We keep you updated on the world of poetry with our news roundups.
Nikolay Zabolotsky was a Russian poet who was a member of a Futurist group of writers known as “Oberiu”. These were men who dabbled in the avant-garde and the absurd in their writings, often seeking to banish the old style of literature to history in favour of themes that embraced the ever-increasing industrialisation in their country. They often strayed into dangerous waters though, ...
Nguyễn Trãi was a Vietnamese poet, Confucian scholar and great military strategist who made a good reputation for himself in 15th century Vietnam. He served his king and government in many capacities and was so well regarded that many of the common people believed that he was capable of performing miracles. He had a close relationship with the king who was struggling to ...
Pontus de Tyard, the French Renaissance poet and catholic priest, was heavily involved with a group known as La Pléiade. These were writers of the 16th century who favoured Greek and Roman poetic forms. It is believed that Tyard was one of the earliest writers of French language sonnets, and also that he was responsible for the introduction of the Provençal form of fixed verse ...
Moina Michael was an American poet, humanitarian and university professor whose main claim to fame was that, having read John McCrae’s evocative poem about Flanders Fields she conceived the idea of making the poppy an everlasting symbol of remembrance for the millions of lives lost in World War I. Her career as a teacher began at the tender age of fifteen at various locations in Georgia. She ...
Pavlo Tychyna was a multi-award winning Ukrainian poet and academic of the 20th century who served his country well as a statesman and public activist. He also acted as an interpreter having mastered several languages. He was born Pavlo Hryhorovych Tychyna on the 11th January 1891 in the northern Ukrainian town of Pisky. His mother, a teacher, produced ten children for her husband, a deacon, ...
David Atwood Wasson was a 19th century American Congregational minister, poet and writer of essays. He was a great believer in the Transcendentalist movement and wrote many pieces on this theme. He took inspiration from the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Thomas Carlyle though it is believed that Carlyle’s influenced became less during his later years. He was born in May 1823 in West Brooksville, ...
Daniil Ivánovich Kharms was a 20th century Russian poet and dramatist whose poetry is usually categorised as absurdist or surrealist. He was born Daniil Ivánovich Yuvatchov on the 30th December 1905 in St. Petersburg into a family constantly at odds with the government. His father, Ivan, was a member of “The People’s Will” which was a subversive, revolutionary group whose activities included acting against the ruling ...
David Humphreys was an American poet and entrepreneur who gave distinguished service as ADC to George Washington during the War of Independence (1775-83). Following his army service, Humphreys dedicated much of his time to satirical poetry as part of a group originally called the Connecticut Wits, and then the Hartford Wits. The group are commonly known as the first American school of ...
David McKee Wright was an Irish-born poet and journalist who spent much of his life living and writing in New Zealand and Australia. He was born on the 6th August 1869 in Ballynaskeagh, County Down. His parents were both missionaries, serving in faraway lands such as Syria. The family moved to London when David was aged seven and, shortly after, he lost his ...
Denis Florence MacCarthy was a 19th century Irish poet and translator of Spanish literature. His Catholic faith had a strong influence on his work and he also never hid his Nationalist feelings about Ireland, producing a great deal of patriotic verse. He was born on the 26th May 1817 in Lower O'Connell Street, Dublin. He was educated at home during his early years ...
