By the time United States troops withdrew from Vietnam in 1973, the Vietnam War had become one of the longest, most controversial conflicts in American history. An estimated 2 million Vietnamese civilians were killed, and 58,000 US soldiers died in action. The conflict marked a turning point for how Americans saw the military’s place in the world. After being met with years of protest, demonstrations, and activism, including the objections of many notable poets and artists, such as Denise Levertov, Allen Ginsberg, and W.S. Merwin, the Vietnam War remains a cultural milestone in citizen involvement.

In remembrance of American involvement in Vietnam, the Poetry Foundation has assembled a selection of poems from our archives that address the conflict and its aftermath. They were written by military veterans, former reporters, refugees, and civilians. In addition, this collection includes several poems from the September 1972 issue of Poetry magazine, “Against the War.”

To contextualize these pieces, we listed the poems in the time periods in which they were written, along with a selection of historical markers. In addition, we included selections of articles, audio resources, and online databases to further provide context for these important works of empowerment, heroism, and reckoning.

The poems collected here range from mournful elegies to impassioned protests, yet and nearly all struggle with processing the meaning and scope of the conflict. Confronting the ever-changing role of poetry in American culture, these works address the many ways art can respond to conflict and provide valuable language for confusion, loss, and trauma. To suggest further additions, please contact us.