Poetry by its very nature is visual, its words alone enough to conjure all the vivid, lifelike images one needs. Even so, some pieces lend themselves to video adaptation and interpretation. We’ve rounded up ten great poetry videos, from dark and powerful to whimsical or subtle. Perhaps you have a favorite poetry video we haven’t listed here. Tell us about it in the comments below.
1. Rumi: Some Kiss We Want
2. Snow: a poem by James Longenbach
3. Things That Have No Name
4. John Lithgow Reads The Owl and the Pussycat
5. This Is What Tomorrow Looks Like
6. Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas
7. Ochtend/Dawning
8. Holly Moon by John Siddique
9. The Country by Billy Collins
10. Under a Stone Lies a Poem by Sara Barkat
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Donna Falcone says
So I’m watching the Billy Collins animation and thinking “yeah… I can’t believe I am not the only person who takes these little voyages on Hyper Vigilant Cruise Lines and spends hours not sleeping but planning exactly how I will rescue my family when the NEARLY impossible happens….” and then I remember Murphys Law and wonder if Billy Collins is Irish?
Maureen Doallas says
Billy Collins grew up in Queens.
Donna Falcone says
Thanks Maureen! Now I am searching the internet for more… I see that Billy Collins is, indeed, Irish American… like me. 🙂 Funny.
Maureen Doallas says
Great choices. Sara’s is delightful.
I’m privileged to call John Siddique my friend. His videopoems are so good. I’m a big fan of Mark Neys (Swoon), too. MotionPoems has been getting much-deserved praise of late. There is always something wonderful there.