April is National Poetry Month

Since April is National Poetry Month, this week’s genre subject is poetry. Let’s look at what poetry is, what people do to celebrate this month, and a process you can use to write your first poem.

Poetry is art. Like other forms of literature, poems convey meaning. It packs multiple ideas and sensory emotions within each carefully chosen word. Poetry’s impact comes from how the reader interprets the words, the whitespace around the poem, and the design of the poem itself. The wonderful thing about poetry is that many interpretations can live within the reader simultaneously. The writer can share impactful memories and sentiments by creating beautiful metaphors, designing a solid structure and form, and bringing life to paper.

Each human being has lived through various experiences, and by interacting with poetry, you can enter those memories and emotions again. So, a single poem can speak to different people in different ways. Let’s say that one person’s dad just died, and another person used to run around and play in a field when they were little. A good poem creates a space where both people can feel the poet wrote explicitly to them. It can capture the feelings of sadness and joy all at the same time. It can speak to both in a way that gives them a space to experience their thoughts, memories, views, reactions, beliefs and so much more. Poetry is a beautiful and mysterious thing. Poetry is art.

Learning the key elements of poetry can unlock some of its ambiguity so you, as a reader or a writer, can appreciate it as an art form. A great place for that is to visit Poem Analysis websites such as poemanalysis.com. Click HERE for the link.

Poetry class was mandatory for my bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Writing when I went to Marylhurst University in Portland, OR. I didn’t look forward to the class because the only poetry I liked was what I read to the kids: Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree, A Light in the Attic, and Falling Up. However, the moment I grudgingly took that poetry class, I realized the intricacies and depth of poetry. It was in that class that I truly appreciated this art form. I still love Silverstein, but my appreciation goes even further in the world of poetry. Songs, lyrical prose, and looking at sculptures and paintings are also like poetry for me, as is the sky on a beautiful day like today.

National Poetry Month began in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets and continues to help us appreciate and celebrate poets and their vital role in our culture. As a unique offering, U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón selected twenty new poems by contemporary poets for the Academy of American Poets’ Poem-a-Day series. Although this post is late, you can still get the poems at the poets.org website. Click HERE for that link.

As Ada Limón writes her here website (click HERE):

Poetry is elemental,

necessary,

& deeply

human.

Do you want to write a poem?

Here are five steps that I hope will help you write your poem:

1.       Read poetry and find the poet and style you most enjoy.

2.       Sit within a space. It can be anywhere you feel comfortable: your backyard, a park, a church, by the river, a graveyard, or staring at Trevi Fountain in Rome. Wherever you feel inspired, experience the space and feelings you have while in that space. Take notes of words that pop into your mind.

a.       The words can be:

                                i.      Feeling words

                               ii.      Things you see

                              iii.      Metaphors that come to you

                              iv.      Funny things that happen

                              v.      Animals you see

                             vi.      Textures around you

                            vii.      Sounds you hear

                           viii.      Smells you smell

                             ix.      Sensations you feel

                              x.      Things that pop into your mind

b.       Draw circles around your favorite words

c.       Read those favorite words and decide what emotions they spark in you.

d. Decide how to start

3.       Go to a café and order something. While you’re drinking or eating, do the following:

a.       take a big breath

b.       let it out

c.       relax

d.       take your notes and your paper and writing utensil

e.       put them in front of you

f.        write

4.       Think about your favorite poet or poet’s style. Since something about their poetry draws you, it’s created a space within you that you can access while you create. Emulate but don’t copy them. Eventually, you will find your style as you create beautiful art.  

Don’t forget to have fun!