Celebrate Poetry

“April is the cruelest month.”—from T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land”

It’s also National Poetry Month, and the Academy of American Poets (which started the annual celebration in 1996 as a means to rekindle interest in the art and to highlight its important role in American culture) is offering a Poem-A-Day throughout the month—a new poem direct to you inbox to begin your day.

Catch up on any you’ve missed—like by checking the archive. I especially enjoyed April 6th’s entry, Rita Dove’s “Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Return to Vienna” (from her new book ”Sonata Mulattica”)—so much so that I’ll likely buy the book. 

Poets.org, the Web site of the Academy of American Poets, also features a National Poetry Map—a useful, user-friendly tool ”to find local poets, poems, events, literary journals, writing programs, poetry organizations, and more.” 

Not sure how to celebrate during National Poetry Month? The site suggests 30 ways, from starting a commonplace book to adding verse to your e-mail signature to attending a poetry reading. There’s no shortage of possibilities. And be sure to browse around Poets.org (this is a site that should be bookmarked for regular visits long past this month), which enables users to easily find poets and poems through its search feature.

Here’s what The Madness of Art suggests: buy a book of poetry, pull one or two favorites off the shelf or open a woefully neglected collection. Pair it with a bottle of wine, and read! (I’ll be leading by example, of course.) 

In the spirit of National Poetry Month, The Madness of Art will feature a new series, Reading Buk. Tune in each night during April for a reading of a Charles Bukowski poem. Hope you enjoy! 

10 Recommended Reads for National Poetry Month
What Matters Most is How Well You Walk Through the Fire (Bukowski)
The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry
The Waste Land: A Facsimile and Transcript of the Original Drafts Including the Annotations of Ezra Pound (T.S. Eliot)
Whitman: Poetry and Prose (Library of America College Editions)
Good Poems (Edited by Garrison Keillor)
The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson
The Poetry of Robert Frost
Americans’ Favorite Poems (Edited by Robert Pinsky)
Wilderness: The Lost Writings of Jim Morrison, Volume 1
The Oxford Book of American Poetry

Leave a comment: Share your favorite poets and poems.