January 1 – Cecil Day-Lewis is announced as the new Poet Laureate of the UK.November 23 – Roy Fuller is elected professor of poetry at Oxford University (with 385 votes) to succeed Edmund Blunden, who unexpectedly left. Other nominees were Kathleen Raine, Enid Starkie and Yevgeni Yevtushenko.The Arvon Foundation is established by young poets John Fairfax and John Moat in the UK to promote creative writing.The Belfast Group, a grouping of poets in Belfast, Northern Ireland, which was started in 1963 in poetry and lapsed in 1966 when founder Philip Hobsbaum left for Glasgow, is reconstituted this year by Michael Allen, Arthur Terry, and Seamus Heaney. At various times, the group also includes Michael Longley, James Simmons, Paul Muldoon, Ciaran Carson, Stewart Parker, Bernard MacLaverty and the critic Edna Longley. Meetings are held at Seamus and Marie Heaney's house on Ashley Avenue. The group will last until 1972.The Honest Ulsterman, a long-running Northern Ireland literary magazine, is established this year by James Simmons. It is then edited for 20 years by Frank Ormsby.Listed by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:
Leonard Cohen, Selected Poems, 1956-1968Irving Layton, The Shattered Plinths, 60 new poems.Dennis Lee, Civil Elegies. Toronto: Anansi.Dorothy Livesay, The Documentaries. Poems from the 1930s and 1940s, and including "Roots", a long poemJay Macpherson, The Boatman and Other Poems. Toronto: Oxford UP.E. J. Pratt, Selected Poems of E. J. Pratt, Peter Buitenhuis ed., Toronto: Macmillan.Al Purdy, Wild Grape WineJoe Rosenblatt, Winter of the Luna Moth. Toronto: Anansi.W.W.E. Ross, Shapes & sounds: poems of W. W. E. Ross (with a portrait by Dennis Burton, a memoir by Barry Callaghan, and an editorial note by Raymond Souster and John Robert Colombo). (Toronto: Longman's)Raymond Souster, Lost and Found: Uncollected Poems. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin.Anthologies in CanadaMary Alice Downie and Barbara Robertson, editors, The Wind Has Wings, anthology of 77 Canadian poems for childrenDennis Lee, editor, T.O. Now, anthology of 13 "apprentice poets living in Toronto"R. ParthasarathyPoetry from Leeds ( Poetry in English ). Leeds: Oxford University Press, UK 1968.G. S. Sharat Chandra, Bharat Natyam Dancer and Other Poems ( Poetry in English ), Calcutta: Writers Workshop, India .Deb Kumar Das, The Eye of Autumn: An Experiment in Poetry ( Poetry in English ), Calcutta: Writers Workshop, India'Ira De, The Hunt and Other Poems, revised edition, ( Poetry in English ), Calcutta: Writers Workshop, India (see also first edition 1961)Gauri Deshpande, Between Births ( Poetry in English ), Calcutta: Writers Workshop, IndiaIndira Devi Dhanrajgir, Partings in Mimosa, HyderabadGuari Deshpande, Between Births ( Poetry in English ), Calcutta: Writers Workshop, IndiaPaul Jacob, Sonnets ( Poetry in English ), Calcutta: Writers Workshop, IndiaS. R. Mokashi-Punekar, P. Lal: An Appreciation( Poetry in English ), Calcutta: Writers Workshop, IndiaDom Moraes, My Son's Father, autobiographySrinavas Rayaprol, Bones & Distances( Poetry in English ), Calcutta: Writers Workshop, IndiaPradip Sen, And Then the Sun, revised edition (first edition, 1960, ( Poetry in English ), Calcutta: Writers Workshop, IndiaVinay K. Varma,Poppies and AshesSwami Vivekananda, Search of God and Other Poems, Calcutta: Advaita AshramSuniti Namjoshi and Sarojini Namjoshi, translators, Poems of Govindagraj, translated from Marathi, Calcutta: Writers