April is National Poetry Month, and there are plenty of great ways to celebrate such a lovely art form. Poetry readings provide a fun environment to listen to poets present their writing the way it’s meant to be heard: full of emotion, with certain emphases and beats. Columbus has a handful of cafes that feature readings and slams, and this website lists some of the locations. One of the readings is at Kafe Kerouac, which is close to campus – a perfect evening outing for friends!
Another fantastic way to celebrate National Poetry Month is to follow the suggestion of various writers and write a poem a day for the thirty days of April. Although this route of celebration may sound daunting for anybody who, like me, hasn’t written a poem since high school English class, it’s not hard to get into a creative mindset. Try free verse to start, and focus on topics that inspire you or make you happy – maybe warm weather, your adorable pets, or your awesome friends. If you’re an old pro, try to challenge yourself with new poetic forms or difficult rhyme schemes. To make this celebration even more fun, do it with a group of friends and share your finished results. Maybe even go to one of those poetry readings – some of them are open mic!
Finally, you can use this month as the perfect opportunity to delve into the works of poets you already love or to learn about new poets. The Button Poetry YouTube channel features raw, beautiful spoken word poetry from writers from all walks of life, and is the perfect way to learn what you like in a poem.
Whether you attend a reading, write your own poem, or get in between the lines of your new favorite poet’s work, be sure to celebrate National Poetry Month!