After Love, by Maxime Kumin

In this video segment from Poetry Everywhere, Maxine Kumin reads her poem, “After Love”, which describes a quiet moment after love-making shared by two people in a long marriage.

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After Making Love We Hear Footsteps, by Galway Kinnell

In this video segment from Poetry Everywhere, Galway Kinnell reads his poem, “After Making Love We Hear Footsteps”, which depicts the magic of love and family connection.

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American Smooth, by Rita Dove

In this video segment from Poetry Everywhere, Rita Dove reads her poem, “American Smooth”, which describes the effort a couple makes to complete a ballroom dance, and the lyrical state of being they achieve.

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American Wedding, by Joseph Millar

In this video segment from Poetry Everywhere, Joseph Millar reads his poem, “American Wedding”, in which he feels the significance of embarking on a marriage as he heads to his daughter’s wedding reception.

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Aunties, by Kevin Young

In this video segment from Poetry Everywhere, Kevin Young reads his poem, "Aunties", in which he gives life to memories steeped in the Deep South.

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Belle Isle, 1949, by Philip Levine

In Philip Levine's post-war poem, "Belle Isle, 1949," two strangers meet, swim, and part, exploring themes of connection, boundaries, and where we come from. This video segment comes from Poetry Breaks.

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Blackbottom, by Toi Derricotte

In this video segment from Poetry Everywhere, Toi Derricotte reads her poem, “Blackbottom”, which describes a black American family’s drive through their old, segregated neighborhood, left behind when they moved to the suburbs.

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Brian, Age 7, by Mark Doty

In this video segment from Poetry Everywhere, Mark Doty reads his poem, "Brian, Age 7", which was inspired by a drawing taped to a drugstore window.

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Calling him back from layoff, by Bob Hicok

In this video segment from Poetry Everywhere, Bob Hicok reads his poem “Calling him back from layoff,” which describes the emotionally fraught phone conversation between a manager and a laid-off worker.

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The Civil War Era: Words Like Freedom

Dhana Bradley Donaldson and Priscilla Hancock Cooper present a “poetic concert” featuring “Ain’t I a Woman?” the famous speech made by abolitionist and feminist Sojourner Truth; “Alabama Centennial,” a poem about the Civil Rights movement by Naomi Long Madgett; and Nikki Giovanni’s self-love poem, “Ego Tripping.”

Daddy Long Legs, by Ted Kooser

In this video segment from Poetry Everywhere, Ted Kooser reads his poem, "Daddy Long Legs", in which he contemplates a spider he sees scurrying across the basement floor.

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The Dancing, by Gerald Stern

In this video segment from Poetry Everywhere, Gerald Stern reads his poem, "The Dancing", which moves from pleasant memories of the poet’s childhood to the horror of World War II.

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Dust, by Dorianne Laux

In this video segment from Poetry Everywhere, Dorianne Laux reads her poem, “Dust”, which explores the classic conundrum of “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

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Exploring Contrasts in "The Lanyard," by Billy Collins

In "The Lanyard," by Billy Collins, the speaker remembers a gift he made for his mother. This media-rich lesson helps students explore how contrasting images in a poem can create meaning.

Exploring Selected Haiku by Issa

Discover the haiku of Japanese poet Kobayashi Issa. This media-rich lesson examines the format, humor, and nature of haiku by Issa. Students analyze various haiku and write their own.

Facing It, by Yusef Komunyakaa

See the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial wall in Washington D.C. through the eyes of war veteran and contemporary poet Yusef Komunyakaa. In this video segment from Poetry Everywhere, Komunyakaa reads his poem "Facing It."

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The Floral Apron, by Marilyn Chin

In this video segment from Poetry Everywhere, Marilyn Chin reads her poem “The Floral Apron”, which describes an old woman teaching young girls traditional Chinese cooking in their new home in America.

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For What Binds Us, by Jane Hirshfield

In this video segment from Poetry Everywhere, Jane Hirshfield reads her poem "For What Binds Us," which uses the images of forces that bring things together, whether nails rusting into a wall, or the connections between people—as a way to examine love.

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The Gate, by Marie Howe

Explore themes of death and birth in this autobiographical poem by Marie Howe. In this video segment from Poetry Everywhere, Howe reads her poem "The Gate," written after her brother's death.

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I started Early—Took my Dog, by Emily Dickinson

See an animated version of Emily Dickinson's poem "I started Early—Took my Dog." This video segment from Poetry Everywhere uses animation to illustrate Dickinson's poem about the sea.

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