1995. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  30. ^ "Multi media poetry festival scheduled". Peninsula Times Tribune. 20 October 1973. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  31. ^ "East Bay Poet's work to be shown in LA". Oakland Tribune. 20 September 1956. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  32. ^ "Oct Poetry Month". Richmond News Leader. 7 October 1959. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  33. ^ "Odessa Chapter of the Poetry Society of Texas". Odessa American. 28 October 1990. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  34. ^ Mathews, Shirley (29 October 1982). "Fairfield gallery marks World Poetry Month". Stamford Advocate. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  35. ^ "New Smyrna Beach". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. 19 October 1984. Retrieved 26 March 2026.


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