What Is Poetry For?

In Chicago, February 2009, at the annual conference of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs, eleven poets were asked the question, "What Is Poetry For?" Here is what they had to say.

Poets featured:
Martha Serpas
Todd Boss
Molly Peacock
Major Jackson
Cole Swenson
Kim Addonizio
Kimiko Hahn
Willie Perdomo
Beth Ann Fennelly
Julie Sheehan
Honor Moore

For more information on all featured poets visit wwnorton.com and/or poemsoutloud.net.

Music:
"Instrumental" by The Microphones from The Glow Pt. 2. Permission generously granted by the good people at K Records in Olympia, WA (krecs.com)

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• poetry
• norton
• poem
• poets
• serpas
• boss
• moore
• awp
• hahn
• perdomo
• peacock
• jackson
• sheehan
• addonizio
• fennelly
• poemsoutloud

[stormfreedom21]

what is this song?

[WWNorton]

@stormfreedom21 Great song, right? The video description has info on the music. It is "Instrumental" by The Microphones from their album The Glow Pt. 2. Permission was kindly granted by the nice people at K Records in Olympia, Washington (krecs.com).

[Thereisonlythemoment]

It's reaching out to others, sharing ones joy and ones pain, it's trying to make sense of this amazing and sometimes traumatic journey we are all on, it's saying - Me too I totally understand where you are coming from.

[thecoldpoet]

my boy Willie PERDOMO ya'll, best response ever (and all on the fly too!)

[ladydragon7777]

poetry is a window into the soul,a way to release emotion from within, a way to become whole, and to others who read it it tells them that they are not allone that there are others who feel just like them.

[wraith696]

What a lovely video.