National Poetry Month Is for Everyone!
Who says April is for fools? They get the first day, but poets get the whole month! April is National Poetry Month, and for good reason. The spring air and blooming flowers have inspired poets throughout the ages to celebrate with their words. In 1640, the poet Thomas Carew wrote:

Now do a choir of chirping minstrels bring,
In triumph to the world, the youthful spring:
The valleys, hills, and woods in rich array
Welcome the coming of the long’d-for May.

In 1923, the American poet E. E. Cummings described the season as "mud-luscious" and "puddle-wonderful." His playful language reminds us of the happy and mild feeling of spring. It’s a fine time for poetry. But then, any time is a fine time for poetry!

National Poetry Month was started in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets. To celebrate, the Academy mails posters to teachers and librarians throughout the country. In bookstores, schools, and coffeehouses, people are urged to read and enjoy a poem. In short, the purpose of National Poetry Month is to get Americans excited about poetry.

Rich Heritage
Poetry is a rich part of our national heritage. Famous American poets include Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, and Langston Hughes. Their poems reflect the American experience. They are as much a part of our culture as Oh, say, can you see…

Poetry is also a rich part of our personal story. It’s a part of our lives from birth. Listen: Jack and Jill went up a hill… As babies, we hear nursery rhymes before we can even speak. Our brains are primed for rhythm and rhyme. Ring around the rosy, a pocketful of posies… We are born for poetry!

As we grow older, poetry becomes a very special means of communication. Indeed, most prayers have a lyrical or poetic quality. Lyrics are a form of poetry. Even advertising jingles tap into the poetic vein. Poetry is everywhere.

How You Can Participate
This month, the Academy encourages everyone to read one poem a day. April 30 is Poem in Your Pocket Day. On that special day, you should fold up a favorite poem and carry it in your pocket. You can read it to yourself or to others, keep it, trade it, or give it away. It is a way to infuse a little poetry into your day. Sharing a loved poem with a friend is a great way to celebrate language and the importance of literature in our hearts and minds.

So enjoy National Poetry Month by reading, reciting, or better yet, writing a poem. Grab a book, or a pen and paper, and get ready to celebrate!

How to Read a Poem

You may think you have to read poems as if you’re a detective approaching the scene of a crime. The poem is protected by yellow and black barricade tape. You flash your badge. You duck under the tape and start looking for evidence: a body, a weapon, a suspect, a witness, a motive. Catch the criminal and you win! But a poem is not a whodunit mystery. In fact, a poem may actually ask more questions than it answers. Poems are not meant to be "solved"; they are meant to be savored. Here are some tips for reading and enjoying poetry.

• Don’t worry if parts of the poem leave you bewildered. Remember that poets are sometimes attempting to put into words what can’t be said, which can result in some pretty perplexing poems.
• Be sure to "read" the poem’s images - the pictures that emerge from the words. Hold those pictures in your mind’s eye. Let them linger there.
• Slow down. Read the poem more than once. Read it out loud.
• At some point, look up any words you don’t understand (but do this after reading the poem straight through for the first time).
• Take note of any poetic devices you like or sounds and rhythms that grab your attention.
• Look at how words are placed on the page and how punctuation and line breaks are used.
• Try writing down the lines that evoke strong emotions. Write down lines that confuse you.