World Poetry Day 2022

World Poetry Day – Celebrating Diversity Through Words

Not to be confused with National Poetry Day, World Poetry day (WPD to those in the know), was established by UNESCO in Paris, back in nineteen ninety nine and is now celebrated worldwide on March the 21st each year.

So what is it all about? From Shakespeare and Wilfred Owen to Maya Angelou, Rupi Kaur and Warsan Shire, poets have used the power of words throughout the ages to promote love, peace and diversity, fight for civil rights and express emotion. UNESCO says World Poetry Day recognises and celebrates our common values and shared humanity and also offers a voice to those languages in danger of extinction.

Power, Form And Freedom

To celebrate poetry’s creative merit and power to influence social change, events including recitals, plays and writing workshops are held worldwide on this day, within local libraries or community centres; organisations may call for online poetry submissions or schools may hold special assemblies. Some forms of poetry and poets use traditional rules, such as writing a set number of lines or syllables in each work. For example, a sonnet typically has fourteen lines while a Haiku is a short Japanese poem composed of three lines: the first and third lines have five syllables, while the middle line has seven. Often traditional poems are split into stanzas (verses), rhyme and conform to a particular type of rhythm (metre).

Contemporary poetry, on the other hand, tends to be freelance and fluid, without hard set rules. Many modern poets embrace social media platforms including Instagram and Twitter to showcase their work and build up a following and in this way, poetry has become more accessible than ever before to people all across the globe.

So if you’re wondering how to get involved, check out your local community pages to search for World Poetry Day events held near you. Perhaps you could have a go at penning your own Haiku or freestyle poem? This ever-evolving art form is open to all and a great way to express yourself!

You can visit the UNESCO UK Official World Poetry Day website here 

Deborah Caine also writes personalised poetry. If you are interested, you can find her here: https://poembespoke.com/