Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature (for instance, Irish or France).
Events January – English literary magazine Horizon is first published in London by Cyril Connolly, Peter Watson and Stephen Spender June – French Resistance forms; poets who join include Louis Aragon, René Char, Robert Desnos, Paul Éluard, Francis Ponge, Jean Prévost and Jean-Pierre Rosnay July 26 – Release of the movie adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice with English poet and writer Aldous Huxley as a screenwriter English poet Basil Bunting joins the Royal Air Force and is eventually sent to Iran as an intelligence officer and translator Russian poet Anna Akhmatova's collection From Six Books is published in the Soviet Union but publication is suspended shortly after release, copies pulped and remaining issues prohibited American poet Louis Zukofsky finishes the first half of "A"
Works published in English Listed by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; works listed again if substantially revised:
India, in English Mohendra Nath Dutt, Kurukshetra ( Poetry in English ), an epic; Calcutta: P. M. MukherjiVinayak Krishna Gokak, The Golden Treasury Of Indo-Anglian Poetry (1828-1965), p 319, New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi (1970, first edition; 2006 reprint), , retrieved August 6, 2010 P. R. Kaikini, The Recruit ( Poetry in English ), Bombay: New Book Co.Vinayak Krishna Gokak, The Golden Treasury Of Indo-Anglian Poetry (1828-1965), p 322, New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi (1970, first edition; 2006 reprint), , retrieved August 6, 2010 Manjeri Sundaraman, Catguts ( Poetry in English ), Madras: Hurley PressNaik, M. K., Perspectives on Indian poetry in English, p. 230, (published by Abhinav Publications, 1984, , ), retrieved via Google Books, June 12, 2009
Canada A. M. Klein, Hath Not a Jew.Roberts, Neil, editor, A Companion to Twentieth-century Poetry, Part III, Chapter 3, "Canadian Poetry", by Cynthia Messenger, Blackwell Publishing, 2003, , retrieved via Google Books, January 3, 2009 E. J. Pratt, Brebeuf and his Brethren, Toronto: Macmillan, 1940. Detroit: Basilian Press, 1942."Bibliography," Selected Poems of E. J. Pratt, Peter Buitenhuis ed., Toronto: Macmillan, 1968, 207-208. Governor General's Award 1940.
United Kingdom W. H. Auden, English poet living at this time in the United States: Another Time, including "September 1, 1939" Some Poems John Betjeman, Old Lights for New Chancels Edmund Blunden, Poems 1930–1940 R. N. Currey, Tiresias Cecil Day-Lewis: translation, The Georgics of Virgil (see also his translations of The Aeneid of Virgil 1952 and The Eclogues of Virgil 1963) Poems in Wartime T. S. Eliot: The Waste Land, and Other Poems, The Waste Land first published in 1923 East Coker, published in The New English Weekly, Easter Number; published in book form in June; republished in Four Quartets 1944 William Empson, The Gathering Storm Roy Fuller, Poems Robert Garioch (pen name of Robert Garioch Sutherland) and Sorley MacLean (also known as Somhairle MacGill-Eain), 17 Poems for 6d. in Gaelic, Lowland Scots and English Rayner Heppenstall, Blind Men's Flowers are Green Hugh MacDiarmid, editor, The Golden Treasury of Scottish Poetry Louis MacNeice, The Last Ditch, including "The Coming of War" sequence, Northern Ireland poet published in Ireland Alice Meynell (died 1922), The Poems of Alice Meynell, complete edition R. F. Patterson, Mein Rant: a summary in light verse of "Mein Kampf" William Plomer, Selected Poems Francis Scarfe, Inscapes Stephen Spender, Selected Poems Dylan Thomas, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog Henry Treece, 38 Poems W. B. Yeats (died 1939), Last Poems and Plays
