Library Search: Creative Writing: Reading Poetry

How to Find Poetry

Poetry is published in a variety of ways, which necessitates exploring it using different sources, through poetry journals and magazines, anthologies and audiovisual sources.

This page is designed to assist with finding, reading and writing poetry. Find inspiration from contemporary poems, learn more about different poets throughout history, find recordings of poetry being read, and view examples of visual poetry.

Featured Magazine: Poetry Review

Poetry Review This link opens in a new window
Poetry Review is the magazine of The Poetry Society, edited by the poet Emily Berry. Founded in 1912, shortly after the establishment of the Society, previous editors have included such poets as Muriel Spark, Adrian Henri, Andrew Motion and Maurice Riordan.

For access click on 'via institution' above the login box and search for Arts University Bournemouth.

Audio Recordings of Poetry

Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature
Library of Congress digitized poetry recordings, dating back to 1943.
Archive of the Now
An archive of 100 poets performing their own poetry based at Queen Margaret University, London.
Open Culture: Audio Books of Poetry
Hundreds of free audio books, mostly classics and great works of poetry, from Angelou to Yeats.
PennSound
Downloadable recordings of poets reading their own and others' works.
The Poetry Archive
Recordings of poets reading their own poetry out loud. Also includes interviews with poets on their work.
Poetry Unbound Podcast
Each episode explores an individual poem in depth.
Voca
Collection of audiovisual recordings of poets reading their work, dating from 1963 to the present.

New & Recommended Books of Poetry

Bad diaspora poems

Howl : and other poems

Archipelagos

Yellow Rain: Poems

100 queer poems

Cain named the animal : poems

Poetry on the Radio

Tim Key's Poetry Programme
Performance poet and comedian Tim Key presents a selection of poems on a different theme each week.

Dr John Cooper Clarke at the BBC
The Bard of Salford performs classic and brand new poems at the BBC’s Radio Theatre.

The Verb
BBC Radio's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance. Hosted by Ian McMillan.

Poetry Please
Selections of poetry on various themes, chosen by listeners. Hosted by Roger McGough.

Poetry Detective
Vanessa Kisuule explores the stories behind people’s most treasured poems.

Poetry Extra
Gives listeners a weekly opportunity to revisit the riches of the BBC radio poetry archive.

National Poetry Library

The National Poetry Library
Housing the world’s largest public collection of modern poetry, the National Poetry Library is free to join across the UK, and London’s only space dedicated to poetry study. Join to access digital and print poetry, and browse their online poetry catalogue.

Reading Poetry Online

Academy of American Poets
Highlights contemporary and historical poets, often featuring one or more poems.
American Poetry Review
A journal presenting original poetry, literary criticism, interviews, essays and social commentary.
The Bloodaxe Archive
An archive of the publisher Bloodaxe hosted by Newcastle University. Includes 1500 scanned documents.
Electronic Poetry Center
Online collection of poetry resources including poems, audio recordings, small magazines, and more.
Little Magazines on JSTOR
Archives of more than 150 little magazines affiliated with the Beat Generation, the Black Arts Movement, Black Mountain, Surrealism, visual and concrete poetries and more.
Poetry
Published by the Poetry Foundation, the oldest monthly journal devoted to verse in the English-speaking world.
Poetry Foundation
An independent literary organisation for the promotion of poetry based in Chicago. Poetry, interviews, essays and educational material.
Poetry Magazines
Digitised sections from historic and current poetry publications, offering more than 6,000 poems published in over 50 different magazines
Scottish Poetry Library
Search from over 3,000 selected poems from Scottish poets online, and find out more about the physical library in Edinburgh.

Conceptual & Visual Poetry

Monoskop: Concrete Poetry
Poets, anthologies and exhibition catalogues, covering concrete, visual and optical poetry
Sackner Archive of Concrete and Visual Poetry
The most comprehensive visual poetry collection in the world, featuring work from some of the most significant poet-artists of the past hundred years
UbuWeb: Visual Poetry
Includes anthologies, ephemeral publications, criticism and sporadic journals dedicated to visual poetry.

Creative Writing: Reading Poetry