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Online poetry

Discover new poets through this free online collection of brilliant, moving, funny and groundbreaking poems curated by our specialist poetry librarians.

Search the poems by type or by topic, or use your own search terms.

 

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More details for A made-up / true story
An artwork with a small paragraph of text at the top and a large, abstract shape at the bottom composed entirely of densely packed lines of small print text.

A made-up / true story

Sam Winston

Image
Tagged with topic:
More details for La Suite De L'Historie : metaphysique 90
A black and white abstract graphic composed entirely of the section symbol (§) creating an optical illusion of a receding grid, with French text at the bottom.

La Suite De L'Historie : metaphysique 90

Henri Chopin

Image
Tagged with topic: Arts & sciences Music
More details for 'There is no such thing as the state', from September 1, 1939
A two-color woodcut print: a red portrait of W H Auden above a large block of yellow text from his poem September 1 1939 reading WE MUST LOVE ONE ANOTHER OR DIE.

'There is no such thing as the state', from September 1, 1939

WH. Auden

Image
Tagged with topic: Politics Society
More details for We Vanish Into One Another As Needed (for Dara Wier)
A contemporary poem with staggered lines and eccentric formatting.

We Vanish Into One Another As Needed (for Dara Wier)

CAConrad

Image
Tagged with topic: Health & illness Human experience
More details for The Bee Mother

The Bee Mother

Pascale Petit

Text
Tagged with topic: Animals & pets Children & childhood Family Family & relationships Nature
More details for Impossible Glove

Impossible Glove

Cecilia Vicuna

Text
Tagged with topic: Health & illness Human experience
More details for The Adulterous Citizen

The Adulterous Citizen

Tishani Doshi

Video
Tagged with topic: Family Family & relationships Marriage & companionship
More details for Credit Due

Credit Due

Jacob Sam La-Rose

Audio
Tagged with topic: Human experience Society Time Travel & places
More details for The Art of Undressing

The Art of Undressing

Rachel Long

Audio
Tagged with topic: Emotions & feelings Family & relationships Love & sex
More details for Once More I Will Greet the Sun

Once More I Will Greet the Sun

Forough Farrokhzad

Text
Tagged with topic: Family & relationships Love & sex Nature Weather & seasons
More details for The Cast ****

The Cast ****

Sharon Olds

Text
Tagged with topic: Family Family & relationships Health & illness Human experience
More details for Colours
Keith Jarrett, poet

Colours

Keith Jarrett

Audio
Tagged with topic: Death Human experience Identity

For your visit

National Poetry Library Southbank Centre

The National Poetry Library is open six days a week.

Tuesday, 12 noon – 6pm
Wednesday – Sunday, 12 noon – 8pm
Monday, closed.

Saturday 2 May,  Saturday 9 May  – The Royal Festival Hall is closed for an event, but the library remains open  – access via the Royal Festival Hall Artists Entrance.
Sunday 3 May,  Sunday 10 May – The National Poetry Library is closed.