In 1971 Michael Hart, a student at the University of Illinois, typed the United States Declaration of Independence into a university computer and shared it electronically with other users, creating the first digital text and founding Project Gutenberg. The project has since digitised tens of thousands of public domain books. For poetry in particular, Gutenberg made thousands of out-of-print collections freely searchable and downloadable worldwide.

The launch of Project Gutenberg in 1971 provided free access to classic poetry texts, fostering a new era of literary appreciation. Poets and educators alike have utilized this resource to inspire creativity and scholarship, democratizing access to literary heritage.