1983 in poetry

• April – Russian samizdat poet Irina Ratushinskaya is sentenced to imprisonment in a labor camp for dissident activity; she continues to write poetry clandestinely in prison.
• June 2 – Francophone Senegalese poet and politician Léopold Sédar Senghor becomes the first black African writer elected as a member of the Académie française
• The Frogmore Press is founded by Andre Evans and Jeremy Page at the Frogmore tea-rooms in Folkestone, England. The press publishes a magazine, The Frogmire Papers

Listed by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:

• David Brooks, The Cold Front. Sydney: Hale & Iremonger
• Les Murray, The People's Otherworld, winner of the 1984 Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry^[1]
• Philip Salom: The Projectionist, A Sequence. (Fremantle Arts Centre) ISBN 978-0-909144-69-2
• John Tranter, Selected Poems, Hale & Iremonger

• Dionne Brand, Winter Epigrams and Epigrams to Ernesto Cardenal in Defense of Claudia
• George Elliott Clarke, Saltwater Spirituals and Deeper Blues, Lawrencetown Beach, Nova Scotia: Pottersfield, ISBN 0-919001-12-2
• Robert Finch, The Grand Duke of Moscow's Favourite Solo.^[2]
• Irving Layton, The Gucci Bag. Oakville, Ontario: Mosaic Press. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart.^[3]
• Dorothy Livesay, The Phases of Love. Toronto: Coach House.^[4]
• Don McKay, Birding, or Desire^[5]
• George McWhirter, Fire Before Dark
• Roy Miki, The Prepoetics of William Carlos Williams (critical study)
• Joe Rosenblatt, The Sleeping Lady. Exile Editions.^[6]
• Raymond Souster, Going the Distance. Ottawa: Oberon Press.^[7]
• George Woodcock, Collected Poems, Victoria: Sono Nis Press, Canada^[8]

• Jayanta Mahapatra, Life Signs ( Poetry in English ), New Delhi: Oxford University Press^[9]
• Dom Moraes, Absences ( Poetry in English ),
• Sudeep Sen, Leaning Against the Lamp-Post ( Poetry in English ),^[10]

• Sebastian Barry, The Water-Colourist, Ireland
• Padraic Fallon, Poems and Versions (see also Poems 1974 in poetry, Collected Poems1990 in poetry)^[11]
• Seamus Heaney, Northern Ireland native living at this time in the United States:
  • An Open Letter, Field Day
  • Translator, Sweeney Astray: A version from the Irish, Field Day
• Paul Muldoon, Quoof, Northern Ireland native published in the United Kingdom^[11]
• Tom Paulin, Liberty Tree, including "Desertmartin", "Off the Back of a Lorry" and "A Written Answer", Faber and Faber, Irish poet published in the United Kingdom^[12]

• Fleur Adcock(New Zealand poet who moved to England in 1963):
  • The Virgin and the Nightingale: Medieval Latin poems, Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Bloodaxe Books^[13]
  • Selected Poems, Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press^[13]
• Leigh Davis, Willy's Gazette, Wellington: Jack Books
• Lauris Edmond, Catching It: Poems^[14]
• M. P. Jackson and V. O'Sullivan, editors, Oxford Anthology of New Zealand Writing Since 1945, anthology^[15] 1983
• Bill Manhire, Locating the Beloved and Other Stories, New Zealand
• W. H. Oliver, James K. Baxter: A Portrait, Wellington: Port Nicholson Press, 1983; reprinted 1994, Godwit Press/Bridget Williams Books, biography
• Bob Orr, Cargo^[16]

