Jalalud'din Rumi is the oldest poet represented in this program. You can find a biography of Rumi at the website, Poet Seers. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) website features a short piece about Sufism, Rumi's religion, which influenced his writing. Sufism is a sect of Islam and is famous for its beautiful poetry and whirling dervishes.

Check out the biographical information about W.B. Yeats on Poets.org. You can read about Ishmael Reed on Poets.org, too.