Days Until World Poetry Day

About World Poetry Day

March 21 was designated by UNESCO in 1999, aiming to support linguistic diversity through poetic expression and give increased visibility to poetry in educational, cultural, and social contexts worldwide.

It's marked by readings, publications, and educational events promoting poetry across many languages and cultures internationally.

UNESCO's founding rationale for the day specifically cited poetry's capacity to affirm identity in the face of globalized, homogenized culture, framing the observance partly as a linguistic-diversity initiative rather than purely a literary one.

UNESCO's own founding documents for the day specifically encourage a return to oral poetry traditions and public readings, reflecting a deliberate emphasis on poetry as a spoken as well as written art form.

UNESCO's messaging around the day has periodically highlighted endangered oral poetry traditions specifically, treating spoken verse as a form of intangible cultural heritage at risk alongside more commonly discussed physical heritage sites.