Announcing “The Power of Poetry: Resisting Injustice with Language”
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The National Museum of Language is proud to announce the launch of a major new exhibit on January 1, 2022: “The Power of Poetry: Resisting Injustice with Language”.
NML is a completely virtual museum that is dedicated to honoring and supporting the acquisition, utilization, and preservation of language, including linguistic and cultural diversity. This new exhibit features examples of poetry from ancient times to the modern day, from ten countries around the world, which express deeply held thoughts and emotions aroused by personal experiences of injustice. Selected poems range from ancient Greece, imperial China, and 17th century Mexico to the writings of Holocaust victims, modern refugees, and current fights for democracy.
New additions to the exhibit include the American debut of a poem by a high school girl in Kabul, who writes about the devastating impact of Taliban ban on education for girls over the age of 12. We are also hosting a new poem about the struggles of Mexican immigrants in the United States, and a review article on Ukrainian poets who have bravely used their writing to protest Russian oppression from imperial times to the present-day conflict.
Each poem is presented in its original language, in voice and text, and with an English translation. In some cases, where the poems have been set to music, these performances are included in the exhibit. There are historical notes to explain the context of the poems, and biographical notes on the authors, to deepen the appreciation of readers for the meaning of these works. Access to the exhibit is free and open to the public.