Those who enjoy poetry tend to google their favorite poets and hope the search engine displays accurate results. Is a word misspelled in the poem? Is the biographical information about the poet correct? How would one confirm such information?

Poets.org (sponsored by the Academy of American Poets) consistently posts accurate infofmation and poetry from a plethora of writers — American or not.

Started in 1997, Poets.org has provide millions with the works of and the information about their favorite poets. All poems open to the public are “public domain,” meaning copyright privileges over the poem faded long ago. The site publishes poetry only with the author’s permission if copyright privileges still remain intact. However, most poems that still remain under copyright are viewable only by site members.

For those who just want to search for a poem or poet, type the poet’s name or a poem into the appropriate places in the search boxes. A list of the author’s work or poem similar or matching what one typed in will appear.

However, unlike the random sites that post poetry (with or without author permission), Poets.org’s mission is to introduce users to poems or poets they may have never heard of. Similar to sites like Amazon.com, Poet.org suggests other works one may enjoy according to what one views. The poems deal with with similar subjects or are by the same author. Users may spend hours reading poem after poem, finding a new piece to love each time.

If a casual user would like to become a member, he or she could view hidden corridors of Poets.org. The site e-mails members a different poem daily. Sometimes the poems reside in public domain, but usually authors still have a tight grip on their work. Only members have exclusive access to copyrighted poems published as recently as a few months ago.

Members also have access to thoughtful forums (available by a separate login that users can easily connect to their main login) and can create online notebooks to show off their favorite poems. They can organize their notebooks by however they feel appropriate. Only other members can view their notebook.

For any MHS student or falculty members craving a poetry fix, Poetry.org may be the ideall place for him or her.