With its use of alliterative verse and rousing subject matter, the epic poem Beowulf has been adored and analyzed for over a millennium. The poem was originally composed in Old English, and it has been translated into dozens of languages over the centuries. Generally, translators have attempted to reproduce one or more of its features or qualities at the expense of others. This particular...

This impressive project, spearheaded by Robert Pinsky during his term as U.S. Poet Laureate in 1997, features 50 Americans, young and old, of diverse races and creeds, reading their favorite poem. Drawn from the 18,000 poetry lovers who wrote into the project, each video starts with a beautifully produced mini-documentary. During these five minute films, the subject talks about his or her life,...

On a recent visit to the Library of Congress: Poetry website, the first line of a poem by William Stafford appeared on the top of the page. The poem in question was "At the Un-National Monument Along the Canadian Border", and it just one of many poems that can be found on this simple delightful site. Amidst this cornucopia of poems, visitors can also learn about the current poet laureate and take...