Way I Feel...Sometimes by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers

Organize a poetry reading, poetry slam, or poetry contest in your community.

(Be sure to tag on Twitter and Instagram!) Share your own poetry on social media, and use the hashtag #NationalPoetryMonth.Sign up for Poem-a-Day during the month of April, and receive daily installments of the work of contemporary poets.If the thought of Poetry Month excites you, as a reader of poetry, a writer of poetry, or both, you will probably be even more excited to find out there’s a plethora of ideas for how you can get involved in this month-long poetry party. This year, Poem in Your Pocket Day falls on April 27, so you still have ample time to prepare! Ways to Get Involved What a great way to highlight the joy found in poetry.īut Poem in Your Pocket Day is not just for students! Adults around the world carry poems in their pockets, post poems on social media, and share videos of themselves reading their poetic expressions. Sometimes they made fancy pockets for this purpose, and sometimes they put poems in their literal pockets.

Many school children participate, selecting a favorite poem and carrying it to school in a pocket so they can share it with others. Poem in Your Pocket DayĪ highlight of poetry month is Poem in Your Pocket Day, which was initiated in 2002 as part of National Poetry Month and always falls toward the end of the month. If you’re a parent, a poet, or both, you may want to check into what your local schools are doing to celebrate National Poetry Month and find out if there’s a way you can get involved. Students became poets, and they created their own poetry portfolios With older students, poetry month grew into a more complex but truly satisfying exploration of the many styles, themes, and formats poetry can take. We also wrote a lot of poetry, created our own poetry books, and held a poetry reading When I taught younger students, we memorized “Keep a Poem in Your Pocket,” we held poetry read-alouds daily, and we went on individual poetry hunts to discover our personal preferences and favorite poems. Schoolteachers, librarians, booksellers, and publishers approach April with great enthusiasm, and readers are delighted. Since that time, Poetry Month has become a worldwide literary celebration. The aim was to shine a spotlight on the integral role of poets and poems in our national culture.

National Poetry Month was launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996. That’s because April is Poetry Month, and it provides a perfect opportunity to celebrate poems and poets History of National Poetry Month During my years of teaching, this was the time of year when I unrolled a favorite laminated poster and taught my students this lovely poem by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers:

Way I Feel...Sometimes by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers