Skip to Main Content


Northfield Poet Laureate: Poetry Resources

The Northfield Poet Laureate is sponsored by the City of Northfield and funded by the Northfield Public Library and the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council (SEMAC), in partnership with the Northfield Arts and Culture Commission.

National Poetry Month Resources

About National Poetry Month (Academy of American Poets:  https://poets.org/national-poetry-month

30 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month (Academy of American Poets): https://www.poets.org/national-poetry-month/30-ways-celebrate-national-poetry-month

Poem in Your Pocket Day (Academy of American Poets): https://www.poets.org/national-poetry-month/poem-your-pocket-day

ReadWriteThink Classroom Resources (National Council of Teachers of English); http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/calendar-activities/april-national-poetry-month-20478.html

Reading Rockets poetry resources: http://www.readingrockets.org/calendar/poetry

National Poetry Writing Month: https://www.napowrimo.net/

Resources for Students and Educators

Websites

The Poetry Foundation Online Resources: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/learning/resources (includes links to online poetry courses [MOOCs], resources for teachers, and links to other poetry organizations).

American Academy of Poets Materials for Teachers: https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/materials-teachers

Dear Poet Lesson Plans (Academy of American Poets): https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/lesson/dear-poet-2015

The Loft: https://www.loft.org/ (a literary center in Minneapolis offering classes, readings, and resources for writers)

Library of Congress Poetry Resources: https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/lcpoetry/

NEA Poetry Resources for Middle School: http://www.nea.org/tools/lessons/bringing-poetry-to-the-classroom-grades-6-8.html

Scholastic poetry resources for teachers: http://teacher.scholastic.com/poetry/

Poetry Teatime: http://poetryteatime.com/about/about-poetry-teatime (resources for reading poetry with children)

Alzheimer's Poetry Project Minnesota: http://www.alzpoetrymn.org/

Writing Prompts

Kelli Russell Agodon: 30 Writing Prompts for National Poetry Month (.pdf): http://www.agodon.com/uploads/2/9/4/3/2943768/writing_prompts_by_kelli_russell_agodon.pdf

Writers Digesthttp://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides/poetry-prompts

Poets & Writershttps://www.pw.org/writing-prompts-exercises?genre=31

Essays

Edward Hirsch, "How to Read a Poem"

Mark Yakich, "Reading a Poem: 20 Strategies" (The Atlantic)

Lesson Plans

Strategies to Read and Analyze Poetry (Scholastic): https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/teaching-content/strategies-read-and-analyze-poetry/

Resources for Readers

Find Poetry Online

Academy of American Poets: https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/browse-poems-poets (a database of over 7,000 poems)

The Poetry Foundation: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/ (thousands of poems originally published in Poetry Magazine)

American Life in Poetry: http://www.americanlifeinpoetry.org/ (a series of short poems with brief commentary by former U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser)

Poem-a-Day Websites

The Slowdown (a daily poetry podcast hosted by U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith): https://www.apmpodcasts.org/slowdown/

Rattle Magazine: http://www.rattle.com/

Academy of American Poets: https://www.poets.org/

Poetry Daily: http://poems.com/

Verse Daily: http://www.versedaily.org/

The Writer’s Almanac: http://writersalmanac.org/

Poetry 180 (Library of Congress): http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/p180-list.html

Poetry Videos and Recordings

Ours Poetica: poets reading their poems, with new content each week (from Poetry Magazine): https://www.youtube.com/OursPoetica

Academy of American Poets YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMbWrLV3xwKly6vqhnl0IXg

Video from The Poetry Foundation: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/features/video (includes the Favorite Poem Project, started by former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, and videos from the PBS NewsHour Poetry Series)

Favorite Poem Project: http://www.favoritepoem.org/ (direct link)

Poetry Slam Inc.: https://www.youtube.com/user/thisispoetryslaminc (slam poetry YouTube channel)

Button Poetry: https://www.youtube.com/user/ButtonPoetry

Poetry Out Loud: https://www.youtube.com/user/poetryoutloudvideos/feed

Library of Congress Library of Recorded Poetry and Literature: https://www.loc.gov/collections/archive-of-recorded-poetry-and-literature/about-this-collection/

Poetry in Performance (Bill Moyers & Company): http://billmoyers.com/content/pure-poetry/

