In the immortal words of Robert Frost, “Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.” Do you love a good haiku? How about a Shakespearean sonnet? Perhaps free verse is more to your liking? Or maybe you prefer that old crowd favorite, a lyrical limerick? If poetry brings you solace, or inspiration, or just plain makes you happy, this is the month for you! That’s right, April is National Poetry Month! Established in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, National Poetry Month gives us the chance to celebrate poetry and poets’ vital place in American culture. Join us in celebrating the wonder of poetry by revisiting your favorite poet or poem. Alternatively, check out one of these books of poetry or poetry-related titles available from the University Libraries and listed on our WU Reads Reading Guide.
“If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry.”–Emily Dickinson
“Poetry is what in a poem makes you laugh, cry, prickle, be silent, makes your toenails twinkle, makes you want to do this or that or nothing, makes you know that you are alone in the unknown world, that your bliss and suffering is forever shared and forever all your own.”–Dylan Thomas