Books for National Poetry Day

By Coll Rowe | October 1 2024 | Literature

On National Poetry Day, which takes place on October 3rd, we celebrate the art and inspiration of poetry. This list of titles includes collections of poetry that delve into personal and political themes and touch upon universal issues that relate to any student or reader.

The Hill We Climb
The Hill We Climb
An Inaugural Poem for the Country
Amanda Gorman
9780593465271

On January 20, 2021, Amanda Gorman delivered a poetry reading at a presidential inauguration. Taking the stage after the 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden, Gorman brought hope to the nation.

$15.99 US
Mar 30, 2021
Hardcover
32 Pages
Viking Books
The Complete Poetry
The Complete Poetry
Maya Angelou
9780812997873
As the world celebrates and reflects on the beautiful life of Maya Angelou, Random House presents an updated collection of her works of poetry.
$30.00 US
Mar 31, 2015
Hardcover
336 Pages
Random House
Collected Poems
Collected Poems
Sonia Sanchez
9780807026526
A representative collection of the life work of the much-honored poet and a founder of the Black Arts movement, spanning the 4 decades of her literary career.
$29.95 US
Apr 13, 2021
Hardcover
424 Pages
Beacon Press
Black Girl, Call Home
Black Girl, Call Home
Jasmine Mans
9780593197141
A literary coming-of-age poetry collection, an ode to the places we call home, and a piercingly intimate deconstruction of daughterhood, Black Girl, Call Home is a love letter to the wandering black girl and a vital companion to any woman on a journey to find truth, belonging, and healing.
$18.00 US
Mar 09, 2021
Paperback
256 Pages
Berkley
African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle & Song (LOA #333)
African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle & Song (LOA #333)
A Library of America Anthology
9781598536669
A literary landmark: the biggest, most ambitious anthology of Black poetry ever published, gathering 250 poets from the colonial period to the present.
$45.00 US
Oct 20, 2020
Hardcover
1170 Pages
Library of America
Time Is a Mother
Time Is a Mother
Ocean Vuong
9780593300237
The highly anticipated collection of poems from the award-winning writer Ocean Vuong, author of On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.
$25.00 US
Apr 05, 2022
Hardcover
128 Pages
Penguin Press
Ink Knows No Borders
Ink Knows No Borders
Poems of the Immigrant and Refugee Experience
9781609809072

This collection of sixty-four poems by poets who come from all over the world shares the experience of first- and second-generation young adult immigrants and refugees.

$16.95 US
Mar 12, 2019
Paperback
208 Pages
Triangle Square
So to Speak
So to Speak
Terrance Hayes
9780143137726

A powerful, timely, dazzling new collection of poems from National Book Award–winning author Terrance Hayes.

$20.00 US
Jul 18, 2023
Paperback
112 Pages
Penguin Books
How to Love a Country
How to Love a Country
Poems
Richard Blanco
9780807043073
From the renowned inaugural poet, a collection exploring immigration, gun violence, racism, LGBTQ issues, and more, in accessible and emotive verses.
$15.00 US
Mar 24, 2020
Paperback
112 Pages
Beacon Press
Watch Your Language
Watch Your Language
Visual and Literary Reflections on a Century of American Poetry
Terrance Hayes
9780143137733

A fascinating collection of graphic reviews and illustrated prose addressing the last century of American poetry by National Book Award–winning author Terrance Hayes.

$20.00 US
Jul 18, 2023
Paperback
240 Pages
Penguin Books
The Heart of American Poetry
The Heart of American Poetry
Edward Hirsch
9781598537260
An acclaimed poet and our greatest champion for poetry offers an inspiring and insightful new reading of the American tradition.
$26.00 US
Apr 19, 2022
Hardcover
480 Pages
Library of America
Minor Notes, Volume 1
Minor Notes, Volume 1
9780143137269

The first volume in an anthology series that amplifies the voices of unsung Black poets to paint a more robust picture of our national past, and of the Black literary imagination.

$16.00 US
Apr 11, 2023
Paperback
208 Pages
Penguin Classics
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