How to download poems

Once you have registered or logged on, all the project’s poems become available to you for viewing and downloading. Just click on the various collection title on the Collections menu.

You will then see onscreen three examples from each collection (click on each one to enlarge it as necessary).

Each complete collection can be downloaded as a folder.

But poems can also be viewed and downloaded individually. Just scroll down the contents list in each case and you will see the pdf of each poem to the right of its title and author. Click on this and the poem will open up for you. Then look for the Print icon, click on it and your printer will do the rest.

Copyright

Some of the poems featured here are old enough to be out of copyright and for others (the commissioned ones) this project itself holds the copyright. However, please note that many of the poems have required and obtained copyright permission from publisher, the poet’s estate, or relative, or from the poet him or herself.

That permission has been given on condition we acknowledge on each poster the poem’s source – and we display the poem-poster free of charge and not for material gain. In making the poems available online we are passing on that condition to all who download them.

That is partly why we have asked you to register, since the process requires you to tick the “agreement” box. The other reason we ask you to register is that it allows us to keep track of where the poems are going, and stay in touch with you for any suggestions you have or feed-back you can give us.

Collections available

There are five main collections available on this site. The first three emerged one by one over a period of several years, and in this order :  “Poems for… Waiting”, “Poems for… All Ages” and “Poems for… One World.”
The next two collections were launched together in 2015. One is a collection of thirty poems on mental disturbance called “Poems for…self at sea.” The other consists of twenty poems on learning disability and is called “Poems for…Bridges to Learning Disability.” These collections emerged, in a sense, from out of the “One World” collection and are part of the same concept. But they are displayed and made available on this website as separate items, along with the earlier three.
Within “Poems for…One World”are the nuclei of several further collections which may yet be developed further. One would be called “Poems for…the art of nursing.”  It would bring together poems that celebrate caring in general and the NHS in particular. The poet Michael Rosen is strongly represented in the material we have so far on this subject. His poem “These are the Hands” was commissioned by the NHS to celebrate its 60th birthday in 2008. Rosen was Children’s Poet Laureate at the time. He gave me his permission to reproduce it as one of our posters. In addition, I then had it translated into several languages – Greek, Turkish, Somali, and Punjabi (in two scripts). The reason, of course, is that the NHS employs and serves people of many mother tongues. Rosen’s original and the various translations can all be found among the One World collection.

