Whether you are looking for some inspiration, or are just looking to read some poetry classics, then we’ve got you covered. Below are some of the best poetry websites that we use on a regular basis in 2024.
Keep note that this list is in no particular order and each one of them offers up something unique. Lets get stuck in!
Top 19 Best Poetry Websites To Get Inspired By In 2024!
1. Poetry Foundation
Poetry Foundation is a Chicago-based organization that aims to promote English poetry through a variety of programs and events. The foundation realizes the threat faced by classic English literature and thus maintains a vast online library to keep it alive. Currently, the collection stands at 10,000+ strong.
You can refine the search results through categories such as subject, occasion, holiday, etc. Moreover, the website also sports audio and video content, specifically helpful for children. Keeping up with modern trends, the website has a supporting mobile app for poetry lovers on-the-go. This would easily have to be one of the best poetry websites out there!
2. Poets.org
This website is the face of Academy of American Poets on the internet. The mission of the website is clear: to support American poets at all points of their lives. To spark interest among its audience, the website launches programs such as National Poetry Month.
It has an Online Poetry Classroom that can help interested teachers. Apart from a massive textual library, the website has a 500-strong recording archive that goes back to the 1960s. For a casual surfer, there is a “Poems for Every Occasion” page which consists of multiple genres to suite your needs.
3. Poetry Daily
Poetry Daily has a vintage theme to it, giving it a cozy outlook for hobby poets or otherwise. The website posts a single poem a day from new magazines, books and other literary pieces.
This particular strategy helps its readers stay in touch with works that would otherwise have never caught the public eye. As the name states, the website is more focused on running new stuff rather than archiving it. Still, the archive boasts almost 400 of the most recent posts for someone who might have missed it.
4. Poetry Archive
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear! Poetry Archive holds a massive collection of literary pieces and cues to help new and professional poets stay sharp. For starters, it has a comprehensive glossary that can help beginners understand classic English better. To make things easier, it also displays related poems along with the word.
The website has over 2000 poems that you can listen to without charge, while other premium content requires paying a little. But the money goes towards maintenance of the website as this is a not-for-profit organization.
If you want, you can also record for Poetry Archive and get a share of the royalties. To promote arts in younger minds, Poetry Archive also has a page for children.
5. Poem Hunter
Next up on my best poetry websites list is Poem hunter. This website is an all-round poetry website having sections for poets, members, quotations and even e-books. There are new posts every day, and as a member you can also take part in juicy poetry discussions.
The poems are split into different categories, ranging from love to birth to death. If you want, you can also submit poems that may then be featured on the main page. The exact number of poems on the website is not known but it is easily in thousands.
When you visit the home page, you instantly get a link to Top 500 poets as well as Top 500 poems. This means you don’t have to waste too much time surfing the site.
6. Poetry Society
This is an actual American society that dates back to the 1910s, easily one of the oldest such organization in the US. Sadly, the website isn’t for casual visitors and is more focused on its members.
A small monthly fee is what keeps the society alive and thriving with top content. The society holds annual events and competitions as well.
Fortunately, once you become a member, you are entitled to a number of events in addition to surfing through the website’s content in its entirety. More details can be studied here.
7. Poetry 180
Poetry 180 is an educational classic English website focusing specifically on students. Its mission is to instill the love of poetry in students.
The collection contains 180 poems and is intended for students to get them curious about this field of arts. Apart from this, the website hosts events throughout the year, distributing prizes and fellowships too.
For those interested in multiple genres, you can visit the Archives, which contain over 2000 recordings.
8. Poetseers.org
This is a global poetry collection containing pieces from poets belonging to different time periods. Big names include that of Rumi, Kabir, Ibn Arabi, etc. T
he prime focus of the website is on Sufi poetry, which as we all know is one of the most spiritually enlightening genres. The design of the website is fairly simple, and you can navigate through multiple categories with ease.
There are thousands of poetry pieces on the website. Being completely free, all you need is an open mind and interest in the beautiful field.
9. Fishhouse Poems
Fishouse Poems is an audio poetry archive aimed at emerging poets. Founded in 2004, the website is part of a non-profit organization that maintains a free collection of literary works.
The archive doesn’t necessarily contain vintage material and is rather filled with works of modern poets. This makes it a good starting point for young poets early on in their career. Being free, the website encourages its users to donate for the sake of the organization.
