Poetry is a necessary way for us to see the world around us—the immediate community, the state, the country, and the earth itself. As the Proclamation establishing the program noted, poetry offers a way to bring the community together and helps us make sense of the world we live in. Reading and writing poetry give children and adults alike an outlet for their feelings, experiences, and emotions. (Reading poetry also helps children develop their vocabulary, critical analytical skills, and reading comprehension.)

Because we believe in the power of poetry to enrich, uplift, and express the lives of people in our community, the Loveland Poet Laureate Program advocates literacy, literature, and poetry to a wide and diverse population in Loveland and beyond and works to increase appreciation of reading, writing, and listening to poetry.

The Loveland Poet Laureate program was created in 2019 when the Loveland City Council appointed Veronica Patterson as Loveland’s first Poet Laureate on April 2, 2019. Lynn Kincanon is the current Poet Laureate, serving from 2022-2024.