The Power of Language: Smith's Poetry Center

When W.H. Auden visited Smith in 1953, Sylvia Plath sat and listened to him read in Elizabeth Drew’s living room.

In an age increasingly focused on science and technology, the Smith Poetry Center is a unique resource that demonstrates the power of expertly crafted language. Venues for the annual series of readings are regularly filled to capacity as students and the area public respond to opportunities to hear poets from all over the world read and comment on their work.

Gwendolyn Brooks made one of her last appearances at the Poetry Center; Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Galway Kinnell appeared in 2001; Stanley Kunitz read before a capacity audience; Mary Oliver, Joy Harjo, Richard Wilbur, Billy Collins, Adrienne Rich, Daniel Berrigan—all have graced the Smith campus in Poetry Center programs.

In addition to readings, the Poetry Center hopes to develop outreach to area schools and a physical campus location devoted to the study and enjoyment of poetry. In the finest tradition of the liberal arts, the Poetry Center offers living examples of the mind’s ability to seek new connections, master the power of language, and convey life’s most important experiences in new and challenging forms.

Visit the Poetry Center website