Poetry Foundation

American organization

Also known as: Modern Poetry Association

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 20, 2026

Quick Summary

The Poetry Foundation is an American organization that supports poetry. It was established in 2003 to support Poetry magazine, which was founded in Chicago in 1912 by Harriet Monroe. Poetry magazine is the world's oldest monthly journal dedicated to publishing English-language verse and has been a principal voice for modern poetry. The foundation was created after a significant gift from philanthropist Ruth Lilly. The organization also publishes a digital edition of the magazine and remains headquartered in Chicago.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize
…annual prize given by the Poetry Foundation—an independent literary organization and publisher—to an American poet for lifetime achievement. The prize, which comes with an award of $100,000, was established in 1986 by philanthropist Ruth Lilly. It is considered one of the most prestigious awards in the field of poetry and…
Read More
…annual prize given by the Poetry Foundation—an independent literary organization and publisher—to an American poet for lifetime achievement. The prize, which comes with an award of $100,000, was established in 1986 by philanthropist Ruth Lilly. It is considered one of the most prestigious awards in the field of poetry and…
Read More