Happy Poetry Month!

Let’s read some great poetry! Let’s write some even better poems! Let’s turn our friends and family on to the pleasures of verse! And let’s have some boisterous, jolly good fun in the process! National Poetry Month is an annual celebration of the art of poetry, with the goal of increasing appreciation and support for poetry and poets. I challenge you.

National Poetry Month was started by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, and has been gaining momentum every year since. They've got some fun ideas for enjoying the art of poetry, and while the purists may groan, I think it's cool. Visit the Academy of American Poets at poets.org. Or visit the blog of your favorite contemporary poet. Buy his or her book of poetry. Write something. One of my goals is to write a poem every day (yikes!) I'll add some other fun ideas so I don't get bored, whenever the mood strikes me. Here's my first challenge to you: start out with some easy stuff. Pick one of your favorite poems, gather some friends, and discuss it with them. Pick something you wrote, or a famous poem. Why do you like it? What makes it good? If it's old, what makes it stand the test of time? If it's contemporary, what makes it stand out over others? Have fun!