Workshop , IndiaW. H. Auden:Collected Longer PoemsSecondary Worlds, lecture given in OctoberSelected PoemsDannie Abse, A Small DesperationKingsley Amis, A Look Round the EstateEdward Brathwaite, MasksBasil Bunting, Collected PoemsCharles Causley, Underneath the WaterStewart Conn, Stoats in SunlightTony Connor, Kon in SpringtimeMaureen Duffy, Lyrics for the Dog HourD. J. Enright, Unlawful AssemblyGavin Ewart, The Deceptive Grin of the Gravel PortersJames Fenton, Our Western FurnitureRoy Fuller, New PoemsWilliam R. P. George - Cerddi'r NeraigZulfikar Ghose, Jets from OrangeRobert Graves, Poems 1965–1968Harry Guest, ArrangementsJohn Heath-Stubbs, Satires and EpigramsAdrian Henri, Tonight at NoonJohn Hewitt, Northern Irish poet published in the United Kingdom, The Day of the CorncrakeNorman Jackson, Beyond the Habit of SenseA. Norman Jeffares, A New Commentary On The Poems Of W.B. Yeats, criticismJames Kirkup, Paper WindowsGeorge MacBeth, The Night of StonesNorman MacCaig, Rings on a TreeDerek Mahon, Night-Crossing, Oxford University PressAdrian Mitchell, Out LoudEdwin Morgan, The Second Life, his first collection and the first in Britain to be typeset by computerRichard Murphy, The Battle of AughrimRuth Pitter, Poems 1926–1966J. H. Prynne, Kitchen PoemsEdith Anne Robertson, Translations Into the Scots Tongue of Poems By Gerard Manley HopkinsMuriel Spark, Collected Poems Volume 1R. S. Thomas, Not That He Brought FlowersJ. R. R. Tolkien, The Road Goes Ever On, first published in the United States 1967Vernon Watkins, FidelitiesJohn Bishop, Music and Sweet Poetry, poems about musicRodney Hall and Thomas Shapcott, editors, New Impulses in Australian PoetryHoward Sergeant, Poetry from Africa (published in the United Kingdom), including work from Gabriel Okara (Nigeria), Gaston Bart-Williams (Sierra Leone), Kwesi Brew (Ghana) and David Rubadiri (Malawi)Jean Sergeant and Howard Sergeant, Poems from HospitalJoan Murray Simpson, Without Adam: The Femina Anthology of Poetry, poems by womenJames Agee, The Collected Poems of James Agee, including 60 poems previously unpublished in books (posthumous)A. R. Ammons, Selected PoemsPaul Blackburn, In. On. Or About The PremisesGwendolyn Brooks, In the MeccaRaymond Carver, Near KlamathStanley Cooperman, The Day of the Parrot and Other PoemsRobert Creeley, PiecesEd Dorn and Gordon Brotherston, translators, Our Word: Guerilla Poems From Latin America, GrossmanEd Dorn, Gunslinger, Black Sparrow PressRobert Duncan, Bending the BowAllen Ginsberg, T.V. Baby PoemsJohn Hollander, Types of ShapeLeRoi Jones and Larry Neal, editors, Black Fire, an anthology of African-American poetryEtheridge Knight, Poems from PrisonArchibald MacLeish, The Wild Wicked Old Man and Other PoemsRod McKuen, Lonesome CitiesOgden Nash, There's Always Another WindmillHoward Nemerov, The Winter Lightning: Selected PoemsLorine Niedecker, North Central (Fulcrum Press: London)Ned O'Gorman, The Harversters' VaseGeorge Oppen, Of Being NumerousCharles Reznikoff, second Testimony collectionKenneth Rexroth, Collected Longer PoemsAram Saroyan, Aram Saroyan, Random HouseKarl Shapiro, Selected Poems (more than 200, including 25 previously unpublished)Mark Strand, Reasons for Moving, Canadian native published in the United StatesAlice Walker, OncePhyllis McGinley, editor, Wonders and Surprises, anthology for juveniles, including poems by Elinor Wylie, E. B. White, Langston Hughes and T. S. EliotPaul Carroll, editor, The Young American Poets, anthology of 54 poetsEdward Brathwaite, Masks, second part of his The Arrivants trilogy, which also includes Rights of Passage (1967) and Islands (1969), CaribbeanKendrick Smithyman, Flying to Palmerston, Christchurch: Auckland University & Oxford University Press, New ZealandR. Hall and T. Shapcott, editors, New Impulses in Australian Poetry, anthology, AustraliaRichard Murphy, The Battle of Aughrim, IrelandListed by language and often by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:
