BYRD'S EYE VIEW: April Is National Poetry Month
By U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-WV
When I was a young boy, it was common for children to recite poetry in school and at assemblies before audiences of their parents and friends. Some of the poems told stories or taught lessons. Some were humorous, some were silly, and some were both beautiful and moving. Memorizing and reciting the poems inspired in me a love for words, cadence, meter and rhyme that has never left me. I can still recite from memory some of the poems I learned so long ago.
Although public recitation has fallen from favor, poetry has not lost its fascination for lovers of words. In 1996, the Academy of American Poets inaugurated National Poetry Month to celebrate the enduring beauty of verse. Now, each April is filled with events designed to introduce and share poetry with the public and to highlight the extraordinary legacy and ongoing achievement of American poets.
Poets have also utilized technology to reach out to new and established poetry readers. By visiting www.poets.org/m from any mobile device, one can browse more than 2,500 poems, poet biographies, and historical essays from the archives of the Academy of American Poets. Poetry lovers can also sign up to have great poems from new books e-mailed to them, or visit the National Poetry Map to discover where poetry events are taking place.
One goal of National Poetry Month is to help teachers and librarians make poetry a more important part of the school curriculum. With that in mind, the Academy of American Poets creates and distributes posters announcing National Poetry Month as well as offering lesson plans and tip sheets for teachers and librarians. Their web site, at www.poets.org, offers a list of 30 ways to celebrate National Poetry Month B an idea for each day of the month.
Since 2002, New York City has celebrated each April 29th as National "Poem in Your Pocket" Day. Participants are encouraged to carry a favorite verse in their pocket, and to share it with friends and acquaintances.
I would be hard pressed to pick just one poem to carry on "Poem in Your Pocket" Day --- a few lines that capture the beauty of a spring morning? A poem that honors a loving mother or father? A stirring metaphor that teaches us a lesson for our times? There are so many wonderful poems, and new ones written every day. I hope that, this April, everyone can find beauty, wisdom or humor wrapped in the words of a poem.