Speaking Volumes: Even if you are socially distancing, library helps you celebrate National Poetry Month
Do you enjoy reading poetry? Then you might not know that April is National Poetry Month.
Started in 1996, National Poetry Month is a worldwide celebration established by the Academy of American Poets that highlights a diverse selection of poets and their contributions to literature. This event was inspired by the success of Black History Month and Women’s History Month. In addition to promoting poetry through publishers, booksellers, literary organizations and educators, teachers and librarians focus on poetry during the month of April. Bookstores highlight poetry through special events and readings. National Poetry Month also encourages teachers to introduce poetry into their classrooms and to encourage poetry reading among students.
Manatee Libraries holds a great variety of poetry literature for people of all ages (a search for “poetry” displays over 5000 results!). Formats include books, audiobooks, e-books and e-audiobooks, although at this time, we will focus on e-materials. The library contains many classic titles, such as “Beowulf” and “Paradise Lost” and authors including Gwendolyn Brooks, Homer, and Shakespeare. Particularly recommended for young adults is “Brown Girl Dreaming” by Jacqueline Woodson. These are poems about growing up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s during the Jim Crow era. Interested in poems written about Florida or about Floridian poets? Some notable online collections include “Beach Synchronization: Selected Poems” by Len Blanchard and “Sea Grapes and Sea Oats” by Jeffrey Jay Niehaus.
Interested in expanding your horizons and trying some specialized poetry forms? Discover haikus and poetry slams.
A haiku is a very brief form of Japanese poetry in three phrases, usually characterized by the essence of separation and on the traditional use of 17 syllables. For haikus, our library has many e-resources including “Moon Woke Me Up Nine Times” by Matsuo Basho and “Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku” by Lee Wardlaw. Hoopla also has numerous haiku selections.
A poetry slam is a competition arts event in which contestants perform spoken word poetry before judges and a live audience, breaking rigid notions of poetry as being elitist and rigid. For poetry slams, take a look at “The Poet X” by Elizabeth Acevedo and “All of Me” by Seymour Simons.
Having difficult accessing tangible books and audiobooks while socially isolating? The library has a wealth of other e-books and e-audiobooks. For example, listen to “The Book of Delights” by Ross Gay exploring the beauty of the natural world and meditations of small daily joys. Or “The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea Poems” by Mark Haddon. Also consider downloading an e-book to your iPhone or other device.
A compelling collection of poetry by women is “She Walks in Beauty: A Woman’s Journey Through Poems” edited by Caroline Kennedy and “Great Poems by American Women: an Anthology.”
For haiku, check out “Far Beyond the Field: Haiku by Japanese Women”.
Regardless of your poetry preferences, Manatee Libraries has something (if not multiple things) for you.
Speaking Volumes is written by the staff of the Manatee County Public Library System. Rachel Suntop is a librarian at the Central Library.