St. John the Divine - Saadia Hammond

                                 St. John the Divine, Upper West Side, Manhattan

Located in Saint John Divine, a famous Catholic Church on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, the poet's corner is set as a memorial. The American poet's Corner was created in 1984 to memorialize American writers of high repute, modeled after a similar alcove for writers at Westminster Abbey in London. As you walk into the church the poet's corner is to your left. The poet's corner is made up of stone slabs on the wall and on the floor. Each stone has the writer’s name, their date of birth and death, and a memorable quotation from the writer's work. To date, there are thirty writers with stone slabs and the list will expand yearly. Visiting the Poet's Corner opened my eyes to many aspects. I realized although i have lived in New York City all my life I never made an effort to explore Saint John's and what it has to offer. I seen not only the poets corner but also the memorial to the F.D.N.Y. and the beautiful chapel.  Visiting the American Poet's Corner at Saint John the Divine helped me appreciate American writers that helped alter my learning ability as an aspiring writer and also helped me contribute toward their memorable honor. - Saadia Hammond, 16 years old PACE High School, Chinatown, NYC