What people have said

Antjie Krog,  South African poet and translator, contributed work to the 'Poems for...one world' collection: “They arrived!!!! the posters. and what a treasure, my head is bristling with ideas...thank you so so so much.”
William Radice, writer and academic, translator of Rabindranath Tagore, whose work is reproduced in 'Poems for ...one world' : “Wonderful to see this and I do congratulate you on a really excellent project.  It has huge potential.”
Lakshmi Holström, translator of two Tamil poems in the 'Poems for...one world' collection: “The thrill is in seeing Tamil as part of a spectrum of languages, each making its own wonderful contribution ...[Poems for…the wall] is an impressive and beautiful project, which should continue to grow.”  
Juris Kronbergs, Latvian poet, editor and translator, contributed work to the 'Poems for...one world' collection: “I am happy and proud to take part in your project ! It's a wonderful way of making poetry useful in society, outside the groups of afficionados, libraries and universities !”  
Lyubo Nikolov, Bulgarian poet, contributed poem to the 'Poems for...one world ' collection: “Best of luck in your noble task.”  
Susan Hillyard, Buenos Aires, Argentina, teacher trainer : Thank you for your poems and for putting them up so generously on the site. I am training 20 teachers to teach English through Drama in Special Education all over the city of Buenos Aires. We are working in very poor conditions without resources and making all our own materials. I am passing your site on to my teachers and am sure they will find some interesting materials…
Dr. Charles Cantaloupo, Penn State University, USA, translator of Reesom Haile, Tigrinya poet, whose work appears in the 'Poems for...one world' collection : “As the translator, I authorize you, please, to go ahead.  I hope this is enough since your project is great and should not be held up a second more than necessary.”  
Chikwendụ Anyanwụ, Igbo poet and Catholic priest, contributed work to the "Poems for...one world" collection: “Your idea is a very noble one.”
BB, NHS cancer patient, London, 2013 : “I just want to tell you that in 1997 I read and copied one of your poems, "The Stream of  Life" [by Tagore] in the waiting room in Hammersmith Gaeni dept. I had just finished chemo for ovarian cancer. I still find this poem inspiring and think displaying poems is a great idea, especially in health settings. I plan to take them with me on retreat. Thanks.”  
JP, Hospice Visitor : “Dear Mr Wolf, I have recently seen a "Poems for…the wall"  presentation folder within a palliative care setting which provided a great source of comfort for many visitors. May I take this opportunity to thank you and all the contributors. Are these poems available for other health and social care settings?”    
Dr S. E-L, Clinical Psychologist, NHS Traumatic Stress Counselling Service, London :  “…About half our patients come from other countries, generally as refugees fleeing torture and persecution…Coming into contact with poetry in their own language whilst waiting, is a really positive way of helping non-English speakers feel a sense of welcome and inclusion. Many thanks.”    
Hana Amichai,  widow of Yehuda Amichai, Hebrew poet whose work appears in 'Poems for...one world'  : “It is a beautiful and very important project, I am glad that Amichai's poem is included.”    
Michael Rosen, UK Children’s Poet Laureate 2007-2009 - his poem celebrating the NHS is included in the "Poems for...one world" collection: “I think that this is a stimulating, exciting and important project... Many, many thanks … I am excited and delighted that my poem is appearing in several languages [here]. It shows that we can talk to each other just as we try to care for each other... I think the project needs all the help it can find."
The Royal College of Nursing, from their Bulletin, June 15th , 2011 : “The RCN is backing this project which supplies poems free of charge for use in hospitals and health centres up and down the country.”  
Sir Michael Jay, Permanent Under-Secretary of State, the UK Foreign Office, 2002-2006 : “Diversity is an excellent theme, and especially relevant to the challenges we all currently face to build a cohesive society. We would like a set of the poems to use at appropriate FCO events...”
Sir David Nicholson, Chief Executive of the UK National Health Service, 2010-2014 : “Your initiative has made a valuable contribution to making NHS waiting rooms a more welcoming and sensitive environment for patients and the series of poems celebrating diversity has been particularly well received.”  
Gareth Evans, teaching in a school in Shanghai: ”...it seems to be an important thing, at least to me, in an international setting, to know that the poem-posters on my classroom wall are also on walls around the world.”
School Librarian, King Fahad Academy: “Thank you so much – we love them!...I am planning to laminate all the poems, and have a Poem of the Week in a prominent place in both the boy’s and girl’s schools.”
Assistant Head of School, Kent: “Somehow this lovely set of poems came into my hands; I am delighted with them and am displaying them outside my classroom for maximum impact. I also intend to use them in lessons and get younger students to illustrate as appropriate.”
