In the words of former Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith, “Poetry is quiet, private, meditative, and rather than summing things up in pat and predictable ways, it surprises and deepens our sense of the ordinary. Poetry tells us that the world is full of wonder, revelation, consolation, and meaning. It reminds us that our inner lives deserve time, space, and attention.” The goal is not for learners to create publishable or performance-ready poetry, rather that they will consider how poetry can serve as a powerful means of creative expression that can captivate an audience and inspire change. Poetry can help learners explore and connect with issues of identity and belonging, prejudice, and social justice, as well as provide inspiration for how they might use their voice to tell their own stories in unique and powerful ways. Ultimately, taking  to heart poet Amanda Gorman’s words: that poetry “is the language of people,” a language learners can use to raise their voices to tell their own stories and to make themselves heard on issues that matter to them.