Skip to main content

'Without poetry, we lose our way': Don't get lost, celebrate poetry from home and share

By Billie Owens
From Samantha Stryker, Community & Adult Services librarian​, Richmond Memorial Library:
 
"Without poetry, we lose our way." -- U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo
 
April is National Poetry Month! National Poetry Month was created to celebrate the importance that poets and poems have on culture. It is presented each year by poets.org, the Academy of American Poets and many partnering agencies. 

The best news? You can celebrate from home! 

  1. During the month of April, the Richmond library will share poems and feature poets and staff picks on Facebook & Instagram (https://www.facebook.com/RichmondMemorialLibrary/ or search for Richmond Memorial Library. Instagram @batavialibrary)

  2. Send us your favorite poems! We'll feature them on social media and create a reading list based on your favorites. Send them by Facebook or Instagram message or to sstryker@nioga.org with the subject "favorite poem." Be sure to include your first name. 

  3. Write your own poem or take part in a poetry contest. 

  4. Learn about the U.S. Poet Laureate, Joy Harjo and the New York State Poet Alicia Ostriker.

  5. Check out "30 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month at Home or Online" from the poets.org. They include many ideas, as well as links to resources for kids and lesson plans. 

  6. Send a poem to a friend or loved one. Encourage someone else by writing a poem or transcribing a favorite poem for them! Send it by mail or read it to them on the phone or by video. 

  7. Read poetry at home! Check out online resources like poets.org, poetryfoundation.org or use an app like Hoopla through the library. Hoopla has a large collection of poetry!

  8. Use the RBdigital app through the library to access magazines like The New Yorker, which includes two poems in each publication. 

  9. Participate in Poem in Your Pocket Day on Thursday, April 30. "Select a poem, carry it with you, and share it with others... and on social media using the hashtag #pocketpoem" (poets.org).

This year's National Poetry Month and Poem in Your Pocket Day might look different as we all practice social distancing, but it is a chance to be more creative and intentional in our celebration.

For information about the library, visit batavialibrary.org. 

Richmond Memorial Library continually provides access to physical and virtual resources and services that meet the educational, informational and recreational needs of its diverse community in a safe and comfortable environment.

Editor's Note: Below is a YouTube clip of the late great poet Mary Oliver reading her poem "Wild Geese." It is one of my favorites.

Authentically Local