In every culture in every continent in every language, poetry is a powerful way to communicate with each other — and ourselves. Held annually on March 21, World Poetry Day promotes the reading, writing, and teaching of poetry, and celebrates the poets who have inspired us.
The rise of Instagram poets has given one of our favorite forms of literature a boom in popularity, especially with millennial’s. Whether you’ve already read the poems in print or on the social media platforms that gave some of these poets their start, listening to these works read by the poets themselves is an exhilarating experience that will leave you feeling inspired long after hitting “stop.”
1. Love Her Wild by Atticus, narrated by Atticus
Atticus was dubbed the “#1 poet to follow” by Teen Vogue and “the world’s most tattoo-able” poet by Galore magazine. Atticus captures what is both raw and relatable about the smallest and the grandest moments in life: the first glimpse of a new love in Paris; skinny dipping on a summer’s night; the irrepressible exuberance of the female spirit; or drinking whiskey in the desert watching the rising sun.
Read more and sample the audio.
2. Adultolescene by Gabbie Hanna, narrated by Gabbie Hanna
Comedian Gabbie Hanna brings levity to the twists and turns of modern adulthood in this exhilarating debut collection of illustrated poetry.
In poems ranging from the singsong rhythms of children’s verses to a sophisticated confessional style, Gabbie explores what it means to feel like a kid and an adult all at once, revealing her own longings, obsessions, and insecurities along the way.
Read more and sample the audio.
3. milk and honey by Rupi Kaur, narrated by Rupi Kaur
Rupi Kaur reads milk and honey, her New York Times bestselling collection of poetry and prose about survival, violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity. The book deals with a different pain. Heals a different heartache. milk and honey takes listeners through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them—because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.
Read more and sample the audio.
4. Heart Talk: Poetic Wisdom for a Better Life by Cleo Wade, narrated by Cleo Wade
A beautifully illustrated book from Cleo Wade – the artist, poet, and speaker who has been called “the Millennial Oprah” by New York magazine-that offers creative inspiration and life lessons through poetry, mantras, and affirmations. True to her hugely popular Instagram account, Cleo Wade brings her moving life lessons to Heart Talk, an inspiring, accessible, and spiritual book of wisdom for the new generation.
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5. Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, narrated by Robin Field
One of the great innovative figures in American letters, Walt Whitman created a daring new kind of poetry that became a major force in world literature. His poems have been woven into the very fabric of the American character and have continued to provide inspiration to people and poets for generations. Leaves of Grass is Whitman‘s masterpiece, written in a pure, uninhibited style and combining sensual and mystical sensibilities.
Read more and sample the audio.
