In 1999, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted a resolution declaring March 21 as World Poetry Day.

Poetry is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meanings  Robert Frost said, “Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.”

The day was proclaimed by UNESCO to support linguistic diversity through poetic expression and to offer endangered languages the opportunity to be heard within their communities. World Poetry Day precedes the U.S. National Poetry Month in April.

Austrian coffee company Julius Meinl allows its customers on World Poetry Day to pay for their coffee with a poem. Last year, coffee drinkers from 1,153 coffee houses in 27 countries paid for their coffee with a poem.

One of Illinois’ most famous poets was Carl Sandburg, who was born in Galesburg in 1878. He wrote poems about the state of Illinois and Chicago. He also wrote biographies about Abraham Lincoln and his family.

For more information:

UNESCO World Poetry Day: http://www.un.org/en/events/poetryday/index.shtml

Illinois Poet Laureate: http://www.illinois.gov/poetlaureate/Pages/default.aspx