The Academy of American Poets is proud to partner with the National Archives in celebration of American Archives Month with We the Poets, a project in which poets wrote poems inspired by holdings, such as photographs and historical documents, in the National Archives.

“We are pleased to partner with the American Academy of Poets to celebrate American Archives Month with this unique project,” said Jessie Kratz, Historian of the National Archives. “These poems serve as evidence that records in the Archives aren’t just historical documents, but they are tangible connections to our nation’s past that inspire vivid emotional and creative responses. We are excited to share these original works and hope they help inspire others to explore our records.”

“As one of the nation’s oldest cultural organizations promoting the art of poetry, we understand the importance of preserving and making public historical documents and artifacts that elucidate the present in powerful ways,” said Academy of American Poets Executive Director Jennifer Benka. “Poets writing today are inevitably in conversation with their predecessors. Our National Archives can inspire those conversations and deepen our connection to the past. It’s important to recognize and celebrate their existence.”

Learn more about We the Poets.