In May 1923, a group of poets met in the Chapel of the Wren Building at the College of William and Mary. There they drew up a constitution and bylaws for an organization they named The Poetry Society of Virginia.

Since then, the PSoV has worked to advance the cause and appreciation of poetry throughout Virginia. It is led by a President and seven regional VPs, to whose initiatives the larger organization lends support.

The Society stages annual contests, holds local and regional events, publishes an anthology of prize-winning poems, and is instrumental in assisting the Governor of Virginia with the selection of Poet Laureate.