Whether you’re celebrating National Poetry Month, launching a poetry unit, or looking for poetry to share with kids or teens in the classroom, these sites are for you. The poetry websites have selections for readers and students of all ages Many of them also include poetry teaching resources. See one or all of them to find what you need.
Best for: Primary teachers and students
Ken Nesbitt was nominated by the Poetry Foundation in 2013 as a Children’s Poet Laureate. Here, you will find lots of wonderful works of his, including a roundup of his popular funny poems. Search by subject, grade level, subject and more, also find poetry writing lessons and activities for use in your classroom.
Best for: Pre-K-8 students and teachers
The founders of this site believe that the best way to connect with poetry is to listen to its authors read aloud. They have collected thousands of recordings of poets reading their poems and created this special collection just for kids. There is a section for teachers just to help them use the recording with their students.
Best for: middle and high school students and teachers
Each week, the site publishes a new poem with short commentary to help readers go deeper. The poems focus on the American experience, and you can search by region or topics that speak to different aspects of American life.
Best for: K-6 teachers and students
Shell Silverstein’s poetry has been a delight to children for decades. This website provides learning resources for teachers to use while teaching his poetry in their classroom. Kids will find videos, printable and wallpapers for them to enjoy and share.
Best for: K-12 Language Art Teacher
If you are a language art teacher, this site is probably already on your list of favorites Their poetry section provides great, lesson plans, activities, professional development and blogs. Search for resources by grade level, and try student interactions in haiku, acrostics, and more.
Best for: Anyone looking for a new or favorite poem to read
Published authors meet amateurs in this huge database. It is one of the largest poetry websites on the web, where you will find well-known poems, biographies of poets and self-published poems by current authors. The site can be a bit ad-heavy, and it’s not the easiest to navigate. But if you are looking for poetry on a specific topic, here is a good place to start a search.
Best for: Anyone looking to explore past and present poetry
Associated with the Poetry Foundation Poetry Magazine, which has been running since 1912. The site is extensive, including poems, poetry guides, audio poems and dozens of curated collections. You will find articles, essays, interviews and more resources for teaching and learning about poetry. With over 46,000 poems, this is one of the poetry websites you must want to bookmark
Best for: Anyone looking for a well-known poet or poem
The name says it all! If you are looking for a specific poem, you will probably find it here. You can find biographical information about the poets, as well as quotes and a bibliography. Representing more than 630 poets, it is a powerful database for finding poems for use in the classroom.
Best for: Upper primary through high school students and teachers
PBS offers short videos of 12 well-known poems, including Emma Lazarus’s “The New Colossus” (“Give Me Your Tired, Give Your Poor …”). Learn about poets and listen to explanations from athletes, writers, musicians, politicians and others. They will help children to connect more strongly with these powerful poems. (Also, teachers can assign these videos directly to the Google Classroom.)
Best for: Older students and teachers looking for modern poetry and poetry
This site is a source for finding modern poetry (they currently have 270 poems available) as well as a place to learn about modern poetry. Teachers will find the department of modern poetry school helpful. The site also reviews many of its poems, which are useful in helping students understand meaning and significance.
Best for: Old readers are eager to discover new poetry from around the world
Expand your horizons by exploring poetry from different countries of the world. Founded in the Netherlands, the site features Dutch poets but contains poems from dozens of countries in multiple languages. For poems in foreign languages, you can read them as translated or written
Best for: middle and high school teachers, students and the library
These national art education activities encourage children to get excited about poetry through the sponsorship of recitation competitions for high school students. Their website offers an excellent database of poetry that is suitable for kids and teens, so even if you are not interested in the competition, you will find this site valuable. You can watch videos and listen to the audio of previous contest winners, and find a selection of lesson plans for teaching poetry.
Best for: K-12 teachers and students interested in teaching, learning and writing contemporary poetry
Directed by the Academy of American Poets, Poets.org is a place to find contemporary American poetry and poets. They sponsor the National Poetry Month and Poetry-a-Day, which publishes new poems each week. Teachers will discover a wealth of resources, including lesson plans and programs such as teaching these poems.
Best for: High school students and teachers
Former Poet Winner Billy Collins has designed 180 Poems to make it easier for high school students and teachers to find a new poem to explore every day of the school year. Students will enjoy Robert Pinsky’s favorite poetry site for another great Poet Winner project.
Best for: Aspiring teenage poet
Looking for a safe place for teens to share their writing and learn from others? It’s teenage ink. Adolescents can post any type of writing and their poetry section is very active. Students will also find information on summer programs for aspiring poets and writers and competitions for college and admissions.
