91. Poetry Foundation Launches Free POETRY iPhone App

New app turns iPhone into mobile library with hundreds of searchable and sharable poems

CHICAGO — The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetrymagazine, is pleased to announce the release of its new POETRY iPhone app (poetryfoundation.org/iphone), making available for the first time on a mobile device a virtual poetry library of more than 1,400 complete poems by classic and contemporary poets from William Shakespeare to César Vallejo to Heather McHugh.

The unique POETRY app offers hundreds of well-known poems by contemporary and classic poets, including T.S. Eliot, Pablo Neruda, Lucille Clifton, Emily Dickinson, and many, many others; easy access to new poems from the pages of Poetrymagazine; a topic-based searchable database of poems to suit any mood or occasion; a folder for saving favorite poems; the capacity to share poems with friends through Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail; and an engaging, user-friendly interface specifically designed for the iPhone.

“The POETRY app, unlike other poetry applications, draws from the best contemporary poems published in Poetry magazine, while also including much-loved poems from the public domain,” said Catherine Halley, editor of poetryfoundation.org. “Given the popularity of the iPhone and the successful launch of the iPad, we think this is an exciting, fun, and practical way to get more people reading poetry. With the POETRY app, great poetry is always accessible—during commutes, for instance, or between appointments.”

POETRY app users can find poems two ways, through the gamelike “Discover Poetry” interface, which allows users to find poems by chance, or through the “Find Poetry” interface, which enables people to search for poetry by keyword, subject, title, or poet.

Adventurous readers might choose the “Discover Poetry” option. Upon shaking the iPhone or pressing the Spin button, the phone becomes a slot machine, spinning through pairs of emotions and subjects such as “insecurity and love” or “nostalgia and youth,” and eventually settling on a list of poems characterized by one of these combinations. Users then try their luck, sliding through emotions or subjects and exploring poems related to various combinations.

The POETRY app is available free in the Apple iTunes Store. For more information or to download the app, visit poetryfoundation.org/iphone.