Poetry Society

Poetry Society. The organization was founded in London by Henry Newbolt, Arthur Quiller-Couch, and William Butler Yeats in 1909. It aimed to promote poetry and support poets such as Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, and Rupert Brooke. The society's early years were marked by the involvement of notable figures like Robert Bridges, Laurence Binyon, and Lascelles Abercrombie.

● History of Poetry Societies

The concept of poetry societies dates back to the 18th century, with the establishment of organizations like the Kit-Cat Club and the Scriblerus Club, which counted Alexander Pope, Jonathan Swift, and John Gay among their members. In the 19th century, the Lake Poets, including William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Robert Southey, formed a close-knit community that influenced the development of Romantic poetry. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, founded by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Holman Hunt, and John Everett Millais, also played a significant role in shaping the poetry landscape. Other notable poetry societies include the French Symbolists, led by Charles Baudelaire, Paul Verlaine, and Stéphane Mallarmé, and the American Modernists, which included Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, and Wallace Stevens.

● Notable Poetry Societies

Notable poetry societies include the Academy of American Poets, founded by Marianne Moore, W.H. Auden, and T.S. Eliot, and the Poetry Foundation, established by Harriet Monroe and Ezra Pound. The Royal Society of Literature, which counts Byron, Shelley, and Keats among its past members, also supports poetry and poets. Other notable organizations include the National Poetry Series, founded by James Wright and Mark Strand, and the Walt Whitman Award, established by the Academy of American Poets. The Griffin Poetry Prize, founded by Scott Griffin, and the T.S. Eliot Prize for Poetry, established by the T.S. Eliot Foundation, are also prominent awards in the poetry world.

● Purpose and Activities

The purpose of poetry societies is to promote poetry and support poets, often through activities like workshops, readings, and conferences. The Poetry Society of America, for example, hosts events like the National Poetry Month and the Poetry in Motion program, which features poems by Langston Hughes, Sylvia Plath, and Allen Ginsberg. The British Poetry Council, founded by Ted Hughes and Philip Larkin, also organizes events like the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival and the Cambridge Poetry Festival. Many poetry societies, including the Scottish Poetry Library and the Irish Poetry Library, provide resources and support for poets, such as writing retreats and mentoring programs.

● Membership and Community

Membership in poetry societies can provide opportunities for poets to connect with other writers, such as Seamus Heaney, Derek Walcott, and Adrienne Rich, and to share their work with a wider audience. The Poetry Society of Virginia, for example, has members like Edgar Allan Poe and Robert Frost, while the California Poetry Society counts Mark Twain and Jack Kerouac among its past members. Many poetry societies, including the New York Poetry Society and the Chicago Poetry Society, also offer writing groups and critique sessions for their members.

● Publications and Awards

Poetry societies often publish journals and anthologies featuring the work of their members, such as The Paris Review, founded by George Plimpton and Peter Matthiessen, and The New Yorker, which has published poems by John Ashbery, Elizabeth Bishop, and Richard Wilbur. The Poetry Society of America publishes The American Poetry Review, while the British Poetry Council publishes The Poetry Review. Many poetry societies also offer awards and prizes, such as the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, established by Joseph Pulitzer, and the National Book Award for Poetry, founded by the National Book Foundation.

● Impact and Influence

The impact and influence of poetry societies can be seen in the work of poets like Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, and T.S. Eliot, who were all supported by poetry societies during their careers. The Harlem Renaissance, which included poets like Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen, was also influenced by poetry societies like the Negro Writers' Guild. The Beat Generation, which included poets like Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, was supported by poetry societies like the San Francisco Poetry Center. Today, poetry societies continue to play an important role in promoting poetry and supporting poets, such as Diane Ackerman, Billy Collins, and Mary Oliver.

Category:Poetry organizations