Transparency Note: Manny the Penguin is currently trying to rhyme "fish" with "squish" and firmly believes he is the voice of his generation. This post helps you celebrate! It contains affiliate links, meaning if you buy through them, I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love.

If your only experience with poetry is sweating through high school English class trying to figure out what a "iambic pentameter" is, we have good news: The poetry world has moved on, and you are officially invited back.

This Saturday, March 21, is World Poetry Day.

You don't need a beret, a dark coffee shop, or a degree in literature to participate. Poetry is simply the distillation of human emotion into its most potent form. Whether it is an epic saga passed down through generations or a two-line joke scribbled on a napkin, poetry is proof that our words have weight.

Here is how to bring a little rhythm into your weekend—no rhyming dictionary required.

Why We Celebrate: The Voice of the Vulnerable

World Poetry Day was officially declared by UNESCO in 1999 during its 30th General Conference in Paris. But it wasn't just created to celebrate the classics. The primary goal of the day is to support linguistic diversity and provide a platform for endangered languages to be heard.

The Big Why: We celebrate because poetry is the ultimate cultural bridge. It reminds us that across continents, centuries, and languages, human beings all experience the same joys, griefs, and hopes.

🌟 Editor's Pick 🌟

If you want to start writing down your own thoughts, you cannot do it in the margins of your grocery list. You need a dedicated vessel.

The Amazon Find:

Moonster Leather Journal (Antique Handmade Genuine Leather)

Why we love it: Writing on a glowing screen feels like work. Writing in this journal feels like an event. Made from water buffalo leather, it smells incredible and lays perfectly flat. The thick, unlined cotton paper prevents ink from bleeding through, making it the perfect canvas for your midnight musings, messy sketches, or very first haiku.

Perfect for: The aspiring writer who wants to romanticize their life.

Get the Moonster Leather Journal on Amazon 

3 Ways to Make Today Memorable (and Accessible)

1. The "Everyday Art" (The Game)

Who says poetry has to be serious? Sometimes the best verses happen while you are waiting for your leftovers to microwave.

• The Move: The Kitchen Canvas.

• The Amazon Find: Magnetic Poetry Kit (Original Edition).

• Why we love it: It is an absolute classic for a reason. With over 300 magnetic word tiles, this kit turns your refrigerator into an interactive art project. It breaks down the intimidation barrier of a blank page. You just move the tiles around until they form a sentence that makes you laugh (or accidentally makes you cry).

• Shop the Magnetic Poetry Kit on Amazon 

2. The "Gateway" Poet (The Book)

If you want to read poetry but don't know where to start, you need a guide who writes about the world with absolute clarity and warmth.

• The Move: The Nature Walk.

• The Amazon Find: "Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver".

• Why we love it: Mary Oliver is arguably the most accessible, beloved modern poet. She doesn't use confusing metaphors; she writes about dogs, grasshoppers, the ocean, and the quiet beauty of just being alive. Devotions is a curated collection of her best work, and reading just one page a day is an instant antidote to modern anxiety.

• Get "Devotions" by Mary Oliver on Amazon 

3. The "Intimidation" Buster (The Guide)

If you want to understand the classics but feel like you don't have the secret decoder ring, this is your shortcut.

• The Move: The Cheat Code.

• The Amazon Find: "How to Read Poetry Like a Professor" by Thomas C. Foster.

• Why we love it: Foster writes with a conversational, humorous tone that immediately puts you at ease. He breaks down the "rules" of poetry not to test you, but to show you how breaking those rules is where the magic happens. It will completely change the way you consume lyrics, literature, and speeches.

• Shop "How to Read Poetry Like a Professor" on Amazon 

The "Zero Dollar" Hack: The "Found Poem"

If you are staring at a blank page and the words won't come, steal them.

• The Trick: Blackout Poetry.

• The Method: Grab an old newspaper, a junk mail flyer, or a page from a book you were going to donate. Take a thick black Sharpie and cross out almost everything on the page, leaving only a few select words visible.

• The Result: The remaining words form a completely new, original poem. It is highly visual, incredibly therapeutic, and costs absolutely nothing.

Join the Conversation

We all have those few lines that stuck with us long after we left school.

What is a quote from a poem (or a song lyric!) that you have never forgotten?

(Manny's favorite poem is "The Walrus and the Carpenter," but he is highly biased).

Share your favorite verses in the comments on Instagram or TikTok and tag us @OnManyOccasions!