Poem in Your Pocket Day was initiated in April 2002 by the Office of the Mayor in New York City, in partnership with the city’s Departments of Cultural Affairs and Education. In 2008, the Academy of American Poets took the initiative to all fifty United States, encouraging individuals around the country to participate. In 2016, the League of Canadian Poets extended Poem in Your Pocket Day to Canada.
Poem in Your Pocket Day takes place every year on a day in National Poetry Month. Poem in Your Pocket Day 2024 will take place on April 18.
Ways to Participate
It’s easy to participate in Poem in Your Pocket Day from a safe distance. Here are some ideas of how you might get involved:
- Select a poem and share it on social media using the hashtag #PocketPoem.
- Print a poem from the Poem in Your Pocket Day PDF and draw an image from the poem in the white space, or use the instructions on pages 57–58 of the PDF to make an origami swan.
- Record a video of yourself reading a poem, then share it on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or another social media platform you use.
- Email a poem to your friends, family, neighbors, or local government leaders.
- Schedule a video chat and read a poem to your loved ones.
- Add a poem to your email footer.
- Read a poem out loud from your porch, window, backyard or outdoor space.
Discover more ways to celebrate National Poetry Month in the classroom, or at home or online!
How to Share
The Academy of American Poets encourages you to print and share poems from the Poem in Your Pocket Day PDF or our site within your educational and community programs. The Academy is not the rights holder for these poems and if you wish to reprint materials and distribute them widely (e.g., in textbooks or other commercial material), you should seek permission from the publisher(s).
