Poets & Poetry

April is National Poetry Month. View our Poets & Poetry Collection and our Poets Laureate Collection.

View our Poets & Poetry Collection and our Poets Laureate Collection. 

What Is Haiku? What Are the Rules?
What Is Haiku? What Are the Rules?
Episode 1

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What Is Haiku? "Simply what is happening in this place at this moment." - Matsuo Basho Traditional haiku describes a moment in time using words that awaken the senses. Matsuo Basho, a famous haiku...
Grace Freeman | Poets Laureate
Grace Freeman | Poets Laureate
Episode 5

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Grace Freeman S.C. Poet Laureate 1985 - 1986 Grace Freeman was named poet laureate of South Carolina by Governor Dick Riley in 1985. Grace was born in Greenville County, and her poems, stories, plays...
Ennis Rees | Poets Laureate
Ennis Rees | Poets Laureate
Episode 4

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Ennis Rees S.C. Poet Laureate 1984 - 1985 In 1984, Ennis Rees was named the third poet laureate of South Carolina by Governor Dick Riley. At the time, Ennis had been an English professor at the...
Helen von Kolnitz Hyer | Poets Laureate
Helen von Kolnitz Hyer | Poets Laureate
Episode 3

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Helen von Kolnitz Hyer S.C. Poet Laureate 1974 - 1983 Like Archibald Rutledge, Helen von Kolnitz Hyer had a calling to be a poet at a very young age. As a girl, she memorized poems from her aunt's...
Pat Mora | Poetry All-Stars
Pat Mora | Poetry All-Stars
Episode 7

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Pat Mora (1942 - ) Pat Mora is a writer of numerous children's books of poetry and prose. Mora is a native of El Paso, Texas and her work often features local interests, such as her family, the...
Rita Dove | Poetry All-Stars
Rita Dove | Poetry All-Stars
Episode 5

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Rita Dove 1952 - In 1987, Rita Dove was one of the youngest poets to win a Pulitzer Prize for poetry. Dove also became the youngest poet laureate of the United States in 1993. Currently, Dove is a...
Robert Frost | Poetry All-Stars
Robert Frost | Poetry All-Stars
Episode 4

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Robert Frost 1874-1963 After a failed attempt at farming in New Hampshire, Frost moved with his wife to England in 1912. There, he was influenced by the great English poets of the day. His friend Ezra...
Maya Angelou | Poetry All-Stars
Maya Angelou | Poetry All-Stars
Episode 3

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Maya Angelou (April 4, 1928 - May 28, 2014) Dr. Maya Angelou's busy career has included work as a poet, historian, songwriter, playwright, dancer, film producer, director, actress, singer, and civil...
Walt Whitman | Poetry All-Stars
Walt Whitman | Poetry All-Stars
Episode 2

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Walt Whitman 1819 - 1892 Walt Whitman, "The Great Grey Poet," was born in 1819 on Long Island in New York. At an early age, Whitman began reading the work of Shakespeare and Homer. His love of words...
Langston Hughes | Poetry All-Stars
Langston Hughes | Poetry All-Stars
Episode 1

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Langston Hughes 1902-1967 Langston's father once discouraged him from writing poetry. He believed discrimination would keep the young Langston from finding success as a poet. But Langston continued to...