It might seem easier to stick with poems that feel familiar—ones written in your own language, from your own country. So why take the time to read poetry from other parts of the world?

Here’s why it matters.

It Helps Us Understand Other People

Poetry gives us a peek into someone else’s world. A poet in Nigeria might write about a village celebration. A poet in Japan might write a haiku about cherry blossoms. A poet in Syria might write about leaving home during a war. These poems show us what life is like for someone else, even if it’s totally different from ours.

Reading global poetry helps us build empathy. We start to see how other people think, feel, and experience the world.

It Shows Us What We Have in Common

Even though we come from different places, people around the world often write about the same big ideas—love, family, fear, hope, and joy. When we read global poetry, we start to notice that deep down, we’re all more alike than we are different.

It Helps Us Think in New Ways

Different cultures use different styles and images in their poems. Reading those can help us think outside the box. It might even inspire you to write in a way you’ve never tried before. Learning new ideas and forms helps us grow—not just as writers, but as people.

It Makes the World Feel Bigger (and Smaller)

The more we read from around the world, the more we realize how much is out there to explore. At the same time, we also notice how connected we all are. Poetry helps us do both: open up to the world and feel connected to it.

Can you think of a time when you learned something new about a place or a person through a story, a poem, or a song? What did it help you understand?