Poetry Institute
As part of its intellectual and critical role, the Foundation is establishing a poetry institute. Using dedicated staff, the Institute brings together leading thinkers and practitioners—scholars, poets, translators, publishers and thinkers from outside the poetry world—to address issues of importance to the art form, basing its work on extensive preparation and systematic follow-through on findings and recommendations
Poetry and Youth
Findings from the major research project—
Poetry in America—demonstrate that a love for poetry in adulthood is more likely if cultivated early in life and reinforced thereafter. The Foundation offers a variety of programs that develop new audiences among children and young adults
Poetry in the Media
Over time and through experimentation, the Foundation aims to achieve an enhanced presence for poetry in each of the major traditional media channels: print (newspapers, general and special interest magazines), radio, television, film, out-of-home; and new media technologies and venues as they evolve. Through active relationships with editors in print and electronic media, the Foundation works to see poetry published, cited, presented, and discussed in new and innovative ways, opportunistically and thematically.
Awards and Recognitions
In addition to the Lilly Prize and Fellowships, the Poetry Foundation will expand the Pegasus Awards, its family of prizes intended to celebrate under-recognized poets and types of poetry. Taken as a whole, the Foundation’s awards program serves its mission to discover and celebrate what is best in poetry and to promote it before the largest possible audience. The awards also directly support and encourage poets. Individual Pegasus Awards will be named annually or from time to time, as appropriate to maintain the prestige and quality of the prizes.