Happy April, and National Poetry Month! National Poetry Month is the largest literary celebration in the world, with tens of millions of poetry fans demonstrating poetry’s important place in our culture. According to Poets.org, the goals of National Poetry Month include highlighting the extraordinary legacies of American poets, encouraging the reading of poetry and increasing the attention and support of poetry in education.
Poetry is a cultural art form that combines the beauty of literature with an artistic sense of musicality. This National Poetry Month, you can celebrate by trying these 13 ideas.
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Memorize a famous poem. Sounds easy enough,
but if you find a challenging poem, memorizing can be
difficult. Try something new, then see how much you impress
others with your hidden poetry talent.
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Write a poem. Of course, one fun way to
celebrate National Poetry Month is to write your own poem.
Get creative and stretch your abilities; you may just find
you have a hidden talent.
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Collaborate on a poem with friends. If you
really want to get out of your comfort zone, try
collaborating on a group poem with friends or family
members. Writing can be difficult, but co-writing will
stretch you even further.
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Order a National Poetry Month poster. Poets.org has National Poetry Month posters available for
anyone interested in ordering. Once you get your poster,
hang it up to commemorate the special occasion.
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Start a poetry reading group. Keep things
going for this month and beyond by starting a poetry reading
group with other interested friends, family or
co-workers.
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Watch a movie about poetry. Two media. One
purpose: to learn more about poetry and its cultural impact
on the world.
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Read a poem each morning. Get in the spirit
of things this month by selecting a new poem to read and
enjoy each morning. You’ll start off your day in a better
mood, and have fun doing it.
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Share a poem with students. If you’re a
teacher or just have students in your life, share a poem
with them to foster the love of poetry and encourage poetry
teaching in the education system and classroom.
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Buy a book of poetry. All the poems you
love in one place. Buy a poetry book so you can enjoy poetry
this month and for years to come.
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Learn about different poetic forms. There’s
lots of different styles of poetry out there; which ones are
you most interested in? Do some digging to learn more about
the different poetic forms out there and find your
favorite.
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Sign up for a poetry class. If you’re
unsure about your poetry abilities, sign up for a class at
your local community center or after-school program to learn
more.
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Write a Mother’s Day poem. Mother’s Day is
just around the corner, and you can really surprise her by
writing a Mother’s Day poem to commemorate her beauty.
- Go to an open mic night and share a poem. Finally, really try something new this month and share a poem at an open mic night at your favorite local bar, restaurant or cafe. Whether it’s a famous poem or your own creation, the adventure will be worthwhile.
This National Poetry Month, celebrate poetry by learning more and trying it out for yourself. Poetry is a beautiful way to express creativity, so have fun and enjoy the stanzaic experience.
