The eNotes Blog April is National Poetry Month! Here Are 14 Ways toCelebrate

April is National Poetry Month! Here Are 14 Ways toCelebrate These days, it seems like so many arbitrary things now have their own National Day (or week, or month- National Candied Orange Peel Day*, anyone?), but Poetry Month is a celebration that has been going on for twenty years! Regardless of the duration of its appreciation month, its safe to say that poetry has been immeasurably influential throughout human history; even before the invention of writing,  people  told stories to one another in the form of long, epic poems. Now, candied oranges are pretty great, and chances are theyve been around for a long time too, but were betting that they havent had quite the same societal and artistic impact. It may seem that poetry is much less common these days than it was back when the Bard was around, but that isnt necessarily true. While we dont all wait for the latest poem with baited breath, poetry still plays a big part in expression and art in todays world. But with its loss of mainstream prevalence, there has been something of a loss of education in the poetic field, so to speak. Many students these days arent introduced to poetry until middle or high school, and by then, it can be increasingly difficult to get into it. So, we at have done some research into some of the best ways to celebrate this month of poems. Even if were getting started halfway through the month, the April celebration of all things poetic  need not stop on the 30th; if you like what youre doing, why not bring the spirit into May? 1. Sign up for a Poem-a-Day service On  Poets.org  you can take out a subscription and get a free poem delivered straight to your inbox every morning! 2. Sign up for a poetry class or workshop A big part of whats daunting about poetry is that a lot of people dont really understand what its about or how to begin writing or appreciating it. Poetry classes are surprisingly common, so look up the public classes in your area and find one that deals with poetry. 3. Explore various forms of poetry If youre one of the many people who think that something has to rhyme in order to be a poem, you may want to look into doing a little research! There are so many kinds of poetry, its a little crazy. If you want a little limerick, of course there are tons of those, but there are also sonnets, free-verse, haiku, epic Basically, there are as many types of poems as there are genres of novels- maybe even more. 4. Look into some international poetry Delving further into the idea of poetry genres, you may find it worth your while to look into some poetry from around the world. Not only will you be introduced to a bunch of new authors you may not have otherwise become acquainted with, but youll also discover some unique styles (i.e. the Japanese haiku, or the ancient Persian ghazal). 5. Check out a poetry slam Let me start by saying that poetry slams are pretty cool; where else can you go and listen to  local authors perform their work with some serious passion? Poetry slams are great opportunities to hear about unique perspectives on social issues (good and bad) in the company of your peers. These slams can get pretty competitive and intense, so if you do go to one, be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster. In a good way. A good place to start is Button Poetrys YouTube page and also our poetry slam post with a selection of moving  social justice poems. 6. Start  a poetry club If poetry is your thing (either reading it or writing it), why not find others that share that passion? Sharing poetry is hard, especially if its a poem that youve written yourself; poems share a special piece of your psyche, and opening up on that level isnt easy. So if you can find some fellow  aspiring poets, it may be beneficial to share your work with one another and get a little soul-baring practice in a safe space. 7. Memorize a poem that means something to you Having some inspirational and/or beautiful words to call upon when youre feeling blue can be a highly therapeutic tool. It can be a long poem or a short one, but either way, you may find that making a poem with a calming message into a mantra may be a good way to keep you in a happy place, even in the tough times. 8. Set aside some time to write Chances are that youre a busy person, and when youre a busy person, sometimes the last thing you want to do in your free time is, well, more work. But writing doesnt have to be something you just do for school. If you like poetry, it may be nice to set aside a chunk of time to let your brain do its artsy thing and create something meaningful. 9. Draw a poem One great thing about art is that so many of its forms can be blended together. For example, how often do you listen to a song and find yourself daydreaming  or imagining something awesome? Poetry works to inspire us in much the same way; next time you read a poem, imagine the imagery it creates and give drawing it a try. At the very least, youll have a cool piece of art to put on the wall. 10. Think metaphorically A metaphor is a powerful poetic device that can be defined as  a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. Metaphors are so common that often we dont really pay attention to one when we hear it. For the rest of April, keep a list of metaphors you hear day-to-day. It may be fun to look back at the end of the month (or whenever) to see what little expressions people are using these days. 11. Check out TED Talks Chances are youre at least familiar with the concept of a TED Talk. If not, TED is a non-profit devoted to spreading ideas and education, usually in the form of short but passionate speeches. Poets and poetry are frequent stars of the TED stage, so if you cant make it to a slam or are looking for a particular type of poem, check out some TED Talks online or find out  if theres one coming to your area. Click here to check out some poetic TEDs! 12. Download a poetry app Hit up the app store for your smart-device (whatever it may be) and download  Poetry Magazines app for inside information about poetry, poems, and poets of the past and present. 13.  Celebrate on Twitter Post a poem with the hashtag  #NationalPoetryMonth to get your work  noticed. Also fun:  search the hashtag and take a look at poems others have already tweeted. 14. Tune into NPR This month, NPRs Tell Me More has some poetically inclined features, including the reading of listener-submitted poetry (another opportunity to share your art with the world, and this way you could be as anonymous as you please). *In case you were wondering, National Candied Orange Peel Day does actually appear to be a thing, and it falls on May 4th.