Life is mostly froth and bubble,
Two things stand like stone,
Kindness in another’s trouble,
Courage in your own.
Many people may remember hearing these lines at some time, and many may be able to recite them, but not many may know that they were written by Australia’s national poet – Adam Lindsay Gordon – who had a significant impact on the history of South Australia.
Practiced throughout history – in every culture and on every continent – poetry speaks to our common humanity and our shared values, transforming the simplest of poems into a powerful catalyst for dialogue and peace.
Held every year on 21 March, World Poetry Day celebrates one of humanity’s most treasured forms of cultural and linguistic expression and identity.
World Poetry Day is celebrated on 21 March, and was declared by UNESCO during its 30th General Conference in Paris in 1999, ‘with the aim of supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard’. The first World Poetry Day was commemorated on 21 March 2000.
The theme for World Poetry Day 2025 is ‘Poetry for Peace and Unity’. This theme highlights poetry’s role in fostering harmony, bridging cultures, and expressing deep human emotions.
World Poetry Day is the occasion to honour poets, revive oral traditions of poetry recitals, promote the reading, writing and teaching of poetry, foster the convergence between poetry and other arts such as theatre, dance, music and painting, and raise the visibility of poetry in the media. As poetry continues to bring people together across continents, all are invited to join in.
Check out the life and works of Adam Lindsay Gordon – www.freestylepublications.com.au – or https://adamlindsaygordon.org.