Open Access Poetry Resources
Open Access Poetry Resources
Please use the links below to access a variety of poetry sources; you do not need to login or share any personal information. Please contact your librarians if you need additional information or material.
Audio Sources
There is power in listening to poetry (and speaking it out loud in your own voice)! Explore the resources linked below to hear students, actors, and poets read and share poetry. Enjoy!
Woodberry Poetry Room Comprehensive Recording Collection - Harvard Library
"One of the largest collections of literary recordings in the U.S., featuring over 6,000 recordings of poets and writers from the 1930s to the present day."
The Poetry Center and American Poetry Archives
"The Poetry Center organizes and presents some 30 public readings, performances and poetry-related talks each year, on the SF State campus and at other Bay Area venues, featuring outstanding poets and writers from across the literary spectrum. The Poetry Center houses the American Poetry Archives, an historic collection of over 5,000 hours of original audio and video recordings documenting the Reading Series up to the present. Open access to available audio/video at the Poetry Center Digital Archive."
"Classic Poetry Aloud gives voice to poetry through podcast recordings of the great poems of the past. Our library of poems is intended as a resource for anyone interested in reading and listening to poetry. For us, it's all about the listening, and how hearing a poem can make it more accessible, as well as heightening its emotional impact."
National Endowment for the Arts contest - "Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.5 million high school students have participated in this dynamic poetry recitation competition. Poetry Out Loud can help students improve public speaking skills, build confidence, and grow their appreciation for poetry."
Poetry Websites
Many poems are available to you on websites. As with all digital searches, please scrutinize the website and information source; sometimes sites publish incorrect versions of poems (where line breaks, stanzas, and even words are altered from the original). You do NOT need to share any personal information in order to access these resources.