In 1999, at the 30th session of the UNESCO General Conference, it was decided to annually celebrate World Poetry Day on March 21. The first World Poetry Day was held in Paris, where UNESCO is headquartered.
«Poetry, — says the UNESCO decision, — can be the answer to the most pressing and deep spiritual questions of modern man — but for this it is necessary to attract the widest possible public attention to it».
Poetry unites countries, peoples, cultures and helps people understand each other. Over the centuries, thoughts and feelings clothed in poetic form have penetrated people's hearts, reminding us that we are all one big family, and that we, so different, are actually very similar to each other.
Celebrating World Poetry Day, UNESCO also draws our attention to the amazing ability of the poetic word to awaken a person’s creative abilities.
This Day, UNESCO believes, is intended to promote the development of poetry, a return to the oral tradition of poetry readings, the teaching of poetry, the restoration of dialogue between poetry and other forms of art, such as theater, dance, music, painting, as well as the promotion of publishing and the creation in the media a positive image of poetry as a truly modern art open to people.
The oldest hymn poems are believed to have been created in the 23rd century BC. Author of poems — poetess-priestess En-hedu-ana, about whom only is known that she was the daughter of the Akkadian king Sargon, who conquered Ur (Iranian territory). En-khedu-ana wrote about the lunar god Nanna and his daughter, the goddess of the morning star Inanna.
Currently, on this Day around the world — in cultural institutions, education, creative groups, etc. — hosts various poetry concerts, author's readings, conferences and seminars dedicated to poets and their work, presentations of new poetic literature, and the presentation of literary awards. Thus, in Russia, the presentation of the National Literary Prizes «Poet of the Year» and «Writer of the Year», established by the Russian Union of Writers, is timed to coincide with World Poetry Day.
• Infographics – poster «March 21 — World Poetry Day»
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