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National Poetry Month Poster Happy National Poetry Month! The whole month of April is a celebration of poetry. This tradition started in 1996 as a way to increase awareness and overall appreciation surrounding poetry in the United States, inspired by the success of February’s Black History Month and March’s Women’s History Month.

National Poetry Month is the largest literary celebration in the world, bringing together thousands of educators, students, and other literature enthusiasts around the world. It highlights the legacy of American poets and encourages publication and distribution of poetry.

Robert Frost said, “Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.” Poetry is a beautiful form of expression that is both free and structured. It’s a form of writing that can use simple language to communicate big themes, connecting even the most struggling writers to their readers with everyday language.

Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, Maya Angelou. The library has poetry collections from these poets and many more for you to read to participate in National Poetry Month.

Need a starting point? Here are a couple collections for you to begin with:

The Oxford Book of American Poetry edited by David Lehman

Call Number: 811.082 Ox20Oxf | 3rd Floor Stacks

Publication Date: 2006

American Poetry : The Nineteenth Century by John Hollander

Call Number: 811.308Am35 | 3rd Floor Stacks

Publication Date: 1993

The Oxford Book of Short Poems edited by P.J. Kavanagh, James Michie

Call Number: 821.008 M58 | 4th Floor Stacks

Publication Date: 1985

The Poetry Anthology, 1912-2002 : Ninety Years of America’s Most Distinguished Verse Magazine by Joseph Parisi, Stephen Young

Call Number: 811.5208 P75 2002 | 3rd Floor Stacks

Publication Date: 2002

Make sure to check them out!

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Celebrate National Poetry Month

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