April is National Poetry Month!
This is the 14th Anniversary of the is event founded by The Academy of American Poets.
National Poetry Month was established by the Academy of American Poets as a month-long, national celebration of poetry. The concept was to increase the attention paid-by individuals and the media—to the art of poetry, to living poets, to our poetic heritage, and to poetry books and magazines. In the end, we hoped to achieve an increase in the visibility, presence, and accessibility of poetry in our culture. National Poetry Month has been successful beyond all anticipation and has grown over the years into the largest literary celebration in the world.
I hope this post will encourage you to read poetry, and even write poetry of your own.
You may think you don't have it in you to write a poem, but you would be mistaken.
If even I can discover my talent for the stuff then you can, too!
To get things started....I receive E-Mails:
Robert Lee Brewer, of the wonderful Poetic Asides Blog, spreads the word about The 3rd Annual Poetry A Day Challenge...
On 4/1, we'll begin another poetic journey of a poem-a-day through the month of April over at the Poetic Asides blog. You can read the guidelines here.
The Basics: I provide a prompt and sample poem each morning (Georgia, USA, time). Then, poets write their poems in response to the prompt. Poets from all over the world can (and have in the past) participate. There is no fee, no registration, no pressure. This challenge is all about writing poetry and having fun.
Those who have participated in the past have ranged from poets who have published multiple collections to writers who have never written poetry before. It's also included many poets who haven't written poetry in years. And many poems written for these challenges have then gone on to be published in poetry journals and magazines.
Show up to the Poetic Asides blog Thursday morning (around 9 or 10 Atlanta, Georgia time) to see the first prompt.
See you there!
Robert
The First Prompt has been posted, and encourages one to write "a lonely poem".
If you can't do a poem every day...try to spend the month working on, and then posting when done, a poem for each prompt, or as many as you can.
You may even choose, like me, to keep the links on hand for reference through out the year. ;-D
We all live busy lives, and in my case commuting by bike, and bus takes up a good chunk of the day, but you can do as I do, and bring a notebook along in case inspiration strikes, and you can write something down. ;-D
As an example of the 1st prompt let me share, again, a poem I originally wrote in 2006:
ALONE
In the morning I will awaken, I will walk
In the clinging fog; myself
Will look about, and not see another,
Alone in the park, and break
The silence with breath and footsteps;
I will enjoy the grass and the trees
Seeing what is to see, and hearing what I can not
In the shadows of the dawn; and myself
With hands in my coat pockets,
Will smile in contentment, and
Plan for the day that will be.
NOTE: I will add links to each of Roberts Prompts, below, as the days go by.
April 2 = Write a Water Poem
April 3 = Take the phrase "Partly (blank)," replace the blank with a word or phrase, make that the title of your poem, and then write the poem.
April 4 = Write a History Poem.
April 5 = Write a TMI poem (or too much information poem).
April 6 = Two pieces of art, and you are to pick one (or both) to write an ekphrastic poem. What's an "Ekphrastic Poem"? Learn all you need to know, for this prompt, here. April 7 = Take the phrase "Until (blank)," replace the blank with a word or phrase, make that the title of your poem, and then write the poem. April 8 = Pick a tool, make that the title of your poem, then write your poem. April 9 = Write a self-portrait poem. April 10 = Write a horror poem. April 11 = Take the phrase "The Last (blank)," replace the blank with a word or phrase, make that the title of your poem, and then write the poem. April 12 = Pick a city, make that the title of your poem, and write a poem. April 13 = Two for Tuesday: 1. Write a love poem. 2. Write an anti-love poem. April 14 = Take the phrase "(blank) Island," replace the blank with a word or phrase, make that the title of your poem, and then, write the poem. April 15 = Write a deadline poem. April 16 = Write a death poem. April 17 = Write a science poem. April 18 = Take the phrase "To (blank)," replace the blank with a word or phrase, make that the title of your poem, and then, write the poem. April 19 = Write a poem about somebody and be sure to include the person's name in the title of your poem (no reason to hide the person's identity here). April 20 = Two for Tuesday: 1. Write a looking back poem. 2. Write a poem that doesn't look back. April 21 = Take the phrase "According to (blank)," replace the blank with a word or phrase, make that the title of your poem, and then, write the poem. April 22 = Write an Earth poem. April 23 = Write an exhausted poem. April 24 = Write an evening poem. April 25 = Write a poem inspired by a song. ( Creating a Poem, Inspired by a Song is Right Up My Alley, and it's so easy even my Cat can do it! ) April 26 = Write a "more than 5 times" poem. April 27 = Two for Tuesday: 1. Write a Hopeful Poem. 2. Write a Hopeless Poem. April 28 = Write an end of the line poem. April 29 = Take the phrase "And Suddenly (blank)," replace the blank with a word or phrase, make that the title of your poem, and then, write the poem. April 30 = Write a letting go poem. ***UPDATE - 4/30/10*** Robert Lee Brewer has been named co-Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere with Sina Queyras, who blogs for the PoetryFoundation.org and Lemon Hound, in a Poll at Blogging Poet. Poet Laureate Of The Blogosphere 2010 A Tie! ***END UPDATE***
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