Carol Ann Duffy, the United Kingdom’s Poet Laureate from 2009-2019, wrote: “You can find poetry in your everyday life, your memory, in what people say on the bus, in the news, or just what’s in your heart.” Her message that poetry is everywhere and that it is accessible to everyone is one of the reasons this literary form will always be an integral part of our lives and culture. April marks the 27th anniversary of National Poetry Month, a celebration and commemoration launched by the American Academy of Poets in 1996. President Bill Clinton declared in a proclamation issued on April 1, 1996: "National Poetry Month offers us a welcome opportunity to celebrate not only the unsurpassed body of literature produced by our poets in the past but also the vitality and diversity of voices reflected in the works of today's American poetry….Their creativity and wealth of language enrich our culture and inspire a new generation of Americans to learn the power of reading and writing at its best." Subsequently, National Poetry Month has become the largest literary celebration in the world, with millions of fans - and poets - marking the essential place of poetry in our lives. Click here for thirty ways to celebrate National Poetry Month. And, check out some of the new titles below or make your own selections; click on the book jacket for a link to the catalog. Joy awaits you.
“Poetry is the lifeblood of rebellion, revolution, and the raising of consciousness.” Alice Walker
"Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words." Edgar Allan Poe
“Poetry is the lens we use to interrogate the history we stand on and the future we stand for. It’s no coincidence that at the base of the Statue of Liberty, there is a poem.” Amanda Gorman
“Poetry is eternal graffiti written in the heart of everyone.” Lawrence Ferlinghetti