Poetry Apps

The Poetry Foundation Mobile App: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/resources/mobile

Poetry Daily App: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/poetry-daily/id376587204?mt=8

Instant Poetry ("magnetic" poetry app): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/instant-poetry-2/id925723441?mt=8

Other Poetry Websites

Poets' Graves: http://www.poetsgraves.co.uk/index.html

Poetry Podcasts

List of Poetry Podcasts from Bookriot: https://bookriot.com/2016/04/11/11-podcasts-for-poetry-lovers/

The Slowdown (a daily poetry podcast): https://www.apmpodcasts.org/slowdown/

Resources for Poets

List of Poetry Markets

New Pages: https://www.newpages.com/

Poets and Writers: https://www.pw.org/classifieds

Rattle Young Poets Anthology: http://www.rattle.com/children/rypa/ (for poets 15 or younger)

List of Minnesota Publishers

https://www.loft.org/resources__awards/digital_resources/minnesota_publishers/

Resources for Spoken Word/Slam Poetry

http://www.guante.info/p/resources_17.html

League of Minnesota Poets

http://www.mnpoets.org/

Poets Laureate

United States Poet Laureate

Joy Harjo (appointed 2019)

http://www.loc.gov/poetry/laureate.html

Minnesota Poet Laureate 

Joyce Sutphen

https://www.loc.gov/rr/main/poets/minnesota.html

Local Media Coverage

Note: Northfield News stories now require a subscription.

Northfield News. "Sidewalk Poetry Capstone event a night of poetry, music on Bridge Square" (August 5, 2019)

Northfield News. "Arcadia student wins national Poetry Out Loud contest" (May 10, 2019) 

StarTribune. "Northfield, Minn., high school student wins national poetry competition" (May 3, 2019)

ArtZany! (KYMN). Arcadia Charter School: Midsummer Night's Dream and Poetry Out Loud (April 25, 2019)

Northfield News. "Northfield 2019 Sidewalk Poetry Contest winners announced" (April 18, 2019)

KARE11. "Two Arcadia Charter School students bring top game to Poetry Out Loud" (April 3, 2019).

Faribault Daily News. "From Northfield: reading and talking poetry" (January 25, 2019)

Northfield News: "2 repeats, 3 new winners in 2018 Sidewalk Poetry contest" (April 27, 2018)

ArtZany! (KYMN): "Sidewalk Poetry and Poem in Your Pocket" (April 27, 2018)

Northfield News. "Andrea Een brings together two passions during her Poetry Night" (March 31, 2018).

Carleton Academics. "CCCE puts poetry in motion with arts, humanities outreach" (March 27, 2018). 

Northfield News. "What exactly is a Poet Laureate?" (March 28, 2018). 

Northfield News. "Pownell highlights the good in State of the City address" (March 26, 2018). Includes the text of the community poem. 

Northfield News: "Wurzer, Northfield residents reConvene to talk about living and dying well" (February 9, 2018)

Northfield News: "From poetry to books, Prairie Creek students embrace the written word" (January 31, 2018)

ArtZany! with Paula Granquist (KYMN): Poetry with Rob Hardy, Kyle "Guante" Tran Myhre, and Emily Oliver (January 26, 2018)

Northfield News: "City teams up with Carleton student to modernize Sidewalk Poetry" (September 29, 2017)

Northfield News: "Poetry Festival aims to reach all generations with 3 weekend events" (September 26, 2017)

ArtZany! with Paula Granquist (KYMN): The 2017 Sidewalk Poetry Competition winners and Arts & Culture Commission chair Bonnie Jean Flom (April 21, 2017).

Northfield News: "Northfield students brace themselves for poetry slam" (April 11, 2017)

ArtZany! with Paula Granquist (KYMN): Anna Kochevar, Bella Callery, Scott Grave and Rob Hardy talking about Poetry Out Loud and National Poetry Month (March 31, 2017).

Northfield News: "Arcadia student wins poetry recitation state championship, moves on to nationals" (March 17, 2017)

ArtZany! with Paula Granquist (KYMN): Joy Riggs and Rob Hardy talking about literary events in Northfield at the end of January 2017 (January 20, 2017).

Northfield News: "Northfield Public Library, Arts and Culture Commission name Rob Hardy as first Poet Laureate" (August 18, 2016).

Books from the Collection