Do you remember the first time a poem changed your life? (Don’t worry if it hasn’t happened yet, keep reading this blog!) While I didn’t know it at the time, the Library of Congress facilitated my first memorable moments with poetry. When Billy Collins served as the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry from 2001 to 2003, one of his signature projects was Poetry 180. He selected 180 poems—one for each day of the average school year—for students to read. Luckily, my elementary school’s librarian was a big Billy Collins fan, so though we were below the high school grade levels that the poems were selected for, we began each day by listening to a poem as part of the school’s morning announcements. Thanks to this Library of Congress program, I developed and carried a love of poetry and words through my entire life.
This April, as we celebrate National Poetry Month, we encourage you and your family to have a personal encounter with poetry facilitated by the Library of Congress—similar to my encounters with it as a young person! When the Library’s new education center The Source opens in winter 2026, families will be able to listen to Library collections together in the space, including poems that have been recorded as part of Library projects. Until then, we wanted to share some favorite poems and activities, utilizing Library of Congress resources, that you can participate in from home.
Exploring Out Your Window- Poem