• Fleur Adcock (New Zealand poet who moved to England in 1963):
  • The Virgin and the Nightingale: Medieval Latin poems, Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Bloodaxe Books^[13]
  • Selected Poems, Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press^[13]
• George Barker, Anno Domino^[11]
• George Mackay Brown, Voyages^[11]
• Alan Brownjohn, Collected Poems 1952–1983^[11]
• John Cooper Clarke, Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt
• Helen Dunmore, The Apple Fall^[11]
• Gavin Ewart, Capital Letters^[11]
• Padraic Fallon, Poems and Versions (see also Poems 1974 in poetry, Collected Poems1990 in poetry), Irish poet published in the United Kingdom^[11]
• James Fenton, Memory of War and Children in Exile^[11]
• Roy Fuller, As From the Thirties^[11]
• Seamus Heaney, Northern Ireland native living at this time in the United States:
  • An Open Letter, Field Day
  • Translator: Sweeney Astray: A version from the Irish, Field Day
• Adrian Henri, Penny Arcade^[11]
• Geoffrey Hill, The Mystery of the Charity of Charles Peguy^[11]
• Frances Horovitz, Snow Light, Water Light^[11]
• Ted Hughes, River^[11]
• Jenny Joseph, Beyond Descartes^[11]
• Peter Levi, The Echoing Green^[11]
• Christopher Middleton, 111 Poems, Carcanet Press, ISBN 978-0-85635-457-1
• Pete Morgan, A Winter Visitor^[17]
• Andrew Motion, Secret Narratives^[11]
• Paul Muldoon, Quoof, Northern Ireland native published in the United Kingdom^[11]
• Grace Nichols, I is a Long-Memoried Woman,^[11] Caribbean Cultural International
• Sean O'Brien, The Indoor Park^[11] (Bloodaxe)
• Tom Paulin, Liberty Tree, including "Desertmartin", "Off the Back of a Lorry" and "A Written Answer", Faber and Faber, Irish poet published in the United Kingdom^[12]
• J. H. Prynne, The Oval Window^[11]
• Carol Rumens, Star Whisper^[11]
• Peter Scupham, Winter Quarters^[11]

• A.R. Ammons, Lake Effect Country^[18]
• Maya Angelou, Shaker, Why Don't You Sing?
• Elizabeth Bishop, Collected Poems 1927-1979, posthumous (died 1979)^[18]
• Amy Clampitt, Kingfisher^[18]
• James Dickey, The Central Motion^[18]
• Alice Fulton, Dance Script with Electric Ballerina
• Nikki Giovanni, Those Who Ride the Nightwinds^[18]
• Frank Graziano, editor, Georg Trakl: A Profile, Logbridge-Rhodes, criticism
• H.D. (Hilda Doolittle), Collected Poems, 1912–1944, posthumous (died 1961)^[18]
• Seamus Heaney, Northern Ireland native living at this time in the United States:
  • An Open Letter, Field Day
  • Translator: Sweeney Astray: A version from the Irish, Field Day
• Joy Harjo, She Had Some Horses^[19]
• John Hollander, Powers of Thirteen^[18]
• Paul Hoover, Somebody Talks a Lot (The Yellow Press)
• Richard Howard, Lining Up^[18]
• W. S. Merwin, Opening the Hand, New York: Atheneum^[20]
• Gary Miranda, Grace Period
• Mary Oliver, American Primitive
• Carl Rakosi, Spiritus I
• James Reiss, Express
• Adrienne Rich, Sources^[18]
• William Saroyan, My Name Is Saroyan, a miscellany of fiction, nonfiction, drama and verse; published posthumously (died 1981)^[18]
• James Schevill, The American Fantasies: Collected Poems, 1945–1981^[18]
• Peter Seaton, Crisis Intervention (Berkeley, CA: Tuumba Press)^[21]
• Ntozake Shange, A Daughter's Geography^[18]
• Louis Simpson, The Best Hour of the Night^[18]
• Gary Snyder, Axe Handles^[18]
• Eleanor Ross Taylor, New and Selected Poems^[22]
• David Wagoner, First Light^[18]
• Robert Penn Warren, Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce^[18]

• M. Nourbese Philip, Salmon Courage, Caribbean^[23]

Listed by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:

• Claude Esteban, Conjoncture du corps et du jardin suivi de Cosmogonie, Flammarion; France
• Abdellatif Laabi, translator, Rien qu'une autre année translated from the original Arabic of Mahmoud Darwich into French; Paris: Unesco/Éditions de Minuit
• Pierre Nepveu, Mahler et autres matières, Montréal: Le Noroît; Canada^[24]

• H. Bender, Deutsche Gedichte 1930-1960, anthology^[25]
• Hiltrud Gnüg, Entstehung und Krise lyrischer subjektivität. Vom Klassischen Lyrischen Ich zur Modernen Erfahrungswirklichkeit, Stuttgart (scholarship)^[26]
• Walter Hinderer, editor, Geschichte der deutschen Lyrik vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart, Stuttgart (scholarship), called "indispensable" by the Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics (1993)
• Klaus Weissenberger, editor, Die deutsche Lyrik, 1945-1975 (scholarship)^[26]

