Celebrate World Poetry Day with These Five Grants
World Poetry Day gives people all over a chance to celebrate the gift of poetry. Whether a poet, a writer, or just a lover of the arts, this day is a reminder to continue to follow your passion and never give up. The day falls on March 21st and is the perfect time to recognize this important style of writing and its impact on our society and the world.
The Beauty of Poetry
Poetry creates something beautiful for its readers by sharing stories and emotions in a unique way. In history, poets have changed the trajectory of our universe. Poems have been used to call for peace during war. A poem by a famous Jewish poet, Emma Lazarus, mentions the famous symbol of American freedom, the Statue of Liberty. The statue sits close to a former location where new immigrants used to come through known as Ellis Island. Part of the poem reads:
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”
The art of poetry can be very therapeutic, providing a way for people to work through their feelings instead of hiding them. Poetry can also be a powerful political tool by giving space to share ideas, history, and different viewpoints.
GrantWatch acknowledges the importance of literature and the arts. And in honor of World Poetry Day, GrantWatch will be sharing five arts and culture grants today. In addition, here are three poets to check out this World Poetry Day, as well as some ideas of how to celebrate.
A Look at Three Incredible Poets
- Amanda Gorman: Gorman, an American Poet, is the youngest ever poet to recite during an inaguration for the President of the United States. She is a graduate of Harvard University, and has three upcoming books, one a children’s book to be published September 2022.
- Charly Cox: Cox is a British poet, who writes about mental health issues. She has published a book of poetry called, “She Must Be Mad”. The book speaks about her personal experiences with mental health.
- Sylvia Plath: Sylvia Plath was also an American poet, novelist, and a writer of short stories. Though she died in 1963, the spirit of her often jarring, and emotional poetry is still being taught in English classeses all over the United States.
How Can You Observe World Poetry Day?
- Write a poem.
- Pick up a book of poetry from the library or bookstore.
- Learn about a famous poet and their life online
- Additionally, you can go on social media and use the #worldpoetryday to talk about your favorite poems, poets, and the artform.
Five Poetry Grants for World Poetry Day
- Firstly, there are grants of up to $10,000 to U.S. nonprofits for activities that perpetuate the art of poetry in American culture and expand awareness of the positive effects of poetry on society. Funds may go to poetry translation projects, developing poetry audiences, and programs that use poetry to make a positive impact on society.
- There are also grants to U.S. writers for critical financial support during times of economic difficulty. Funding may assist professional journalists, poets, authors, translators, screenwriters, and playwrights based in the United States who can demonstrate how the funds will help them address an emergency situation.
- Grants of up to $5,000 and grants of up to $12,000 to Ontario individuals to support the creation of original literary works. Funding can support literary artists, including northern writers, in genres including fiction, literary non-fiction, poetry, comic arts, and young adult literature.
- Awards to U.S., Canada, and International poets and authors of any age to recognize outstanding humor poems. In addition to the cash prizes for first and second place winners and honorable mentions, entries will be published on the Winning Writers website and announced in the Winning Writers Newsletter.
- Finally, awards of $5,000 are available to a U.S. school library to recognize outstanding humanities programming. Eligible nominees are libraries in K-8 private and public schools. Programs areas include social studies, poetry, drama, art, music, language arts, foreign language, and culture.
GrantWatch News
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