April is National Poetry Month in the U.S.,
as well as in Canada! While poetry is important year round and by no means
limited to just this one month, I must say that I find it rather lovely to have
a set time in which people can collectively celebrate it.
Poetry is
important for so many reasons. It allows for expression, serves as a creative
outlet, provides a connection with others, and offers a means of learning about
the past. It can be as equally comforting as it is thought provoking moving us
from laughter to tears to bone chilling fear to moments of understanding. There
are so many types of poetry both in form and style. It can be whimsical and
strange such as that of Mervyn Peake, funny and amusing like that of Edward
Lear and Lewis Carroll, dark and brooding like Edgar Allan Poe’s, reflective
such as Emily Dickinson’s, and the list only goes on from there…Really, in
poetry there is something for everyone regardless of interests, age, ideals,
and pretty much anything you can think of under the sun!
Being both a reader
and writer of poetry, I truly do love the experience that comes with both.
Discovery of a new poet is delightful and revisiting the old and familiar can
be equally so. When writing, there’s the enjoyment of putting my ideas on paper
and seeing where I go with my poem and what it becomes (with the exception of
sonnets, which become miserable things that were supposed to be sonnets). And
these are just a few things I gain from my fondness for poetry.
Whether you prefer
reading, writing, or doing both, as this month goes on it’s a wonderful time to
catch up on a favorite poet, find a new one, or write some poetry of your own
in celebration of this age old practice! (The Academy of American Poets also
offers a rather extensive list of things you might do to celebrate here, including participating in Poem in Your Pocket Day, and some other fun
stuff!)
Happy beginning of National Poetry month! ♥
Poetry is so beautiful! My Grama was a fabulously talented poet. I...never received that talent. LOL!
ReplyDeleteIt really truly is!
DeleteExcellently said, my dear. Sadly, so few people take the time to appreciate poetry any more and I think it's vital that society sets aside a month to pay tribute to this endlessly timeless, creative art form (which I've been partaking in both a writer and reader of poetry since I was knee high to a book of sonnets).
ReplyDelete♥ Jessica
I agree, appreciation for poetry is not what it used to be (hence, yet another reason why I love that we have a National Poetry Month to draw attention to it). You frequently hear recommendations for novels, but how often do you hear of someone recommending a poem? Very rarely, I'm afraid.
Delete