Links to nations or nationalities point to articles with information on that nation's poetry or literature. For example,United Kingdom links toEnglish poetry andIndian links toIndian poetry.

• January 19 - Starting this year, and continuing to at least2009, an anonymous black-clad person, who enters popular lore as thePoe Toaster, appears inBaltimore at theWestminster Hall and Burying Ground tomb ofAmerican poetEdgar Allan Poe early on the morning of Poe's birthday. The man toasts Poe with Cognac and leaves three red roses at the grave (along with the remainder of the Cognac).^[1]
• February 19 -American poetEzra Pound, at this time incarcerated in a psychiatric institution, is awarded the firstBollingen Prize in poetry by theBollingen Foundation andYale University provoking a storm of criticism because of his pro-Fascist activities before and during World War II.^[2]
• March -Pablo Neruda fleesChile over theLilpela Pass through theAndes toArgentina on horseback carrying a manuscript of hisCanto General.
• April 14 -Roy Campbell punchesStephen Spender on the nose at a poetry reading in London.^[3]
• October - Publication begins inItaly ofL'inferno di Topolino, a graphic parody ofDante'sInferno featuringMickey Mouse with text and verse byGuido Martina.^[4]
• Indonesian poetChairil Anwar writes his last poem, "Cemara Menderai Sampai Jauh" ("Fir Trees Are Sown Off Into the Distance"), prior to his death aged 26 on April 28.^[5]
• Greek Communist poetYannis Ritsos, incarcerated during the Communist–centrist/rightist struggle in theGreek Civil War, writes poems which will ultimately see publication twenty-six years later, in the1975 book,Petrinos khronos.
• George Hill Dillon, editor of the journalPoetry since1937, relinquishes his post.
• First issue ofCaribbean Quarterly, the flagship journal on culture edited at theUniversity of the West Indies, spotlightsCaribbean poetry.^[6]

Listed by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:

• Raymond Knister,Collected Poems ed.Dorothy Livesay.^[7]
• James Reaney,The Red Heart.^[7]Governor General's Award1949.

• Sri Aurobindo,Chitrangada ( Poetry in English ), Bombay: Sri Aurobindo Circle,^[8]

• Allen Curnow:
  • The Axe, a verse play with a Pacific setting (Caxton)^[9]
  • At Dead Low Water and Sonnets (Caxton)^[9]
• Basil Dowling,Canterbury^[10]

• Dannie Abse,After Every Green Thing^[11]
• Edward Andrade,Poems and Songs
• Edmund Blunden,After the Bombing, and Other Short Poems
• Roy Campbell,Collected Poems, Volume 1 (Volume 21957, Volume 3 (consisting of translations)1960)^[11]
• C. Day-Lewis,Collected Poems, published in March, although the book states "1948" (see alsoCollected Poems1954)^[11]
• William Empson,Collected Poems of William Empson^[12]
• Roy Fuller,Epitaphs and Occasions^[11]
• Robert Garioch Sutherland, writing under the name "Robert Garioch",Chuckles on the Cairn^[11]
• W. S. Graham,The White Threshold
• Geoffrey Grigson, editor,Poetry of the Present, anthology^[11]
• Christopher Hassall,The Slow Night, and Other Poems 1940–8^[11]
• James Kirkup, editor,Leeds University Poetry, including work by Kirkup,Wilfred Rowland Childe,Derrick Metcalfe, andKenneth Muir (Hull: Lotus Press)^[13]
• Louis MacNeice,Collected Poems 1925–48^[11]
• Edwin Muir,The Labyrinth^[11]
• Kathleen Raine,The Pythoness, and Other Poems^[11]
• James Reeves,The Imprisoned Sea^[11]
• Edith Sitwell,The Canticle of the Rose: Poems 1917–1949^[12]
• Stephen Spender,The Edge of Being^[11]
• W. B. Yeats (d.1939),Poems, "The Definitive Edition",Irish poet published in the United Kingdom^[11]

