It is no secret that poetry is the pure language of its people, conveying not only the splendor of verbal constructions, but also the full depth of hidden meanings characteristic of a particular society in a particular period. Today, March 21 is the right time to remember about this “literary form”, because on this day the World Poetry Day is celebrated.
UNESCO established this holiday in 1999, during the 30th General Conference. The aim of the annual event, according to its creators, should be to preserve linguistic diversity and support the self-expression of representatives of those languages that are threatened with extinction. On this day, it is customary to remember the names and works of great national poets, as well as arrange poetry readings, attend various artistic productions based on poetic texts.
“Poetry is also a unique art form that stimulates sensitivity to the incredible diversity of languages and cultures characteristic of the human race. Poetry brings a person closer to the world. It introduces us to such concepts as dissimilarity, dialogue and peace. It is a testament to the universality of human existence beyond the countless means used to describe it,” – this is how Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO, characterizes the memorable date.
The World Poetry Day does not bypass Russia either. For example, the Center for Slavic Cultures holds a lecture on Serbian folk poetry on Tuesday. In addition to the speech of the speaker, Candidate of Philological Sciences Elena Arkadyevna Osipova, the participants of the event will be able to attend a literary evening and a performance by the chamber choir of the Orthodox St. Tikhon’s University for the Humanities.
The UNESCO press service believes that “Poetry continues to unite people from all continents.” Let it really remain that way!
The material was collected and processed by Sofia Chernopyatova.
