Poetry blog

We keep you updated on the world of poetry with our news roundups.

Recent posts

Conrad Potter Aiken Poems

 

Conrad Potter Aiken was an American poet, short story writer and novelist of the 20th century who, at the age of 11, survived the tragedy of finding his parent’s bodies after his father had shot his mother and then turned the gun on himself. A multi-prize winning author, his collection of poems called Selected Poems won him the Pulitzer Prize in 1930. He was ...

Poetry in the 18th century [interactive timeline & timemap]

 

Whether we realise it or not, the things we have experienced in our lives shape our thoughts and our opinions. This is something that a lot of creative people use to their advantage in their works. Everyone from musicians to playwrights to, of course, poets, use their experiences and the things that they have been through when they are putting together their creative masterpieces. This is why, if you assess ...

Constance Fenimore Woolson Poems

 

Constance Fenimore Woolson was a 19th century American poet and novelist who was descended from James Fenimore Cooper, the great writer who told epic tales of frontier and Indian life during the early days of American colonisation. Constance adopted a similar style with her stories featuring the people of the southern states and the Great Lakes regions. She also spent a good deal ...

Giacomo Leopardi Poems

 

Giacomo Leopardi was a 19th century Italian nobleman who was one of the leading lights in the Romantic poetry movement which was a part of the Age of Enlightenment. This was a period that began in the previous century, dominating intellectual and philosophical thinking across the whole of Europe. Leopardi was able to participate fully in this despite living in a remote part ...

Carmen William Fletcher Poems

 

"Curley" Fletcher was an American cowboy poet and song writer but, as one would expect, he had a number of other occupations at various times, if for no other reason than to ensure that he had a reasonable income. These included prospecting for minerals, appearing at rodeos as a champion rider and, of course, he was often just an ordinary, run-of-the-mill cowboy/cow hand. ...

Cyprian Kamil Norwid Poems

 

Cyprian Kamil Norwid was a 19th century Polish poet and playwright who also made his name as a sculptor and painter. Also known as Cyprian Konstanty Norwid, he became one of his country’s most popular writers and artists, belonging to what became known as the second generation of romantics. He was born on the 24th September 1821 in the north eastern region of ...

Cyril Tourneur Poems

 

Cyril Turner the English writer, soldier and diplomat of the Jacobean period  is best known for two tragedies that were published in the first decade of the 17th century. The first was The Revenger"s Tragedy (1607) and then, four years later, The Atheist"s Tragedy, although Revenger’s has been jointly attributed to another playwright by the name of Thomas Middleton. This powerful play, written in verse, is full ...

The World Map of Nobel Prize in Literature

 

2024 UPDATE: The map has been updated to include Han Kang. A little bit of Nobel history The Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded every year since 1901, apart from 1914, 1918, 1935, 1940, 1941, 1942 and 1943. It is awarded to the author that has produced outstanding work in the field of literature. It can be awarded to any individual, and it looks at the author’s work for his/her entire ...

Daagh Dehlvi Poems

 

Daagh Dehlvi was the nom-de-plume used by a famous 19th century Indian poet of the old Delhi school, who specialised in ghazals written in the Urdu language. The Persian language was still much in use at the time but Daagh concentrated on Urdu idioms and words, writing in an often sensuous and romantic style. His work was widely popular during his lifetime, with ...

Daniel Bedinger Lucas Poems

 

Judge Daniel Bedinger Lucas was an American poet, Civil War soldier, member of the US Senate and lawyer. Amongst other titles he was known as "the poet of the Shenandoah Valley.” Besides being a passionate writer of poetry he was also a powerful orator. He was born on the 16th March 1836 at an imposing residence called Rion Hall which lies near Charles Town, ...