Prepping for 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:

Keep a poem in your pocket
And a picture in your head
And you’ll never feel lonely
At night when you’re in bed

The little poem will sing to you
The little picture bring to you
A dozen dreams to dance to you
At night when you’re in bed

So – Keep a picture in your pocket
And a poem in your head
And you’ll never feel lonely
At night when you’re in bed

That’s because April is Poetry Month, and it provides a perfect opportunity to celebrate poems and poets

History of National Poetry Month

National Poetry Month was launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996. The aim was to shine a spotlight on the integral role of poets and poems in our national culture.

Since that time, Poetry Month has become a worldwide literary celebration. Schoolteachers, librarians, booksellers, and publishers approach April with great enthusiasm, and readers are delighted. So are poets.

Poetry in the Classroom

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. We also wrote a lot of poetry, created our own poetry books, and held a poetry reading

With older students, poetry month grew into a more complex but truly satisfying exploration of the many styles, themes, and formats poetry can take. Students became poets, and they created their own poetry portfolios

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.

Poem in Your Pocket Day

A 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.

Many school children participate, selecting a favorite poem and carrying it to school in a pocket so they can share it with others. Sometimes they made fancy pockets for this purpose, and sometimes they put poems in their literal pockets. What a great way to highlight the joy found in poetry.

But 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. This year, Poem in Your Pocket Day falls on April 27, so you still have ample time to prepare!

Ways to Get Involved

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. For example…

• Sign up for Poem-a-Day during the month of April, and receive daily installments of the work of contemporary poets.
• Share your own poetry on social media, and use the hashtag #NationalPoetryMonth. (Be sure to tag @poetsorg on Twitter and Instagram!)
• Organize a poetry reading, poetry slam, or poetry contest in your community.
• Participate in Poem in Your Pocket Day, and if you do so on social media, be sure to use the hashtag #PocketPoem.

For even more ideas on how you can be a part of this year’s Poetry Month celebration, be sure to visit poets.org so you can explore lots of perfectly poetic possibilities!