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15 Best Movies About Poetry

Movies about poetry are an interesting way to explore the beauty of language and its power to portray emotion. Whether you’re a fan of poetry or just looking to be inspired, these movies have something for everyone and are perfect for your Movie Night Checklist.

Movies About Poetry

Poetry
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Yun Jeong-hie, Lee Da-wit, Ahn Nae-sang (Actors)

Poetry

Korean grandmother Mija comes to terms with the early onset of Alzheimer's while dealing with the fallout from a brutal family crime. Her teenage grandson is linked to the violent death of a girl, and she finds herself caught up in a conspiracy to pay hush money to the dead girl's family.

Mija's tendency to become lost in poetry, and the wonders of nature, causes her mind to wander at the wrong time, with unfortunate consequences.

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Shakespeare In Love
  • Gwyneth Paltrow, Geoffrey Rush, Joseph Fiennes (Actors)
  • Audience Rating: R (Restricted)

Shakespeare in Love

One of the wittiest, most charming film comedies ever made, Shakespeare in Love is a brilliantly fictional story behind the creation of one of the most enduring pieces of literature ever written by the most acclaimed writer of all time.

Plagued with debt, writer's block, and having fallen far past the deadline for his latest play, it seems like things can't get much worse for young William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes).

Dead Poets Society
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke (Actors)

Dead Poets Society

A tale of an unconventional new English teacher and his ultimately questionable impact on an elite Vermont boys' academy. John Keating blows into the stuffy halls of academe like a breath of fresh air, startling colleagues and delighting boys with his disdain for traditional teaching methods and textbooks.

The seeds of rebellion he sows have far-reaching effects that he never intended.

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Cyrano de Bergerac

Soldier and poet Cyrano de Bergerac (Gérard Depardieu) are in love with Roxane (Anne Brochet), but he's too ashamed to admit it because of his big nose. When a cadet, Christian (Vincent Perez), falls for Roxane, he asks for Cyrano's help in sharing his feelings.

Cyrano writes love letters signed with Christian's name, and Roxane doesn't realize that it's Cyrano's words she falls for. She marries Christian, and Cyrano continues to keep the other man's secret, even after tragedy strikes.

The Mirror
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Margarita Terekhova, Oleg Yankovskiy, Filipp Yankovskiy (Actors)

Mirror

A dying man in his forties remembers his past. His childhood, his mother, the war, personal moments and things that tell of the recent history of all the Russian nation.

The Kindergarten Teacher

Maggie Gyllenhaal stars as Lisa Spinelli, a kindergarten teacher, and poet fed up with her career, her oblivious husband, and teenage kids who largely ignore her. When she discovers that a five-year-old in her class may be a poetic prodigy, Lisa becomes fascinated and tries to protect him from neglectful parents.

She soon finds herself risking her career and family to nurture his talent. | Stream on Netflix

Paterson
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani (Actors)

Paterson

Every day, Paterson adheres to a simple routine: he drives his daily route, writes poetry into a notebook; stops in a bar, and drinks exactly one beer; he goes home to his wife, Laura. By contrast, Laura´s world is ever-changing.

New dreams come to her almost daily. The film quietly observes the triumphs and defeats of daily life, along with the poetry evident in its smallest details.

Kill Your Darlings
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Daniel Radcliffe, Elizabeth Olsen, Michael Hall (Actors)

Kill Your Darlings

Based on a true story: as young college students, future Beat Generation icons Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs and Jack Kerouac become involved in a mysterious murder.

Benediction
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Jack Lowden, Peter Capaldi, Simon Russell Beale (Actors)

Benediction

The story of decorated WW1 hero and renowned British poet Siegfried Sassoon (Jack Lowden), who became one of the “Bright Young Things” of London society in the 1920s.

Haunted by war and put off by the decadent behavior of his contemporaries including renowned composer Ivor Novello, he remained determined that the legacy of the young men with whom he served would not be forgotten.

Words On Bathroom Walls
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Beth Grant, Andy Garcia, Lobo Sebastian (Actors)

Words On Bathroom Walls

Diagnosed with a mental illness, a witty, introspective teen falls in love with a brilliant classmate who inspires him to open his heart and not be defined by his condition.

Testament Of Youth
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Kit Harington, Taron Egerton, Alicia Vikander (Actors)

Testament of Youth

During World War I, Oxford University student Vera Brittain postpones her studies to serve as a nurse while her suitor, her brother, and a secret admirer face death in the trenches.

Poetic Justice
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur, Regina King (Actors)

Poetic Justice

Still grieving after the murder of her boyfriend, hairdresser Justice (Janet Jackson) writes poetry to deal with the pain of her loss.

Unable to get to Oakland to attend a convention because of her broken-down car, Justice gets a lift with her friend, Iesha (Regina King), and Iesha's postal worker boyfriend, Chicago (Joe Torry).

We Are Poets
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Saju Ahmed, Rheima Ibrahiim-Robinson (Actors)

We Are Poets

The poignant tale of six remarkable British teenagers competing in a prestigious poetry competition in Washington D.C. From inner city Leeds to the American capital, this documentary charts the personal journeys of poets, hungry for change and full of fervor.

Much more than just a hop across the pond; a resurrection of an ancient art form interwoven with inspiring snapshots of British youth.

Guys Reading Poems
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Patricia Velasquez, Alexander Dreymon (Actors)

Guys Reading Poems

A resourceful boy creatively uses poetry to survive when his mother, a disturbed avant-garde painter, locks him in a puppet box and builds an art installation around his imprisonment.

Rise
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Jocelyn Ramirez, Maria Jose Palacio, Sajani Amarasiri (Actors)

Rise

Stacy's Rise is the story that lives inside of many of us, lensed through Nisha Ganatra's insightful eye and set to the psychic stirring poetry of Rupi Kaur.

Using live-action, archival, and animation, the short film weaves a tapestry of the modern woman, one big enough to be shared by all.

Click here to download this movie list printable.

Poetry-related Activities:

Cinquain Poem

Cinquains are only five lines long and contain only a few words on each line, making them simple to write.

Click here to download this printable.

Character Poem

Character poems, also known as persona poetry, are a type of poetry in which the author takes on the persona of someone other than themselves.

Click here to download this printable.

 

Personification Poem

Personification is a poetic device where animals, plants, or even inanimate objects, are given human qualities – resulting in a poem full of imagery and description.

Click here to download this printable.

Free Verse Poems

Poetry that lacks a consistent rhyme scheme, metrical pattern, or musical form is known as free verse poetry. Free verse poems have no regular meter or rhythm.

Click here to download this printable.

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