The graceful flow of rhyme will be the center of attention at the International Resource Center’s 4th annual World Poetry Night. Students and faculty will read poems in their original languages at the event Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the IRC.
“Arts and literature is just one way that people can reach out to each other and get a feeling for another culture or another language,” IRC Coordinator Sonja Rasmussen said. She is excited to experience her first World Poetry Night at the University.
Rasmussen believes World Poetry Night is just one way for people to learn more about different cultures in an environment that promotes the IRC’s mission of being a “meeting place for the world.”
“We want to be welcoming to all students – that means international and American students – and we want to provide a place where people can make contact with other people and expand their own global awareness,” Rasmussen said.
Wednesday night’s poetry reading will include poems in more than 15 languages, including Farsi, Norwegian, Arabic, Spanish, Creole, Yoruba, Finnish, English, Swahili, French, Russian, Japanese and Indonesian. The IRC will provide overhead translations of each poem in English and will also have free snacks and refreshments.
“It’s pretty fun and it’s very nice to hear poems in different countries and languages. When you come you might be able to hear a poem from France. Most people know that the French language is beautiful, but when you hear a poem you might feel more of how beautiful the language is,” IRC Program Manager Nalupan Thavorngulpachai said. He also managed last year’s event, which about 75 people attended.
Thavorngulpachai believes its very important that the audience hears the original sound of the language in a poem but still understand it by reading the translation. He pointed out that people who study abroad interact with people on a day-to-day basis, but they rarely get to hear the more romantic and melodic sound of a language that is expressed in literature and song.
“We want them to feel how beautiful language is from different countries,” he said.
The rich experience that comes along with hearing the music and literature of another language is very important to Rasmussen, who hopes that World Poetry Night will be enjoyable to all who attend.
“How many places can you go and hear 15 different languages in the space of two hours? That’s wild,” she said.
After all the poems are read, there will be an open mic where anyone who missed the deadline to submit a poem can have a chance to share poetry. In May the IRC will continue to raise awareness of other cultures by featuring a photography exhibit in the Adell McMillan Gallery in the EMU. Thavorngulpachai does not want to give this exhibit a theme but will instead show images from a variety of different cultures.
World Poetry Night is a free event. The IRC is located in the EMU above the post office.
