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Celebrate Poetry Month

P.R. A. Publishing encourages people of all ages with a literary bent to reach out, create opportunities to connect and share with like-minded souls.

 

30 Ways to Celebrate Poetry Month!

The goals of National Poetry Month:

 

  • Introduce poets and poetry to the community in innovative ways
  • Encourage the publication, distribution & sales of poetry books
  • Celebrate both the legacy and ongoing achievements of American poets
  • Include poetry in the school curriculum
  • Introduce more Americans to the true pleasure of reading poetry
To inspire you, reproduced here is a list of ideas from the Academy of American Poets:

 

Read a book of poetry: "Poetry is a response to the daily necessity of getting the world right."

 

Memorize a poem: "Getting a poem or prose passage truly 'by heart' implies getting it by mind and memory and understanding and delight."

 

Revisit a poem: "America is a country of second acts, so today, why not brush the dust of these classics and give them a fresh read?"

 

Put poetry in an unexpected place: "Books should be brought to the doorstep like electricity, or like milk in England: they should be considered utilities."


Bring a poem to your place of worship: "We define poetry as the unofficial view of being, and bringing the art of language in contact with your spiritual practices can deepen both."

National Poetry Month

Attend a poetry reading: "Readings have been occurring for decades around the world in universities, bookstores, cafes, corner pubs, and coffeehouses."

 

Play Exquisite Corpse: "Each participant is unaware of what the others have written, thus producing a surprising--sometimes absurd--yet often beautiful poem."

 

Read a poem at an open mic: "It's a great way to meet other writers in your area and find out about your local writing community."

 

Support literary organizations: "Many national and local literary organizations offer programs that reach out to the general public to broaden the recognition of poets and their work."

 

Google a poem: "Many people carry single lines of verse with them, sometimes for years, and are eager to remember the rest of that particular poem."

 

Hear a Poem: "Often, hearing an author read their own work can clarify questions surrounding their work's tone."

 

Young People’s Poetry Week: "You'll find party ideas, poem starters, crossword puzzles, award certificates, lists of poetry books for kids, and more."

 

Subscribe to a literary magazine: "Full of surprising and challenging poetry, short fiction, interviews, and reviews, literary journals are at the forefront of contemporary poetry."

 

Put a poem in a letter: "It's always a treat to get a letter, but finding a poem in the envelope makes the experience extra special."

 

April is the cruelest month: "To mark tax day, the Academy distributed thousands of free copies of The Waste Land at selected post offices across the country."   


Take a poem out to lunch: "Adding a poem to lunch puts some poetry in your day and gives you something great to read while you eat."


Put a poem on the pavement: "Go one step beyond hopscotch squares and write a poem in chalk on your sidewalk."


Recite a poem to family and friends: "You can use holidays or birthdays as an opportunity to celebrate with a poem that is dear to you, or one that reminds you of the season."

 

Organize a poetry reading: "When looking for a venue, consider your local library, coffee shop, bookstore, art gallery, bar or performance space."


Promote public support for poetry: "Every year, Congress decides how much money will be given to the National Endowment for the Arts to be distributed all across America."

 

Start a poetry reading group: "Select books that would engage discussion and not intimidate the reader new to poetry."

 

Read some literary criticism: "Reading reviews can also be a helpful exercise and lend direction to your future reading."

 

Buy a book of poems for your library: "Many libraries have undergone or are facing severe cuts in funding. These cuts are often made manifest on library shelves."


Start a commonplace book: "Since the Renaissance, devoted readers have been copying their favorite poems and quotations into notebooks to form their own personal anthologies called commonplace books."

 

Start a notebook on Poets.org: "Poets.org lets users build their own personal portable online commonplace book out of the materials on our site."


Add verse to your email signature:  "Many email programs allow you to create personalized signatures that are automatically added to the end of every email you send."


Ask the Post Office for more poet stamps: "To be eligible, suggested poets must have been deceased for at least ten years and must be American or of American descent."


Sign up for a poetry class or workshop: "Colleges and arts centers often make individual courses in literature and writing available to the general public."

 

Subscribe to our free newsletter: "Short and to the point, the Poets.org Update, our electronic newsletter, will keep you informed on Academy news and events."


Celebrate Poem in Your Pocket Day: "New Yorkers are encouraged to carry a poem in their pocket and share it with friends, family, coworkers and classmates."

 

What's your idea?