With spring well underway, the weather warming and the Earth coming back to life, is it any wonder that April is designated National Poetry Month in the United States?
The literary celebration was created in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets to try to highlight the work of American poets and increase the attention given to an ancient art form.
The commemorative month was "inspired by the successful celebrations of Black History Month (February) and Women's History Month (March)," according to the academy's website.
Just like those other celebrations, you don't need permission or anything special to mark National Poetry Month; you can celebrate wherever and however you see fit. But if you want some ideas to get you started, we've got them.
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Here are some ways and places to enjoy poetry in the D.C. area.
D.C. Public Library
The D.C. Public Library has a series of signature events for poetry lovers throughout April. You can find the full list at this webpage, but here are some highlights:
On April 29, visitors to the Lamond-Riggs Neighborhood Library can create blackout poetry with a discarded book page. The event will take place all day long.
On April 20, The Walking Mall Poet of Winchester, Virginia, Joseph Jablonski, will give out free personalized poems, written on his signature typewriter. Visitors are invited to try their own hand at typewriter poetry.
And all month long, D.C. residents can craft their own submission to DCPL's annual haiku contest. Entrants must be at least 6 years old to enter, and there's a limit of two entries per person. The contest has age categories for children, teens and adults.
"Prize-winners will take home library swag and have their poem posted in the library and on the DC Public Library's website in May!" the DCPL webpage about the contest reads. Learn more here.
Library of Congress
What better D.C. staple than the Library of Congress — the largest library in the world and organizer of the National Book Festival — to turn to for poems, poets and poetry?
First, there are the library's April events, which include a series of one-on-one talks with National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Meg Medina and a lecture by author George Saunders.
Then there's the work of U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón. Like all poet laureate consultants in poetry to the Library of Congress, Limón was appointed to her position by the librarian of Congress.
Limón is the 24th U.S. poet laureate, and her signature project launched this April in honor of National Poetry Month. The "You Are Here" project is a two-part initiative comprised of a poetry anthology Limón curated, and poetry-based public art installations in seven national parks across the country.
The public art installations, launching in June, will bring "site-specific poetry installations" to Cape Cod National Seashore, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Everglades National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Mount Ranier National Park, Redwood National and State Parks, and Saguaro National Park.
The “You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World" anthology was published on April 2 and features 50 original poems by living American poets.
It also comes with a writing prompt: What would you write in response to the landscape around you? Anyone who wants to try their hand can post their response on social media with the hashtag #YouAreHerePoetry.
“Above all, this project is about rising to this moment with hope, the kind of hope that will echo outwards for years to come,” Limón said in a statement.
If you'd rather listen to works from the talented poets of the past, you can comb through the Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature on the Library of Congress website. According to the library, the archive dates back to 1943 and contains nearly 2,000 recordings of poets and writers, including poets like Louise Glück, Maya Angelou and Ray Bradbury.
And if there's a poem that's right on the tip of your tongue or the edge of your brain but you can't quite remember the whole thing, the Library of Congress has a guide to finding a poem whose title and author you can't recall.
Planet Word events
Planet Word, D.C.'s museum for linguists, writers and other word lovers, is recognizing National Poetry Month with workshops and programs all month long.
The highlight of their celebration is Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 18.
"We encourage you to bring your favorite poems to the museum or find a new favorite from our Poetry Nook or Short Story Dispenser," their site says. "And don't miss our museum staff handing out poems across the street in Franklin Park!"
If you can't make it to Planet Word for the celebration, you can always share your favorite poem on social media with the hashtag #PocketPoem.
The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Busboys and Poets open mic nights
If you want a more casual approach to poetry immersion — or to jump straight in by sharing your writing — Busboys and Poets has open mic nights every week.
"Busboys and Poets is proud to be a venue that provides space and support for poets and spoken word performers and interested audiences," its site says.
The day of the week varies by location, but each open mic night lasts for two hours and comes with a $5 cover charge. Here's the full list:
- 14th & V: Every Tuesday 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- Columbia: Every Thursday 8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
- 450K: Every Wednesday 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- Shirlington: Every Monday 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- Hyattsville: Every Thursday 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- Brookland: 2nd, 3rd and 4th Fridays 9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
For more information on other poetry slams and open mics hosted at different Busboys and Poets locations, check out its webpage here.
And if you're more into reading than performing, Busboys and Poets also has a bookstore built in to every location so you can purchase a new read after your meal.
ArtsFairfax Poetry in the Park
ArtsFairfax, Fairfax County's local arts agency, is teaming up with Fairfax County Poet Laureate Danielle Badra for a community engagement project: Poetry in the Park.
At 1 p.m. on April 27, head to Fairfax County's Green Spring Gardens location for a reading of works from prominent writers in the DMV.
After the hour-long poetry reading, there will be a coffee and tea social until 2:30 p.m.
It's one part of a series, which you can learn more about here. Each event in the series is free.
Other ways to celebrate National Poetry Month
The Academy of American Poets has a list of 30 ways to celebrate National Poetry Month on its website.
Included in that list is the Poem-a-Day series, which you can sign up for as either an email newsletter or a podcast. The poems are curated by a different editor each month, and the emails and podcast come out year-round, not just in April.
If you want your poetry to hit, literally, closer to home, you could take a look at your state poet laureate. Almost all 50 states have one, though sometimes they go by the title state poet or writer-in-residence. The Academy of American Poets has the full list here.
Washington, D.C.'s poet laureate position is vacant and has been since Dolores Kendrick died in 2017, according to a 2021 Washington Post opinion piece calling for a new appointee. You can read more about Kendrick here.
Virginia's poet laureate is Margaret Daramola, who you can read more about here.
Maryland's poet laureate is Grace Cavalieri, who you can read more about here.
Other ways to appreciate poetry in April include watching movies, lectures or videos featuring a poet; making a poetry playlist (especially timely with Taylor Swift's "The Tortured Poets Department" album coming out April 19); and researching and volunteering with local poetry organizations.
And, of course, there's always NBC Washington's favorite beat poet.
Keep the poetry love going in May
The Poetry Foundation, which you may recognize as the favorite website of English teachers everywhere as they show you famous poems on the projector, is coming to D.C. on May 1 and May 2 for the Poetry Out Loud finals.
Students across the U.S. compete in the annual poetry recitation challenge, which comes with a $20,000 grand prize for the national champion. High school students from around the country will perform their favorite poems at the Lisner Auditorium in Washington, D.C. for the semifinals.
You can learn more about the Poetry Out Loud competition here, or watch the livestream of the competition here, if you can't attend the free-and-open-to-the-public event in-person on May 1 or 2.
