He will address the crowd, and the service will include a Native American blessing, a moment of silence and a poetry reading.

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What that evening's poetry readings did was start a poetry-reading energy going first in the Bay area, and then across the whole country.

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Others include Seize the Day, a day-long celebration of the art form taking place later in the year that will feature a marathon reading compered by Poetry Please presenter Roger McGough.

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Baroque Spring will feature a mixture of music, drama and comedy, with highlights including actor Dominic West reading poetry from the period and a celebration of the 'Genius of Bach'.

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It also wants to use such public reading of poetry as a way of building teenagers' self-confidence.

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Ignorant of the burden of expectation placed upon him, Stefan allows, indeed almost wills, himself to be trapped into reading out loud before a gathering of his mother's intellectual friends some poetry that he claims to have written himself.

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The 0846 GMT departure from Cardiff Central railway station to Treforest on Thursday was a real case of poetry in motion - with three poets from the University of Glamorgan on board reading verse.

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Organisers hope to make the town a "pilgrimage" destination for Thomas fans, with visitors walking the trail every year and reading poetry.

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