Andrea Lee, Physiotherapy Receptionist, Warminster Community Hospital, Wiltshire: “I have received the ‘Poems for...one world’ collection and I am totally delighted with them...Some of the scripts are beautiful in their own right, even without the translations. One of the most striking aspects is that no matter what language and ethnic background, our hopes, feelings and dreams are the same. Thank you once again.”
Annette Duncan, Programme Area Leader, ESOL 16-18 Courses, Lewisham College: “You kindly sent me a set of the bilingual poems last year...The poems proved very useful classroom materials and we went on to study other poems. The result is a book of poems, written by the students themselves, in 2 languages – their mother tongue and English. They wrote some truly amazing poems and really enjoyed the process as well as the finished product...”
Catherine Maloney, Lewisham College: “Thank you, the poems are wonderful ! We will put them up for staff and students to enjoy and think about...I think your collection will inspire staff and students alike.”
TN, Governor, HM Prison, Grendon and Springhill : “Are you still supplying Poems for...the wall ? We would be interested in a pack, as previous poems have been much appreciated by prisoners, staff and visitors to the prison.”
MIND worker in Camden, London: “I love reading the poems which are displayed in the reception area at work. I like the variety and I like taking a moment to be still and reflective whilst reading the poems. My current favourite has been photocopied so I can read it from my desk ! It’s a really worthwhile venture.”
Deputy Chief Exec, Yarrow Housing: “Since our clients have learning disabilities, for some the written word is not accessible. However, some clients have been very taken with the poems, selecting their favourites and saying how good they are.”
Psychology Dept, Scunthorpe: “One thing that has been extremely interesting is…our clients have begun to post their own poems on the wall. Some are poems that mean something to them and some are written by the clients themselves.”
MV Prescott, Consultant in A & E Medicine, Royal Shrewsbury Hospital NHS Trust: “I am absolutely delighted with the pack and will be commencing a project in the A & E Department at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital to display these on a rotating basis.”
Maureen Woolf, Counsellor, North Warwickshire NHS Trust: “I have used some of the sample of poems you have already sent me for some group work with older people who have depression, anxiety, memory loss or other difficulties. The overall response has been very favourable.”
Eliot Weinberger, US, translator of Octavio Paz, whose work appears in the 'Poems for...one world' collection: “I'm sure that Octavio would have been very moved to know that his poem was appearing in these kinds of public spaces...good luck with this excellent project.”
Mourid Barghouti, Palestinian poet, Cairo, contributed work to 'Poems for...one world' collection: “I am delighted to be part of your creative and beautiful project.”
Tomaž Šalamun, poet, Slovenia, contributed work to the 'Poems for...one world' collection: “I'm very honoured and delighted you have chosen my poem. Very grateful for your marvellous idea.”
Jayne Greathead, poet, contributed work to 'Poems for...waiting' collection: “It’s a lovely feeling to know my poem has been used in this way.”
Caroline Carver, poet, contributed work to the 'Poems for...waiting" collection: “It is good news that the NHS are using the poems so well, and to know they are reaching the right audiences.”
UA Fanthorpe, poet, contributed work to the 'Poems for...waiting' collection:   “I hope that the project continues to go from strength to strength...and to encourage people to read poetry and to feel better at the same time is indeed a worthwhile task – specially perhaps in times like these.”
Selima Hill, poet, contributed work to two of the project's collections.: “...Congratulations to you too ! ( I Like the idea of making waiting rooms “less lonely”) PS. Another place where people wait is stations...”
Tanya Plutzik, widow of Hyam Plutzik, who contributed work to the 'Poems for...all ages' collection: This is a wonderful idea. It will surely be widely read and will bring comfort and support to many. Thank you for including my husband’s poem ; he would have been delighted to be part of the collection.”
Menna Elfyn, poet, contributed work to 'Poems for...waiting' collection: “It is good to know that the poems are appreciated widely...and that in these difficult times poetry still connects people together.”
Fiona Sampson, poet and editor, helped select ten bilingual poems celebrating the EU Enlargement of 2004: "Your idea’s a wonderful one, crystallizing many of the most interesting initiatives in contemporary literature/ promotion practice. But, more than this, it's also a deeply human, very profound return to the meaning of poetry. I'm honoured to have been part of it.”
The Right Hon Tessa Jowell, Minister for Culture, Media and Sport, 2001-2007: “I think this is a wonderful project, giving people something meaningful and personal to consider, in what can be an anxious place.”
David Hart, Poet, commissioned and edited 50 poems for the 'Poems for...Waiting' collection, contributed one of his own: “The pack of poems has come, Rogan, and it's an excellent piece of work again ; there really has been nothing like these packs before. We have the chance here to open people's lives to each other.”