Eva Ocshmann, Freshman
National Poetry Day, celebrated annually on the first Thursday of October, allows everyone to show appreciation for, and share their favorite poetry. This year's theme is “Vision” and the strapline is “See It Like a Poet”. For years, National Poetry Day has been a tradition all over the world and a great way for aspiring poets and writers to get their art out.
The holiday started back in 1997 when it was founded by the charity Forward Arts Foundation. Their mission was to make a day dedicated to recognizing the excellence of poetry and work on increasing their audience. Over time, the Forward Arts Foundation have gained support from larger companies such as the British Broadcasting Corporation, known more commonly as BBC News, and the Arts Council England. They have also gained the support of publishers, booksellers, and cultural organizations.
The Forward Arts Foundation is a charity that “promotes public knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of poetry in the UK and Ireland.” The charity was founded in 1991 by William Sieghart, who also founded the publisher Forward Worldwide. Their current mission, as stated on their website, is “to deepen the appreciation of poetry, celebrate its excellence, and increase poetry’s audience”. The charity’s two main programs are National Poetry Day and Forward Prizes for Poetry. They coordinate national events by working with libraries and schools, and encourage them to partner with a UK-wide poetry network.
This year, in 2020, the theme of National Poetry Day is “Vision”. Vision, of course, is the ability to see, though poets have found other ways to express vision creatively. For some people, poetic vision is the underlying ability to see past the shell of an idea to see its true meaning. Poetic vision is the ability to see things without recognizing the barriers put in place around it. For this year’s theme, the Forward Arts Foundation wanted writers to see past the barriers and express what it is like to see. To describe to an audience exactly what it is they see or how the ordinary can be described as extraordinary.
Although anyone can write poetry and express themselves through it, there are also ways one can have their own audience. The Forward Arts Foundation helps to schedule and plan events all around the world; most prominently in the United Kingdom. No matter if one is going or sharing as an individual, or are a part of a group or organization, everyone is welcome all the same. The National Poetry Day website allows visitors of their page to download their logos or posters to accessorize personal event. If you post a picture on social media, make sure to use the tag “#NationalPoetryDay”! Attending an event is also completely free; local events can be found on the National Poetry Day official website under the “Event” page.
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 and the current predicament, the Forward Arts Foundation had to make some rearrangements to the past events. They will continue to highlight poetry initiatives that allow people to come together through the making and sharing of poetry. The website itself does not specify if events will still be held, but they shared new teaching resources for educators to use and will be sending out updates on social media. Although your work may not be performed, it is still good to save it and send it to the National Poetry Day website to possibly be put on display. Over time, they plan to release some popular poetry and writers to upkeep their mission of changing lives through the gift of confidence to the people and strengthening local communities.
Works Cited
“About Us.” Forward Arts Foundation, 11 June 2020, www.forwardartsfoundation.org/about-us/.“NATIONAL POETRY DAY - October 3, 2020.” National Today, 10 Jan. 2020,
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