Poets are the Unacknowledged Legislators of the World

"No Society Exists Without Poets" - Percy Bysshe Shelly

  World Poetry Day is celebrated on March 21 every year to admire poets nationwide. From the 18th century, Germany has been called the "Land of Poets and Thinkers." Due to the Chilean Nobel laureates Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral in Literature, Chile has been called "The Land of Poets".

Poems that serve as a Struggle for the Nation's Freedom

There are various poems that reflect the freedom struggle, for instance: "Invictus" by William Henley, which inspired Nelson Mandela during his imprisonment, "The Free Besieged" - Dionysios Solomos, which encourages Greece's independent movement, "Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna"- Ram Prasad Bismil energized Indian freedom fighters from British Colonialism, and  "To the tune, The River is Red"-Qiu Jin expresses China's suffering and call for liberation. The above poems not only uplift people worldwide but also give the correct message to live with pride and dignity. 

Poets act as social reformers

Poets act as social reformers around the world. Here are examples that remind us of the crucial role of poets, Audre Lorde from the USA, a black feminist, poet, warrior, mother, and socialist, dedicated her life to confronting social injustice. Her work "Zami: The New Spelling of My Name" raised the issue related to feminism, disability, and illness. Maung Saungkha, a Burmese poet from Myanmar, founded the Bamar People's Liberation Army that fought against the military junta. Abi Dare, a Nigerian poet, combats gender inequality and environmental injustice. The Indian poets Rabindranath Tagore and Savitribai Phule challenged casteism, gender inequality, and foreign invasion. 

Poetry Impacts on People

According to the National Library of Medicine(USA), poetry can serve as a powerful tool for emotional regulation, empathy enhancement, and spiritual healing. Daneshwar Sharma's study in 2023 in India explores how 'lockdown poems' encourage students by allowing them to process isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Poetry's role in the pandemic reduced loneliness and supported mental health. The spiritual and religious songs and couplets(Doha) of Mirabai, Saint Kabir, and Rahim affect the person differently, by feeling complete satisfaction.

Praising Poetry 

In 2024, the Montreal International Poetry Prize goes to Kizziah Burton for her poem "Portail of Me Incensing the Mushrooms Channeling Demeter," which explains the mother-daughter relationship. Sridala Swami in 2020 achieved this international award for a poem, "Hospital Catalogue: Coba". The Jnanpith Award, 2025 in India was won by Vinod Kumar Shukla for his famous poem "Sab Kuch Hona Bacha Rahega." By rewards and conducts several competitions in poetry and literature, encouraging poets to write astonishing poems. Tagore National Fellowship for cultural research hands out fellowships to scholars and poets to foster creative excellence. State-level recognition and support for poets through events and initiatives, for example, the Odisha Government announces a 50-crore package to honor Pandit Raghunath Murmu, the inventor of Ol Chiki Script. 

Ordinary Thinking and Solutions

Mostly, those who are interested and have a deep understanding of their surroundings and environment can fully understand how to write good poems and literature. Sometimes, language makes it difficult to interpret. In India, people do poetry as a hobby, not for a living. A very few students studied art and culture professionally because of science and technical fields took the lead in terms of earning due to high-paid salaries and many job opportunities.

                                               We need to spread awareness among people about our rich art and culture by yearly inaugurating fairs and competitions in every part of society. Implementing a non-profit organisation that can support poets financially and in emergency situations. "KulturPass", an initiative that offers 200 euros to all 18-year-olds in Germany to spend on cultural activities. Cities like Kolkata have been the center of intellectual and artistic activity. The National Library of India in Calcutta reinforces students to read, write, and think. Let's understand the glory of our culture by promoting poetry and literature.