Maybe you agree with T.S. Eliot that April is “the cruelest month.” Or maybe you’re inclined to a more hopeful perspective—April showers bring May flowers, right? Either way, though, here’s an indisputable fact about April: it’s National Poetry Month!
Launched by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month is now, according to the Academy, the largest literary celebration in the world. Fortunately, it’s also one of the most flexible and free-form—no need to leave home to partake. A few good ways to celebrate:
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Sign up for a free poem-a-day email from the Academy of American Poets (Poets.Org Poem-A-Day) or the Poetry Foundation (Poetry Foundation Poem-A-Day).
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Start a family dinner or Zoom cocktail hour by sharing a poem aloud.
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Hang a few of your favorite verses from the branches of a tree or tape them to the bathroom mirror.
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Send a meaningful poem to a friend.
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Write a poem. Begin by describing a moment or an image that moves you, and see what comes to mind.
And don’t forget to check out the classics in the Mechanics’ Institute Library’s collection of eBooks and eAudiobooks—for example:
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Emily Dickinson: Poems and Letters Connect to RBdigital eAudiobook
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John Donne: Love Poems Connect to RBdigital eAudiobook
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The Sonnets by William Shakespeare Connect to RBdigital eAudiobook
And the not-so-classic:
Enjoy your explorations!
