Guest Author - Lisbeth Cheever-Gessaman

In 1996, the American Academy of Poets officially designated April as 'National Poetry Month' in order to foster a month long appreciation for poetry.

More than ten years later, National Poetry Month has become the most successful literary celebration in the world.

What are the goals of National Poetry Month?

From the American Academy of Poets official FAQ, the goals of National Poetry Month are to:

* Highlight the extraordinary legacy and ongoing achievement of American poets
* Introduce more Americans to the pleasures of reading poetry
* Bring poets and poetry to the public in immediate and innovative ways
* Make poetry a more important part of the school curriculum
* Increase the attention paid to poetry by national and local media
* Encourage increased publication, distribution, and sales of poetry books
* Increase public and private philanthropic support for poets and poetry


An Idea a Day to Celebrate National Poetry Month

The entire idea of celebrating National Poetry Month is to incorporate potry into your life as much as possible, in ways that inspire. Here are a few ideas to jumpstart your own individual celebration:

1- Submit a poem to Mused, BellaOnline's flagship literary magazine
2- Memorize a poem
3- Take a poem to lunch
4- Leave a poem in a conspicuous, but unexpected place, for someone else to find
5- Write a poem a day for the entire month of April
6- Discover a new poet every day
7- Attend a poetry reading
8- Take part in a poetry slam
9- Start a poetry reading group
10-Analyze a book of poetry
11-Take a poetry course at a local college
12-Set a poem to music
13-Take a local poet to lunch
14-Support local poetry
15-Mail a poem to someone you love
16-Write a poem for someone you don't
17-Quit smoking, and spend all of your newly acquired money on poetry
18-Turn someone on to poetry
19-Join a poetry forum
20-Learn to critique a poem
21-Carry a poem in your pocket
22-Learn what differentiates a good poem from a bad one
23-Share your favourite poem or poet
24-Discover a new poet
25-Be the new poet
26-Introduce someone you love to your favourite poet
27-Create an Exquisite Corpse
28-Buy a book of poems for your local library
29-Invent a new style of poetry
30-Post your own ideas on the Bella Forums.


Have a wonderful month, and may you be inspired by poetry in all that you do.