National Poetry month was established in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets to remind “the public that poets have an integral role to play in our culture and that poetry matters.” In the years that have followed it has become the largest literacy celebration in the world.
Poetry is one of the oldest forms of literature, with some scholars suggesting it might even predate human written language. The earliest poems likely were associate with religious rituals, and some aspects of this remain as poems continue to be read during contemporary rituals such as weddings, funerals, and even presidential inaugurations. But early poetry was also associated with history and storytelling, as seen in epic poetry such as the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, the ancient Indian Ramayana and Mahabharata, the Ancient Greek Odyssey and Iliad, Virgil's Aeneid, and the Old English Beowulf.
Definitions of poetry vary but they often include mention of rhythm and meter, imagery and aesthetics, as well as feelings and emotion. Some argue, however, that poetry is beyond simple definition. Argentine poet, essayist, and short story writer, Jorge Luis Borges believed that “poetry is something that cannot be defined without oversimplifying it. It would be like attempting to define the color yellow, love, the fall of leaves in autumn.”
No matter how you define poetry, we invite you to celebrate National Poetry Month with us. Sign up for Poem-a-Day from the Academy of American Poets or choose some of their other 30 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month. Create a book spine poem, by stacking books together so that the titles form the lines of your poem, and we will add it to our display on the main floor. Express your creativity with a magnetic poem on the whiteboard near the library entrance. Happy National Poetry Month!