United States Conrad Aiken, And in the Human HeartLudwig, Richard M., and Clifford A. Nault, Jr., Annals of American Literature: 1602–1983, 1986, New York: Oxford University Press W. H. Auden, English poet living at this time in the United States: Another Time, including the famous "September 1, 1939" Some Poems Leonard Bacon, Sunderland Capture Stephen Vincent Benét, Nightmare at Noon Witter Bynner, Against the Cold John Ciardi, Homeward to America E. E. Cummings, 50 Poems Richard Eberhart, Song and Idea Kenneth Fearing, Collected Poems Robert Hayden, Heart-Shape in the Dust Phyllis McGinley, A Pocketful of Wry Edna St. Vincent Millay, Make Bright the Arrows Ogden Nash, The Face is Familiar Ezra Pound, Cantos LII–LXXI Frederic Prokosch, Death at Sea Kenneth Rexroth, In What Hour Elizabeth Madox Roberts, Song in the Meadow
Other in English E. H. McCormick, Letters and Art in New Zealand, scholarshipPreminger, Alex and T.V.F. Brogan, et al., editors, The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, 1993, Princeton University Press and MJF Books, "New Zealand Poetry" article, "History and Criticism" section, p 837 Ewart Milne, Letter from Ireland, Irish poet published in Ireland
Works published in other languages Listed by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; works listed again if substantially revised:
Bulgaria Nikola Vaptsarov, „Моторни песни“ (Motor Songs)
France Louis Aragon, Le Crève-cœurHartley, Anthony, editor, The Penguin Book of French Verse: 4: The Twentieth Century, page xv, Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1967 Paul Éluard, pen name of Eugène Grindel, Le Livre ouvert, published from this year to 1941 Pierre Reverdy, Plein VerreAuster, Paul, editor, The Random House Book of Twentieth-Century French Poetry: with translations by American and British Poets, New York: Random House, 1982
Greece Odysseus Elytis's first book, Orientations Giorgos Seferis: Τετράδιο Γυμνασμάτων ("Exercise Book") Ημερολόγιο Καταστρώματος Ι ("Deck Diary I")
Indian subcontinent Including all of the British colonies that later became India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka. Listed alphabetically by first name, regardless of surname:
Bengali Premendra Mitra, SamratDas, Sisir Kumar, "A Chronology of Literary Events / 1911–1956", in Das, Sisir Kumar and various, History of Indian Literature: 1911-1956: struggle for freedom: triumph and tragedy, Volume 2, 1995, published by Sahitya Akademi, , retrieved via Google Books on December 23, 2008 Rabindranath Tagore: Nabajatak, with themes and images from urban and industrial life (such as radios, railways and airplanes), a sharp contrast to the rural and natural themes of traditional Bengali poetry Rogsayyay, written during his illness and with many images of sickness and worry, but without despondency (see also Arogya 1941, called a "companion volume" with a contrasting mood) Sanai, poems with a nostalgic tone Chelebela, autobiography concerning the author's childhood Samar Sen, Grahan o Anyana Kabita, Indian, Bengali-language Subhash Mukhopadhyay, Padatik, poems reflecting Marxist ideology and politics in general, with a combination of lyricism and sloganeering; the consonance and speech-like rhythm of these poems became popular and influential in Bengali poetry V. K. Gokak, also known as "Vinayaka", Samudra Gitagalu, poems about the potency and loveliness of the sea; the poems experiment with new diction and meters, including free verse
Hindi Narendra Sharma, Palas Van, mostly sensuous poems of love and beauty Ramadhari Singh Dinakar, Rasavanti Ayodhya Singh Upadhyay, also known as "Hariandha", Vaidehi Vanavas, based on Sita's exile
Kannada B. R. Bendre, also known as Ambikatanaya Datta, Sahitya Samsodhana, literary criticism on some older works of Kannada literature Muliya Timmappayya, Navanita Ramayana, the Ramayana in ragale meter S. V. Parameshwara Bhatt, Ragini, 28 love poems
Urdu Muhiuddin Qadri Zor, Ruh-i tanqid, introduction to principles of Western literary criticism Nasiruddin Hashmi, Khavatin-i Dakan Ki Urdu Khidmat, literary history on women Urdu writers from Deccan Syed Mohammad Hasnain, Jauhar-i-Iqbal, literary criticism in Urdu on the poetry of Sir Muhammad Iqbal's Urdu poetry
