“Poetry is not an expression of the party line. It's that time of night, lying in bed, thinking what you really think, making the private world public, that's what the poet does.” — Allen Ginsberg
This year marks the 25th anniversary of National Poetry Month, a yearly occasion each April to celebrate the importance of poets and poetry in our culture. Poetry is one of the earliest art forms, predating the written word as sung or recited oral histories. The word poetry is rooted in the Greek word, ‘poiesis’ meaning, “a making or creation.” According to the philosopher Martin Heidegger, Plato defines ‘poiesis’ as “Every occasion for whatever passes over and goes forward into presence from that which is not already present, a bringing-forth.” Therefore, poetry can and has been understood as the production or creation of something that did not exist before. Aristotle used this concept to describe the work done by an artist — a person who creates something new. Culturally and historically, it is the poet that offers wisdom, beauty, and language to describe not what has happened, but the kind of thing that might happen (Aristotle). Read on for creative inspiration, contemporary poetry recommendations, and ways to incorporate poetry into your book club.
Poetry Month Celebrations Around the World:
1. Poem-a-day delivered to your inbox each day in April.
2. NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month)
Recommended Reading:
- Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head, Warsan Shire. (March 2022, Penguin Random House)
- Time Is A Mother, Ocean Vuong. (April 2022, Penguin Random House)
- Beast at Every Threshold, Natalie Wee. (April 2022, Arsenal Pulp Press)
- The Hurting Kind, Ada Limón. (May 2022, Milkweed)
- No One is Talking About This, Patricia Lockwood. Technically, fiction but reads like a poem. ( February 2021, Penguin Random House)
- Love from the Vortex, Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz. (March 2020, self-published). *Discussion guide included!
- Red Comet, Heather Clark (October 2020, Penguin Random House)
Book Club Pro-Tips for Poetry Month:
Consider selecting one of these recommended poetry books for your April book club meeting and ask each member to share their favorite poem from the collection. For a more free form approach, simply ask your members to come ready to share their favorite poem or poet of all time, recite the poem aloud for the group and discuss! Finally, for all you keen poetry buffs looking for a public club to join, check out the Profound Experience of Poetry Book Club, which meets online every second Sunday to discuss poetry. Their current read is A Beautiful Marsupial Afternoon: New (Soma)tics by CAConrad.
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