Introduced and enacted in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, April; National Poetry Month- is one of the largest literary celebrations in the world. In both official and unofficial ways, the April poetry celebration has evolved and established itself naturally. Consequently, Publishers, booksellers, educators, and literary groups generally choose April to promote poetry. During this month is when publishers frequently release and publicize their poetry titles, teachers and librarians focus on poetry units, and bookstores and reading series organize special readings. Because the margins of its celebration and recognition vary so widely, there are numerous amounts of ways to get involved.

  1. Sign up for/Utilize free, all month-long subscriptions or utilize general online resources.

A simple google search of “How to celebrate National Poetry Month,” will provide more than enough outlets for differential means of participation. For example, you can check out Sign-up for Poem-a-Day. It is curated this month by award-winning poet Naomi Shihab Nye, and the program delivers a poem each morning to your email inbox. Examples of other links/resources: Following the #Nationalpoetrymonth on your social media of choice, create an online anthology of your favorite poems on Poets.org, or subscribe to the Poem-a-Day podcast.

2. Attempt to write once each day

Practicing a skill over and over again is the only way to improve at it, and the crafting of poetry is no different. It’s a skill that requires practice. Every April is National Poetry Month, and it is ideal opportunity to rediscover your inner poet.

Try writing at least once everyday. This can be a single line, stanza, paragraph, etc.; the exact amount or quantity is up to you- but what is most important is that you do it everyday. if you get stuck, search “Writing Prompts,” and you will surely be satisfied. Practicing writing everyday is always a great way of recognizing your own communicational patterns/tendencies, and will approve general work place competencies regarding both inter- and intrapersonal relationships.

3. Expose yourself to Entertainment that is Poetry related

Poetry is often stigmatized as a dry and cumbersome topic, as it is usually only prevalent in educational curriculums. However, Poetry portrayed as topic in media/entertainments is often much more exciting and involving than a freshman-year english class. So, watch a poetry inspired tv/movie (i.e. Dead Poets Society), listen to a Poetry podcast (NPR, The Poetry Foundation), view an interview that entails a poet as a guest, or observe a pre-recorded poetry reading given by a “professional.”

It is important to the give Poetry its flowers during the month of April, but it is also important to remember that opportunities to explore and grow with this genre of literature exist year-round!

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