Other Indian languages Ahad Zargar, Tarana-e-Ahad Zargar, Sufistic ghazals and vatsans; Kashmiri Dimbeshwar Neog, Asamiya Sahityar Buranjit Bhumuki, a comprehensive review of early Assamese literature; criticism K. V. Jaganathan, Tamilkkavyankal, literary history of Tamil epics, compared to the traditions of Sanskrit poetry and world literature Kavi Nhanalal, Kuruksetra, final part of a 12-canto, Gujarati epic about the war of the Mahabharat, written in poetic prose, interspersed with songs (first canto published 1926) Maiyilai Seeni Venkataswamy, Pauttamum Tamilum, literary history on the influence of Buddhism on Tamil culture and literature N. M. Sant and Indira Sant, a poet and couple publishing together; N. M. Sant's poems show influences from Madhav Julian, Indira Sant's reflect folklore; Marathi Prahlad Parekh, Bari Bahar, called a "milestone in the history of Gujarati poetry of the post-Gandhian era" by Indian academic Siser Kumar Das Sankarambadi Sundarachari, , popular "prayer song" in Andhra, originally written for a film that was never completed, a record of the song was published, and its popularity led the government of Andhra Pradesh to declare it a prayer song to be sung along with Vandemataram
Spanish language Spain Gerardo Diego, Angeles de Compostela ("Angels of Compostela"), 42 sonnets on diverse topicsDebicki, Andrew P., Spanish Poetry of the Twentieth Century: Modernity and Beyond, University Press of Kentucky, 1995, , retrieved via Google Books, November 21, 2009 Federico García Lorca (killed 1936), Poeta en Nueva York ("A Poet in New York"), written in 1930 (first translation into English in 1988) Dionisio Ridruejo, Poesía en armas ("Poetry in Arms")
Other in Spanish César Vallejo (died 1938), España, aparta de mí este cáliz ("Spain, Take This Cup from Me"Web page titled "César Vallejo" at the website of the Academy of American Poets, retrieved August 28, 2011), Peruvian poet published in Mexico after the first attempt at publication was interrupted during the Spanish Civil War and all copies lost (that edition was printed by soldiers of the Army of the East, on paper they themselves had made)Fitts, Dudley, editor, Anthology of Contemporary Latin-American Poetry/Antología de la Poesía Americana Contemporánea Norfolk, Conn., New Directions, (also London: The Falcoln Press, but this book was "Printed in U.S.A.), 1947, p 645 José Varallanos, Elegia en el mundo, PeruvianFitts, Dudley, editor, Anthology of Contemporary Latin-American Poetry/Antología de la Poesía Americana Contemporánea Norfolk, Conn., New Directions, (also London: The Falcoln Press, but this book was "Printed in U.S.A.), 1947, p 635
Awards and honors Pulitzer Prize for Poetry: Mark Van Doren: Collected Poems King's Gold Medal for Poetry: Michael Thwaites Governor General's Award, poetry or drama: Brébeuf and his Brethren, E. J. Pratt "Cumulative List of Winners of the Governor General's Literary Awards ", Canada Council. Web, Feb. 10, 2011.
Births Death years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article: January 17 – Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali, South African poet January 30 – Sterling D. Plumpp, African-American February 9 – Seamus Deane (died 2021), Irish poet, novelist and academic March 23 – Ama Ata Aidoo (died 2023), Ghanaian author, poet and playwright April 11 – Emmanuel Hocquard (died 2019), French April 16 – Rolf Dieter Brinkmann (died 1975), German April 25 – Peter Wild (died 2009), American poet and historian, professor at the University of Arizona in Tucson May 7 – Angela Carter, née Stalker (died 1992), English magic realist novelist and poet May 20 – Ahmadreza Ahmadi (died 2023), Iranian poet and screenwriter May 24 – Joseph Brodsky, born Iosif Aleksandrovich Brodsky (died 1996), Russian-born American poet and essayist, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature (1987) and Poet Laureate of the United States (1991–1992)