LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. — On Friday, March 21, World Poetry Day will be celebrated worldwide. Countless people believe that poetry is a powerful way to express emotions. This day may be celebrated by reading poems to friends and family and finding the deeper meanings in each verse.

On March 21, 1999, World Poetry Day was adopted by UNESCO at its 30th General Conference held in Paris, France. This proposal and adoption were made to recognize all of the national, regional and international poetry movements. Since then, World Poetry Day has been celebrated everywhere, with new poems being written and published every day. 

“Words help capture the spontaneous overflow of feelings,” Ms. Cronk, Los Alamitos High School English teacher, said.

To many people, poetry is a way to help express emotion and feelings. Famous poets like Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson and Edgar Allan Poe are just a few of the authors recognized on World Poetry Day. From love and nature poems to poems describing the little joys of life, there are poems for every person and interest. 

“We should always remind ourselves of the important role poets played that helped shape the way poetic writing evolves,” a poet, who wished to remain anonymous, said.

On poets.org, readers can look at all different kinds of poems written by inspiring writers. Their Poem-a-Day program spotlights a different poem each day, emailing subscribers the daily poem to read to start off each morning. 

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth,”

(Excerpt from “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, courtesy of the Poetry Foundation.)

Robert Frost, one of the most famous poets in history, published “The Road Not Taken” in 1915. So many people love this poem for its relatable themes of choices and the impact of decisions one makes throughout life. This poem is one of the over 250 poems Robert Frost wrote in his lifetime.

Poetry impacts countless people around the world, from readers to writers, who will continue to build upon ancient techniques and writing styles. Make sure to share your favorite poetry with friends or family members on March 21 to celebrate World Poetry Day.