One particular feature of the website is “Poet Questions and Answer Series”. This webpage contains a comprehensive Q&A list explaining the different aspect of poetry, well-suited for novices trying to immerse in classic English.
10. Poetry International Web
Poetry doesn’t have any language. Instilled by this vision, Poetry International web aims to connect cultures through an extensive poetry archive. The website contains works of various poets translated into English to promote the resurgence of the declining art form.
There are a multitude of things you can do on the website. There are links to news, articles, audio & video recordings, interviews, etc. as well as thousands of textual poems by acclaimed modern poets. The work is available in both their original language as well as English. You may very well start in Afghanistan and end up in Romania!
11. Tweet Speak Poetry
Next up on my best poetry websites is Tweet Speak Poetry. While this website isn’t an archive or a list-based website. It is a comprehensive online community, containing corners for poets, members, and the press. For starters, it has a daily poem section containing a fresh piece, something you may have never read before.
There are teaching tools to help young poets get on the right track. The website even organizes writing workshops, even having courses for teachers.
The number of poems run in the thousands and contain both modern and historic works. Examples include Ballad, Angle, Bird, Adam & Eve, and so on. Being a not-for-profit organization, members are encouraged to donate.
12. Representative Poetry Online
Representative Poetry Online is a collection of 4800 English and 700 French poems going back almost 1400 years. The website sports a modern design along with features such as search, poets’ corner, timeline and glossary.
The poems are classified according to title, form, rhyme and date while poetry can even be explored according to geographical span. There is a small section in the homepage displaying popular poetry-related events that have taken place on any particular day.
Fortunately, the poetry collection is free and thus, a gift to enthusiasts and young poets alike. For interested parties, there’s also a printed version of the collection available.
13. Commaful
This isn’t your average poetry website. No, the design of the website is meant to spark interest among its viewers. All the poems on the website are posted along with pictures and a unique structure to make things interesting.
Being an online community, you can also share your thoughts and ideas, having lengthy discussions. They even publish poetry books, and if your work is up to the mark, you may get featured!
With that being said, there is an active community that keeps the place alive, so highly recommended for enthusiasts. This is easily one of the best poetry websites on this list!
14. Contemporary American Poetry Archive
As the name suggests, this is an archival website. The website is maintained for educational purposes and sports thousands of poetry pieces. They have been classified alphabetically according to the author.
The website stays alive through support from Connecticut institutions’ English departments and doesn’t have much glamor in terms of design. Still, it can make a good addition to your list of poems and being free doesn’t really burn through the pocket.
15. Modern American Poetry
The Modern American Poetry website contains both historical and modern works, aimed at stimulating young minds. The membership for the website is free, after which you can submit critical and pedagogical materials.
In addition to poems, one can also go through literary works such as essays and appreciate the quality of classic English. Compared to print journals, MAPS has a distinct advantage as it incorporates controversial and experimental works.
In the editor’s point of view, this is the best way to promote creativity rather than keep it in confines. You can always add historical works to the website, as long as they are earlier than 1923.
16. American Verse Project
A collaborative effort between the University of Michigan Press and Humanities Text Initiative, the project involves assembly poems prior to 1920. Following TEI guidelines, all material is converted to digital formats which is then freely accessible.
The website has a nifty search functions that eases the journey through oceans of literature. You can also create custom search queries if you’re looking for something specific. As part of the project, work from almost 400 American authors was first selected and digitized. Today, more poems are being digitized and added to the online record.
The website is an ideal place for seasoned poets or minds looking to divulge into earlier times.
17. Poetry Out Loud
Poetry Out Loud issues guidelines, announcements and of course poems for national high school recitation contests. It is a good place for youth and individuals taking their first step into the poetry world.
It encourages its readers to get to the depth of poetry through memorization and recitation. There are specific programs that can help students master public speaking skills and become more expressive.
Apart from having a vast collection of poems, it also has several teaching resources that can help make classrooms a better place for learning classic English. The website partners with Poetry Foundation as well as US National Endowment for Arts.
18. Arts Edge
The Kennedy Center’s Art Edge website contains a variety of poems for students of K12 level. The design of the website is fluid and has specific sections for students, teachers and families.
The collection of poems can be classified in terms of arts genre, time, place and ideas. The focus of the website is to bring innovation in the field of arts so that younger minds can be attracted towards it.
There is also a decent collection of audio and video material to add spice to the already vast textual material on the website. Hands down one of the best poetry websites in this guide!