Per Højholt, TurboHans Jørgen Nielsen, Fra luften i mundenThorkild Bjørnvig, RavnenJean-Guy Pilon, Comme eau retenue : poèmes 1954-1963, Montréal: l'HexagoneYves Préfontaine, Pays sans paroleP. Albert-Birot, Poètes d'aujourd'hui (posthumous), edited by J. FollainMarc Alyn, La Nuit majeureJ. Berthet:PoèsiepuresQuelconqueriesJ. Bancal, L'Épreuve du feuAndré du Bouchet, OU LE SOLEILA. Bosquet, Quatre Testaments et autres poèmesAndrée Chedid, Contre–ChantRene Char, Dans la pluie giboyeuseC. Fourcade, De Lumière et de nuitL. Foucher, Argyne et les Gypaètes, third part of a trilogyAndré Frénaud, La Sainte FaceArmel Lubin, Feux contre feuxF. Millepierres, Cheval noir et cheval blancRaymond Queneau, Battre la campagneG. Puel, La Lumière du jourDenis Roche, Éros énergumèneJean Tardieu, Le Fleuve cachéPaul Celan, Threadsuns (Fadensonnen)A. Shlonsky, Mishiai ha-Perozdor ha-Aroch ("From the Poems of the Long Corridor")A. Gilboa, Lichtov Siftai Yeshainim ("To Write from the Lips of the Sleepers"), IsraelHaim Gouri, Tenua le-Maga ("A Move to Touch")A. Halfi, Mivhar Shirimx ("Selected Poems")A. Kovner, Ahot Ketana ("Little Sister")B. Galai, Massa Zafonah ("Northward Journey")D. Pagis, Shirai Levi Ibn Altabban (prose), a study of the Medieval Hebrew poet's workListed in alphabetical order by first name:
Buddhidhari Singha, Sarasayya, a long poem published as a book; Maithili-languageNilmani Phookan, Aru Ki Naisabda, Guwahati, Assam: Dutta Barua; India, Assamese-languageVaravara Rao (better known as "VV"), Chali Negallu or Chalinegallu ("Camp Fires"), Hanamkonda: Svecha Sahiti; India, Telugu-languageGiorgio Vigolo, La luce ricorda, collection of poems from 1923 and afterSergio Solmi, Dal balconeGiovanni Testori, L'amoreGiuseppe Guglielmi, Panglosse blandimentis oramentis coeteris meretriciisAndrea Zalzotto, La beltàFranco Fortini, Una volta per sempreAngela Giannitrapani, Professione di poesiaArnulf Øverland, De hundrede fioliner: Dikt i utvalg (posthumous)Tor Obrestad, Vårt daglige brødArnljot Eggen, Roller og røyndHallvard Lie, Norsk verslære, a scholarly study on Norwegian poetryJoão Cabral de Melo Neto, Complete WorksAugusto de Campos, Haroldo de Campos and Boris Schnaiderman, editors:An anthology of modern Russian poetry from Symbolism to the present in PortugueseTraduzir e Trovar, an anthology of translated poetry, including poetry from France, Italy and England.Criticism and theory
Augusto de Campos, O balanço da Bossa, a study of the relationship of Brazilian popular music to "vanguardist" poetryLuiz Costa Lima, Lira e Antilira, essays on modern Brazilian poetryDécio Pignatari, Informação, Linguagem, Communicação, critical study of vanguardist art and mass cultureA. Tvardovski, Selected Lyrics 1959-67Alexander Mezhirov, Лебяжий переулок ("Swan's Lane"), Russia, Soviet UnionA. Mezhov, HorseshoeRobert Rozhdestvenski, Poem from Various Points of ViewYarlov Smelyakov, December, poems published serially in the periodical Friendship Between the Peoples last year and this