If your home were a museum — and they all are, in a way — what would the contents of... more

The word “flush” is a verb, as in an activity that we do umpteen times a day. It’s also an... more

Bro — this is definitely not the “Beowulf” that you read back in school. Maria Dahvana Headley’s gutsy, swaggering translation... more

A horse race from the 1980s may not seem like the obvious inspiration for a poem that celebrates so many... more

What holds our bodies together? Yes, there are the biological components, such as the cells, fluids, fibers, but what about... more

While disputes over contested lands result in damage that can be seen and documented, they also create countless unseen ruptures... more

In “ROLL CALL: NEW TAROT NAMES FOR BLACK GIRLS,” Amber McBride treats us to a playful litany of language that... more

A fragile and wondrous technology that we all possess, the human breath powers any number of things in our lives... more

Our lives are filled with distances, the physical spans that we travel but also the stranger, vaster expanses between our... more

Most of us do our eavesdropping shyly and secretively, but Ofelia Zepeda’s poem “Deer Dance Exhibition” welcomes us to listen... more

Even in the most uneventful of human lives, uncertainty and doubts will inevitably intrude. When faced with those, what can... more

To be alive is to be in conversation with the dead. The ghosts of loved ones are always swirling around... more

It is an intimate thing, to watch a lover while they sleep. In Francisco Aragón’s translation of Francisco X. Alarcón’s... more

Conor Kerr’s “Winter Songs” depicts a future scene: coyotes roaming through a rewilded city, digging up the bones of Indigenous... more

Valencia Robin’s poem portrays a tense relationship between mother and daughter; perhaps each resembling the other too much. In desperation... more

In a poem about how a small moment can help you make a wise decision, Eugenia Leigh finds the strength... more

Poetry Unbound with host Pádraig Ó Tuama is back on Monday, January 1. Featured poets in this season include Amber... more

Friends, Pádraig here — we are awakening your Poetry Unbound feed to share this brilliant episode from the newest season... more

A central duality appears in the work of Henri Cole: the revelation of emotional truths in concert with a “symphony... more

Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s poems are filled with butchery and blood as she carves space for desire, motherhood, and an encyclopedic knowledge... more

Through her poetry, Patricia Smith generously, skillfully puts language around what can be seen both in the present and deliberately... more

So much of what was once deemed impossible was found — during Covid — to be possible. Here, a poet... more

How to remember a beloved who died tragically, violently? Remember the violence? Sometimes, yes. But also this: remember his love... more

What self-consciousnesses do artists carry? It can be difficult to know how to hold onto confidence in your work, especially... more

A poet reads to a room full of youths who seem to have some residual resentment to the poet. The... more

What do sandwiches, laundry, therapy, childhood homes, and forgiveness have to do with each other? Wo Chan weaves a poem... more

How can russet potatoes be made to taste of sugar and caramel? By dedication, love, and craft. Amanda Gunn places... more

Old stories — of mythology or religion — have sometimes been depicted as having one narrative and one interpretation. Here,... more

We are delighted to offer this extended conversation between host Pádraig Ó Tuama and the poet Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe. Together,... more

In a poem that explores a story of a name, a story of a color, a story of a sound,... more

On one particular day, a poem places events alongside each other, the ordinariness of each event casting the other events... more

Why do we do the things we do when we’re young? Brenda Cárdenas recalls nights sneaking out of the house... more

An item of clothing — the blouse of a grandmother — is praised for its artistry, is remembered for how... more

What might have been? A poet recalls flirtations and electric connections that could have led to a different life.

If you had to make a self portrait of your daily morning routine through language and sensation, what would you... more

A memory from childhood is viewed through the lens of the Malaysian poetic form of pantoum. New things emerge when... more

If you could put a lock of your hair under a microscope, what would it contain? DNA certainly, but here... more

Pádraig reflects on the transformative force of poetry, and Krista joins with an invitation to pay tribute to the ongoing... more

A social worker holds a group for teenagers at a school. They only half pay attention to him. Then something... more

Have you ever had a private moment — perhaps in the middle of the night — in a large city?... more

In a poem of strict rhymes and old forms, Alexander Posey (1873-1908), a poet of the Creek Nation, poses challenges... more

In a church there are liturgies and prayers and statues. But in José Olivarez’s poem, there are more urgent things... more

Friendships deserve praise songs and here’s a praise song — an ode — to friends that have crossed continents for... more

Poetry Unbound with host Pádraig Ó Tuama is back on Monday, May 22. Featured poets in this season include Selina... more

Friends, we are awakening your Poetry Unbound feed for a moment to share this episode from the big, beautiful new... more

As part of a celebratory launch party for the new Poetry Unbound book, Pádraig welcomed Lorna Goodison, former Poet Laureate... more

A younger woman looks at an older woman, admiring her beauty, skill, and freedom. Older now, she thinks of how... more

Who brings you to praise? Rumi’s great poem of praise to the “you” is to his great friend Shams, and... more

What’s it like to be owned by the world, to have populations claiming you, to have millions speaking on your... more

Quiet. Shhh. Softly. Don’t make a fuss. Don’t upset the authorities. Victoria Adukwei Bulley unquiets the quiet.