In each section, listed in alphabetical order by first name:

• Kedarnath Singh, Yahan Se Dekho, Delhi: Radhakrishan Prakashan; Hindi^[27]
• Rituraj, Abacus, Hapur: Sambhavana Prakashan^[28]
• Teji Grover, Yahan Kucch Andheri Aur Tikhi Hai Nadi, New Delhi: Bharati Bhasha Prakashan^[29]

• Ajmer Rode, Chubhchintan, Amritsar: Nanak Singh Pustakmala; Punjabi-language^[30]
• Dilip Chitre, Daha by Daha, Mumbai: Pras Prakashan, Mumbai; Marathi-language^[31]
• K. Satchidanandan; Malayalam-language:
  • Randu Deergha Kavyangal, ("Two Long Poems")^[32]
  • Satchidandandante Kavithakal 1962-82, ("Poems (1962-82)")^[32]
• K. Siva Reddy, Bharamiti, Hyderabad: Jhari Poetry Circle; Telugu-language^[33]
• Mallika Sengupta, Challish Chander Ayu, Virus publication; Bengali-language^[34]
• Manushya Puthiran, Manushya Puthiranin Kavithaigal, Chennai: Manimegalai Prasuram, Tamil language^[35]
• Namdeo Dhasal, Khel Marathi-language^[36]
• Nirendranath Chakravarti, Ghor-duwar, Kolkata: Ananda Publishers; Bengali-language^[37]
• Prathibha Nandakumar, Navu Hudugiyare Heege ("We Girls Are Thus"), Bangalore: Kannada Sangha, Christ College; Kannada-language^[38]

• Zbigniew Herbert, Raport z oblężonego Miasta i inne wiersze ("Report from the Besieged City and Other Poems"), Paris: Instytut Literacki^[39]
• Ryszard Krynicki, Ocalenie z nicości ("Salvation from Nothingness"); Krakow: Swit^[40]
• Jarosław Marek Rymkiewicz, Ulica Mandelsztama ("Mandelstam Street")^[41]
• Piotr Sommer, Kolejny świat^[42]
• Jan Twardowski, Który stwarzasz jagody, Krakow: Wydawnictwo Literackie^[43]
• Wiktor Woroszylski, Lustro. Dziennik internowania ("Mirror: An Internment Journal")^[44]

• Matilde Camus:
  • Tierra de palabras ("Land of words")
  • Coral montesino ("Chorale of Monte")

• Mia Couto, Raiz de Orvalho, Mozambican Portuguese
• Luo Fu, Wine-Brewing Stone, Chinese (Taiwan) ^[45]
• Klaus Høeck, Denmark:
  • Eno High, with Asger Schnack, publisher: Schønberg^[46]
  • Metamorphoses, publisher: Gyldendal ^[46]
• Marlene van Niekerk, Groenstaar, South Africa

• Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry: Vivian Smith, Tide Country

• Gerald Lampert Award: Diana Hartog, Matinee Light
• 1983 Governor General's Awards: David Donnell, Settlements (English); Suzanne Paradis, Un goût de sel (French)
• Pat Lowther Award: Rhea Tregebov, Remembering History
• Prix Émile-Nelligan: Lucien Francœur, Les Rockeurs sanctifiés

• Cholmondeley Award: John Fuller, Craig Raine, Anthony Thwaite
• Eric Gregory Award: Martin Stokes, Hilary Davies, Michael O'Neill, Lisa St Aubin de Terán, Deidre Shanahan
• Commonwealth Poetry Prize: Grace Nichols, i is a long memoried woman

• Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize: Kate Daniels, The White Wave
• AML Award for poetry to Clinton F. Larson for "A Romaunt of the Rose: A Tapestry of Poems"
• Pulitzer Prize for Poetry: Galway Kinnell - Selected Poems
• Fellowship of the Academy of American Poets: James Schuyler and Philip Booth

• July 2 – Tao Lin 林韬, Chinese novelist and poet
• December 6 – Jason Reynolds, African American children's novelist and poet^[47]
• Sarah Howe, Hong Kong-born English poet