The Washington State Library celebrates National Poetry Month by bringing poetry to the public throughout April. We hope these resources will help you celebrate the joys and solace that can be found in the beauty of the written word.

For Claudia Castro Luna (@wapoetlaureate), Washington State Poet Laureate, providing a voice to a sheltering public is a means for us to offer each other “fortitude, hope, resilience, humor.” Check out her Poems to Lean On series.

Poetry Northwest (@poetrynw) is the longest running journal devoted to poetry in the region. The Washington State Library’s collection dates to the first volume in June 1959 and runs to the latest Spring-Summer 2020 special edition, The Photography Issue. Enjoy some poetry with the Poem of the Week or read the latest online content and featured articles here:
https://www.poetrynw.org/

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Maps can provide all sorts of information, from street locations to topography, from statistical trends to population density. Originally a project conceived by Claudia Castro Luna, the Seattle Poetic Grid populates its streets with the voices of its citizens, and it has since grown to include a second map, Washington Poetic Routes. Explore this unique take on poetry from geography, a visual representation of verse and venue.

https://seattlepoeticgrid.com/

https://washingtonpoeticroutes.com/