“When a poem
speaks by itself,
it has a spark
and can be considered
part of a divine
conversation.”
So writes Elaine Equi in her poem “National Poetry Month”—and it's a fitting way to think of this National Poetry Month, which marks the 20th anniversary of the largest literary celebration in the world, a celebration of poets and poems that speak and spark conversation. As libraries, publishers, and booksellers across the country join in recognizing the vital role poetry has in our culture, we also have a number of ways for you—whether you're a teacher, a reader, a writer, or someone new to poetry altogether—to also join in the celebration this month.
Teachers can bring poetry into the classroom this month with our 2016 National Poetry Month poster, lesson plans, Teach This Poem, and Dear Poet, an education project that invites students to write letters in response to poems written and read by our Chancellors.
In New York, we’ll be celebrating our 14th annual Poetry & the Creative Mind gala at Lincoln Center, as well as a book launch and reading in celebration of National Poetry Month and the release of Poem-a-Day: 365 Poems for Every Occasion, at Housing Works Bookstore and Cafe. For listings of more National Poetry Month events across the country, check out our Poetry Near You page.
For book reviews, poems, essays, interviews, and more from and about renowned classic and contemporary poets such as Rita Dove, Aracelis Girmay, Brenda Hillman, Larry Levis, Adrienne Rich, Anne Waldman, and Kevin Young, check out the new Spring-Summer 2016 issue of American Poets magazine. And for an article on how poets, publishers, and leaders of literary organizations think writers and readers should celebrate this month, read this new feature we contributed to the April 2016 issue of Poetry magazine.
On April 21, we’ll be celebrating Poem in Your Pocket Day. This year, we’ve teamed up with the League of Canadian Poets to expand the reach of the celebration across North America. Pick your pocket poem from our new, downloadable Poem in Your Pocket Day PDF, now complete with classic and contemporary poems by American and Canadian poets.
Get thirty days of poems this National Poetry Month—and beyond—right to your inbox with Poem-a-Day, and sign up for our newsletters for the newest on Poets.org all year round.
For more on National Poetry Month and other news and programming, follow us @Poetsorg and join the conversation with #npm16.