TED Talks
TED: Being Human | Naima Penniman
In this stunning spoken-word performance, poet and "freedom-forging futurist" Naima Penniman celebrates the wonders of the natural world and humanity's connection to it. "I wonder if the sun debates dawn some mornings," she says.
TED Talks
TED: To This Day ... for the bullied and beautiful | Shane Koyczan
By turn hilarious and haunting, poet Shane Koyczan puts his finger on the pulse of what it's like to be young and ... different. "To This Day," his spoken-word poem about bullying, captivated millions as a viral video (created,...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: What makes a poem a poem? - Melissa Kovacs
What exactly makes a poem - a poem? Poets themselves have struggled with this question, often using metaphors to approximate a definition. Is a poem a little machine? A firework? An echo? A dream? Melissa Kovacs shares three recognizable...
TED Talks
eL Seed: Street art with a message of hope and peace
What does this gorgeous street art say? It's Arabic poetry, inspired by bold graffiti and placed where a message of hope and peace can do the most good. In this quietly passionate talk, artist and TED Fellow eL Seed describes his...
Curated Video
The Dark Ages...How Dark Were They, Really?: Crash Course World History
John Green teaches you about the so-called Dark Ages, which it turns out weren't as uniformly dark as you may have been led to believe. While Europe was indeed having some issues, many other parts of the world were thriving and...
TED Talks
Steven Pinker: Human nature and the blank slate
Steven Pinker's book The Blank Slate argues that all humans are born with some innate traits. Here, Pinker talks about his thesis, and why some people found it incredibly upsetting.
Crash Course
The Norse Pantheon: Crash Course World Mythology
This week, we're headed north. To check out the gods of the Northmen. Or the Norse. That's right, we're talking Thor, Loki, Freyr, Freya, Odin, Frigg, Baldr, and Tyr. And Fenrir. And the Frost Giants. There's a lot to cover here, and...
TED Talks
TED: Poetry, music and identity | Jorge Drexler
One night in 2002, a friend gave Jorge Drexler the chorus to a song and challenged him to write the rest of it using a complex, poetic form known as the "Decima." In this fascinating talk, Drexler examines the blended nature of identity,...
TED Talks
Carvens Lissaint: "Put the financial aid in the bag"
At TEDYouth 2011, performance artist Carvens Lissaint shows how to use language, metaphor and imagery to express a powerful idea -- as in this spoken-word performance, a stirring plea to make college education more accessible.
TED Talks
Using your voice is a political choice | Amanda Gorman
For anyone who believes poetry is stuffy or elitist, Amanda Gorman -- the youngest inaugural poet in US history -- has some characteristically well-chosen words. Poetry is for everyone, she says, and at its core it's all about connection...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Is there any truth to the King Arthur legends? - Alan Lupack
King Arthur has risen again and again in our collective imagination, along with his retinue of knights, Guinevere, the Round Table, Camelot, and of course Excalibur. But where do these stories come from, and is there any truth to them?...
TED Talks
TED: Please don't take my Air Jordans | Lemon Andersen
Would you kill for a pair of Air Jordans? Lemon Andersen spins a tale of someone who did, reciting a poem by Reg E. Gaines. These verses taught Lemon that poetry could be about more than self-expression, and could sound like music when...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: The chaotic brilliance of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat - Jordana Moore Saggese
Like Beat writers who composed their work by shredding and reassembling scraps of writing, artist Jean-Michel Basquiat used similar techniques to remix his materials. Pulling in splintered anatomy, reimagined historical scenes and...
Crash Course
The Dark Ages...How Dark Were They, Really Crash Course World History
John Green teaches you about the so-called Dark Ages, which it turns out weren't as uniformly dark as you may have been led to believe. While Europe was indeed having some issues, many other parts of the world were thriving and...
TED Talks
TED: Can a computer write poetry? | Oscar Schwartz
If you read a poem and feel moved by it, but then find out it was actually written by a computer, would you feel differently about the experience? Would you think that the computer had expressed itself and been creative, or would you...
TED Talks
Rives: If I controlled the Internet
How many poets could cram eBay, Friendster and Monster.com into 3-minute poem worthy of a standing ovation? Enjoy Rives' unique talent.
Crash Course
Shakespeare's Sonnets: Crash Course Literature 304
This week, we're learning about sonnets, and English Literature's best-known purveyor of those fourteen-line paeans, William Shakespeare. We'll look at a few of Willy Shakes's biggest hits, including Sonnet 18, "Shall I compare thee to a...
Oxford Comma
The Brilliance Behind the Names in Romeo and Juliet
In one of the most iconic scenes in all of theatre, Juliet leans upon the railing of her balcony and asks: “What's in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet…” Of course, Juliet is referring to Romeo, the...
Bedtime History
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
Listen to the poem read and hear a brief history about Robert Frost and the poem.
Wonderscape
Phyllis Wheatley: The First Published Black American Poet
This video tells the story of Phyllis Wheatley, a young girl from Gambia who became the first Black American to publish a book of poetry. Learn about her journey from enslavement to literary fame, her notable works, and her impact on...
Wonderscape
Maya Angelou’s Early Life: Finding Her Voice
This video explores the early life of Maya Angelou, from her challenging childhood in segregated Stamps, Arkansas, to becoming the first African-American cable car conductor in San Francisco. It highlights her journey of overcoming...
Wonderscape
Youth Leading Social Justice Movements
Explore the inspiring journeys of young activists like Thandiwe Abdullah, Amanda Gorman, Malala Yousafzai, and Emma Gonzalez, who are at the forefront of movements such as Black Lives Matter, education reform, and gun control. These...
Curated Video
I WONDER - What Is A Shape Poem?
This video is answering the question of what is a shape poem.
Curated Video
Elizebeth Friedman
Elizebeth Friedman revolutionized American cryptology and played a crucial role in bringing down mobsters and spy rings in the 20th century.