On World Poetry Day, people celebrated ‘all incredible poets worldwide’


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On 21 March, people marked #WorldPoetryDay, first embraced by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1999.

According to UNESCO, the annual commemoration aims to support “linguistic diversity through poetic expression” and increase “the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard”.

Alongside this, the day seeks to:

promote the reading, writing and teaching of poetry, foster the convergence between poetry and other arts such as theatre, dance, music and painting, and raise the visibility of poetry in the media.

The day pays homage to poets across continents and encourages creativity.

On Twitter, renowned and innovative young poets from all over the world shared their work, expressing ideas and feelings through the magic of words. Below are just a few.

Inspiring children

Many contributions came from young children whose poems shed light on the impact of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the suffering of war, and hopes for world peace.

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Oh how I miss my freedom, the freedom to be a child, to just run and play

…We are afraid yet we are fearless – Lincoln, 11, Sheffield, UK

What if peace was a pandemic?

…With peace, we can get rid of any conflict – Areej, 13, Yemen

A silence that is bursting with agonizing screams

So quiet and yet devastated with shattered dreams [translated from Farsi] – Huda Hedayat, 13, Afghanistan

Refugees, asylum seekers and migrants

Powerful accounts of how it feels to live in conflict-ridden parts of the world, and the experiences of having to seek refuge from countries like Nigeria and Myanmar, were also shared on social media.

I lost the tools to eradicate ignorance and prejudice

Shall I stay or move ahead? – Abdulrahman Umar, Nigeria

With a finger snap from a dream seeker

I was transformed to an asylum seeker – Damien Trasha, Ireland

They say “A book is like a home”.  Yet they destroy a place that I call home.

They say “Education is future”. Yet they deny my future – Jamalida Rafigue, Ireland.

Hope for peace

World champion poets, iconic leaders and pioneering activists also recited their poems

American poet Maya Angelou’s famous ‘A Brave and Startling Truth’, written for the UN’s 50th anniversary at the time, also circulated online:

And when we come to it, to the day of peace making

When we release our fingers from fists of hostility

And allow the pure air to cool our palms… – Maya Angelou

If you’d like to get involved in poetry, Penguin’s list of ways that you can find inspiration is a good start. It includes:

  • Get your prescription from The Poetry Pharmacy
  • Watch a poetry reading
  • Share poetry with people of all ages
  • Add some award-winning poetry on your to-read list
  • Start writing your own poetry

And you don’t need to wait till the next World Poetry Day to start, either.

Featured image Thought Catalog via Unsplash

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