• Conrad Aiken:
  • The Divine Pilgrim^[14]
  • Skylight One^[14]
• Joseph Payne Brennan,Heart of Earth (Decker Press)
• Gwendolyn Brooks,Annie Allen^[14]
• John Ciardi,Live Another Day^[14]
• Hilda Doolittle, writing under thepen name "H.D.",By Avon River^[14]
• Kenneth Fearing,Stranger at Coney Island^[14]
• Robert Frost,Complete Poems^[14]
• Langston Hughes,One-Way Ticket^[14]
• Kenneth Patchen:
  • Red Wine & Yellow Hair^[14]
  • To Say If You Love Someone^[14]
• Ezra Pound,Selected Poems^[14]
• Kenneth Rexroth:
  • The Signature of All Things^[14]
  • The Art of Worldly Wisdom", Prairie City, Illinois:Decker Press
• Louis Simpson,The Arrivistes^[14]
• Donald A. Stauffer,The Golden Nightingale: Essays on Some Principles of Poetry in the Lyrics ofWilliam Butler Yeats, New York: Macmillan,United States criticism^[15]
• Peter Viereck,The Poet in the Machine Age
• William Carlos Williams:
  • Paterson, Book III^[14]
  • Selected Poems^[14]

• Judith Wright,Woman to Man,Australian
• W. B. Yeats (d.1939),Poems, "The Definitive Edition",Irish poet published in theUnited Kingdom^[11]

• Aimé Césaire,Corps perdu^[16]
• Paul Éluard,pen name of Paul-Eugène Grindel, ''Une leçon de morale^[17]
• Eugene Guilleveic,Gagner^[18]
• Pierre Jean Jouve,Diadème^[18]
• Henri Michaux,Poesie pour pouvoir, Paris: Drouin^[19]
• Pierre Reverdy,Main d'oeuvre: 1913–1949^[18]
• Claude Roy,Le Poète mineur^[17]
• Jules Supervielle,Oublieuse Mémoire^[18]
• Tristan Tzara,pen name of Sami Rosenstock,Phases^[18]

In each section, listed in alphabetical order by first name:

• C. V. Karandikar, also known asVinda Karandikar,Svedaganga,India,Marathi-language^[20]
• Manmohan,Yugayugance Sahapravasi,Indian,Marathi-language (later translated intoHindi under the titleMarsal ki Salami)^[20]
• K. B. Nikumb,Ujjvala,Indian,Marathi-language^[20]
• Sarachchandra Muktibodh,Navi MalavatIndian,Marathi-language^[20]
• Shrikrishna Powale,Jala Mati,Indian,Marathi-language^[20]

• Chittadhar Hridaya,Sugata Saurabha, a Buddhist epic, written inNepal Bhasa, mostly in prison 1941-46, published in India
• Masood Husain,Urdu zaban aur adab, a history, written inUrdu of that language and its literature^[20]
• Nilakantha Shastri, translator,Sri Rama Carita, translation intoSanskrit of theTamil-languageKamba Ramayana^[20]
• Pritam Singh Safir,Rakt Bundam,Indian,Punjabi-language^[20]
• S. Lalita, translator,Valarmati, translation intoTamil from theIndian poetry in English ofRabindranath Tagore'sThe Crescent Moon^[20]
• Sitaramaiah Kuruganti,Navyandhra Sahitya Vidhulu, a four-volume history inTelugu of that language's literature^[20]
• Umar Alisha, translator,Umar Khayyam, translation intoTelugu from thePersian ofOmar Khayyam'sRubaiyats^[20]

Listed by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:

• Alfonso Calderón,Primer Consejo a los Arcangeles del Viento ("First Advice to the Archangels of the Wind"),Spanish-language,Chile^[21]
• Haim Gouri,Pirhei Esh ("Flowers of Fire, Years of Fire"),Israeli writing inHebrew^[22]
• Eric Knudsen,Blomsten og sværdet ("The Flower and the Sword"),Denmark^[23]
• Alexander Mezhirov,Новые встречи ("New Encounters"), including "Communists, Ahead!",Russia^[24]
• Máirtín Ó Direáin,Rogha Dánta,Irish poet writing inIrish
• Carlos de Oliveira,Descida aos Infernos
• Nizar Qabbani,Samba,Syrian poet writing inArabic

• Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress (later the post would be called "Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress"):Elizabeth Bishop appointed this year.
• Pulitzer Prize for Poetry:Peter Viereck,Terror and Decorum
• Bollingen Prize:Ezra Pound
• Canada:Governor General's Award, poetry or drama:The Red Heart,James Reaney^[25]

Death years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:

• January 2 –Jean Krier (died2013), Luxembourger poet
• January 6 –Carolyn D. Wright (died2016), writing as C. D. Wright,American poet
• January 25 –Tom Paulin, Northern Irish poet and critic of film, music and literature
• January 27 –Bruce Weigl,American poet and academic
• February –Agha Shahid Ali (died2001),Indian-bornEnglish-language poet
• February 6
  • Victor Hernández Cruz,Puerto Rico-bornAmerican poet
  • Eliot Weinberger,American essayist and principal translator ofOctavio Paz into English
• March 14 –Lynn Emanuel,American poet
• April 1 –Gil Scott-Heron (died2011), African-American poet, jazz/soul musician and author
• April 13 –Marilyn Bowering,Canadian poet and novelist
• April 25 –James Fenton,English journalist, poet, critic and academic
• May 6 –Olga Broumas, Greek-born English-language poet in the United States
• May 13 –Christopher Reid, Hong Kong-bornEnglish poet, essayist, cartoonist, writer and exponent ofMartian poetry
• May 15 –Alice Major, Scottish-bornCanadian poet
• June 21:
  • John Agard, playwright, poet and children's writer from Guyana, who moves toEngland in 1977
  • Jane Urquhart,Canadian poet and author
• July 1 –Denis Johnson (died2017),American writer
• July 5 –Pier Giorgio di Cicco (died2019), Italian-Canadian poet
• July 24 –David St. John,American poet and academic
• July 31 –Mark O'Brien (died1999),American poet
• August 1 –Jim Carroll (died2009), American poet, author and punk musician^[26]
• August 2 –Bei Dao (北島, literally "Northern Island"), pseudonym of Zhao Zhenkai,Chinese poet, the most notable representative of theMisty Poets, a group ofChinese poets who react against the restrictions of theCultural Revolution
• August 6 –Mary di Michele, Italian-bornCanadian poet and writer
• August 14 –Jaroslav Erik Frič (died2019),Czech poet, musician, publisher and underground culture figure
• September 11 –David Bottoms,American poet
• September 29 –Gabriel Rosenstock,Irish poet.
• November 21 –Liam Rector (died2007),American poet, essayist and academic
• December 9 –Eileen Myles,American poet
• Also:
  • Cathy Smith Bowers,American poet and teacher,North Carolina Poet Laureate, 2010–2012
  • Barbara Ras,American poet

Birth years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:

• March 2 –Sarojini Naidu (born1879),Indian writingIndian poetry in English and political activist
• April 27 –Evan Morgan, 2nd Viscount Tredegar (born1893),Welsh poet and occultist
• April 28 –Chairil Anwar (born1922),Indonesian poet
• May 5 –Hideo Nagata 長田秀雄 (born1885),Shōwa periodJapanese poet, playwright and screenwriter (surname: Nagata)
• May 6 –Maurice Maeterlinck, Belgian poet, playwright and Nobel Laureate
• June 15 –Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer, also known simply as "Ulloor" (born1877),Indian,Malayalam-language poet, scholar and government official who published a five-volume history of Malayalam literature^[27]
• July 18 –Alice Corbin Henderson (born1881),American poet
• July 25 –Lilian Bowes Lyon (born1895),English poet
• September 9 –Fredegond Shove (born1889),English poet
• December 28 –Hervey Allen (born1889),American novelist and poet
• Joseph Lee (born1876),Scottish war poet, artist and journalist

• Poetry
• List of poetry awards
• List of years in poetry

• 20th-century poetry
• 1949 poems

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