yearRafael Méndez Dorich, Cantos Rodados (Lima), PeruNicanor Parra, Canciones rusas, ChileEmma Godoy, a book interpreting of "Muerte sin fin" by José Gorostiza, MexicoLars Forssell, a book of poetryJohannes Edfelt, a book of poetryPetter Bergman, a book of poetryLars Gustalfsson, a book of poetryYaykev Glatshteyn, a book of poemsAron Tseytlin, Poems of the Holocaust and Poems of FaithEfroyim Oyerbakh, a book of poemsI. J. Shvarts, a book of poemsItsik Manger, a book of poemsEliezer Grinberg, a book of poemsRokhl Korn, a book of poemsA. Glants-Leyeles, I Do Remember (posthumous)Malke Loker, a book of poemsLeyb Olitski, a book of poemsAvrom Lev, a book of poemsI. Manik, a book of poemsBinem Heler, a book of poemsRivke Basman, a book of poemsAbraham Sutzkever, Square Letters and MiraclesItsik Fefer, a book of poemsZyame Telesin, a book of poemsMendl Lifshits, a book of poemsPoland
Eliyohu Reyzman, a book of poemsP. Tsibulski, a book of poems (posthumous)Nizar Qabbani, Diary of an Indifferent Woman, Syrian poet writing in ArabicSee 1968 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.Canadian Centennial Commission poetry competition: First prize: Margaret Atwood, The Animals in That CountryCholmondeley Award: Harold Massingham, Edwin MorganEric Gregory Award: James Aitchison, Douglas Dunn, Brian JonesQueen's Gold Medal for Poetry: Robert GravesAmerican Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal in Poetry, W. H. AudenConsultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress (later the post would be called "Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress"): William Jay Smith appointed this year.National Book Award for Poetry: Robert Bly, The Light Around the BodyPulitzer Prize for Poetry: Anthony Hecht, The Hard HoursFellowship of the Academy of American Poets: Stanley KunitzJuly 2 – A. E. Stallings, American poetDates not known:Nan Cohen, American poetJun Er, Chinese poetPatrick McGuinness, English poet and academicMichael Teig, American poetBirth years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:
January 1 – Donagh MacDonagh, 55, Irish poet, playwright and judgeJanuary 13 – William Williams (Crwys), 93, Welsh poetJanuary 14 – Dorothea Mackellar, 82, Australian poet and writerJanuary 18 – Gamel Woolsey, 72, American poet and writer, in SpainJanuary 20 – David Derek Stacton, 42, American novelist, historian and poetJanuary 25 – Yvor Winters, 67, American literary critic and poetFebruary 16 – Jaime Sabartés, 55, Spanish poet and longtime secretary to Pablo PicassoMarch 16 – Gunnar Ekelöf, 60, Swedish poetMarch 25 – Arnulf Øverland, 78, Norwegian poetApril 26 – Donald Davidson, 74, American poet, essayist, social and literary critic and author, organizer of the Nashville circle of poets called the Fugitives and an overlapping group, the Southern AgrariansApril 28 – Winfield Townley Scott, 58, American poetMay – Erik Lindegren 58, Swedish poetMay 9 – George Dillon, 62, American poet and editorJune 1 – Witter Bynner, 86, American poet, writer and scholarJune 12 – Sir Herbert Read, 74, English poet and critic of literature and artJune 14 – Salvatore Quasimodo, 66, Italian poetNovember 17 – Mervyn Peake, 57, British modernist writer, artist, poet and illustrator.December 10 – Thomas Merton, 53 (born 1915), American poet, author and Roman Catholic monk, in a freak accident in a visit to Bangkok, ThailandDecember 24 – D. Gwenallt Jones, 69, Welsh poetdate not known – Eckart Peterich (born 1900), German poet 