Johnny's World Of Poetry: a poem every weekday
One poem a day, Monday to Friday, posted in full — from Catullus and Han-shan to Emily Dickinson, G. K. Chesterton and Charles Bukowski.
What it is
A small, personally run Telegram channel with a simple promise in its bio: random poetry, Monday to Friday, presented in English. Each post gives the title, the poet and the full text. One poem a day, no pictures, no commentary.
Why we picked it
There's nothing noisy about it. It turns up once a day and takes two minutes to read, yet the choices keep surprising you. Over two weeks it ran 'Words From Cold Mountain' by the Chinese hermit poet Han-shan, a Catullus poem about the town of Cologna Veneta, Emily Dickinson on a stopped clock, G. K. Chesterton's 'The Deluge' and two poems by Charles Bukowski. Ancient Rome, Tang-era China and twentieth-century America end up side by side, and that mix works well as a daily habit. There's no theme calendar behind it, just whatever the author feels like sharing, so each day is a small lottery.
The same person runs a sister channel for paintings, linked in the bio.
Where to start
- Read the last five posts in one go; that's exactly one working week.
- If a poem sticks, go find the poet's full collection.
- Read them out loud; a lot of this verse lives in the sound.
- Language learners get real, non-textbook English to chew on.
Who it's for
Poetry lovers, readers who want a gentle break from news feeds, and English learners who are comfortable reading and want literature rather than drills. Translations from Chinese and Latin appear in English versions.
Quick answers
How often does it post? Once a day, Monday to Friday.
What kind of poetry is it? A mix across centuries: classical Latin and Chinese verse in translation alongside English-language poets of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Is there a companion channel? Yes, Johnny's World Of Art, linked from the channel bio.
