5 Caribbean Poems for National Poetry Month

Posted on April 01, 2024

April is National Poetry Month, and here at WWB Campus, we're diving into poetry from the Caribbean. Here are five reading recommendations from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Martinique, all available in both English and their original languages:

1. "If I could live on the vision without trying to say it": a Cuban poem that tries to put the "infinitely beautiful" experience of love into words
2. "There is No Theorem": a regguetón poem about the unpredictability of life, also from Cuba
3. "Self-Portrait": a sardonic poem from the Dominican Republic about resilience in the face of difficulties
4. "Poem for Children with Trouble Sleeping": a dark lullaby decrying political instability in Haiti
5. "Women's Fantasies": an exhilarating poem from Martinique that mixes love and mythology

By Maggie Vlietstra