The Poetry Archive is a treasure-trove of English-language poets reading their own work. Some are historic recordings, some have been made specially for the Archive - which means its range is the widest possible: from Tennyson at the end of the c19, through poets such as Allen Ginsberg and Langston Hughes in the middle of the c20, to contemporary poets including Seamus Heaney, Ruth Padel and Kathleen Jamie. On this page, you'll find information about who to look for in the Archive, and how to find them, as well as information about how to discover - by theme or region or guided tour - poets whose work you may not yet know.
The Poetry Archive is a treasure-trove of English-language poets reading their own work. Some are historic recordings, some have been made specially for the Archive - which means its range is the widest possible: from Tennyson at the end of the c19, through poets such as Allen Ginsberg and Langston Hughes in the middle of the c20, to contemporary poets including Seamus Heaney, Ruth Padel and Kathleen Jamie. On this page, you'll find information about who to look for in the Archive, and how to find them, as well as information about how to discover - by theme or region or guided tour - poets whose work you may not yet know.
Each term a different poet is in residence here, talking about poetry with anyone who wants to join in the conversation. You are welcome to explore our archive of past residencies and read some of the lively and varied discussions you'll find there.
This part of the Archive is full of poems chosen specially for children. Meet old favourites and make new discoveries.
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Rest of the World
Join Jackie Kay as she reveals the musical influences on her award-winning poetry, and passes on some of her tips for helping you put pen to paper.
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Tour by:Monica Ali
On my initial visit to the Poetry Archive, the historical recordings caught my attention first. I did not know that recordings of Tennyson, for instance, existed. Although some of the following lines were a little indistinct, it was incredibly exciting to hear the opening lines of 'The Charge of the Light Brigade'. Afterwards, I explored the children's section with my kids, and they got all their poetry books out and searched for favourite poets. Then I spent time discovering poets who were new to me.
When you've listened to a poem, press BACK to come back here.
Monica Ali's tour
