Lola Karimi ’25
EE Co-Managing Editor
It’s time for the annual THS Poetry Slam!
This year’s event takes place on Friday, May 10th at 6 p.m. in the Auditorium. To be eligible to participate, participants must submit TWO unique poems made entirely of their own words and thoughts. The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, April 30 at 11:59 p.m. and you can find the link to submit in your grade level google classroom. Beginning on Wednesday, May 1st, tickets will be available for purchase from “McCaff” in room C31 or at the sales table in the common area during each lunch break. Tickets are $8 at the door, or $5 in advance.
Poetry has existed for 7,000 years or more. It probably originated in ancient ceremonies or storytelling purposes in Mesopotamia circa 5000 BC. English poetry is relatively young—roughly 630 years old. Even though some English poems are older—like Beowulf—their authors are unknown and they were transmitted orally rather than in writing. The majority of academics believe that Geoffrey Chaucer, an early English writer, was the first to compose a poem and record it. The Canterbury Tales is a poem that dates back to around 1390. It is still in print today in both its Old English original and current versions.
April is the setting for The Canterbury Tales, therefore it seems sensible to designate April as National Poetry Month. This is a great chance for parents to introduce their kids to the delights of poetry. I think every child initially develops an appreciation for poetry when they hear a Mother Goose nursery rhyme for the first time, and then when they read books like Green Eggs and Ham or The Cat in the Hat. Nonetheless, many kids appear to lose interest in poetry as they become older. As grownups, we ought to make every effort to alter that.
Inspired by the popularity of Women’s History Month in March and Black History Month in February, the Academy of American Poets created National Poetry Month in 1996 to honor the contributions and legacies of American poets. The numerous April Poetry Month festivities held in America have grown to become the world’s largest literary event.
Poetry is characterized as a literary genre that uses a unique structure and rhythm to convey emotions and ideas. Based on the structure, rhyme pattern, and topic matter, poems can be classified into many distinct categories. The limerick, the haiku, and the ballad are a few types of poetry. Literary associations gather together in April to promote poets and poetry and to raise the profile of poetry.
American poet, writer, and essayist Stephanie Wytovich is an adjunct professor of creative writing at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). In addition to being the poetry editor for Raw Dog Screaming Press, she has won the Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship for nonfiction writing, the Elizabeth Matchett Stover Memorial Award, and the 2021 Ladies of Horror Fiction Writers Grant. She also has a nonfiction craft book called “Writing Poetry in the Dark,” many more poetry books, including the Bram Stoker Award-winning poetry collection “Brothel,” all from Raw Dog Screaming Press.
In an article for the Poetry Foundation honoring National Poetry Month, poet Ali Leibegott talked about how people often turn to poetry during their most difficult moments. After 9/11, poetry sales increased, according to Leibegott. “It is reassuring to know that poetry somehow answers the unanswerable.” Vanity Fair reports that during the COVID-19 outbreak, sales of poetry books also rose. Poetry not only facilitates a deeper comprehension of the outside world but also provides catharsis and self-education.
The 28th National Poetry Month was in April 2024, and there are lots of ways to celebrate. Reading a collection of poems by a new writer to her is one of Wytovich’s favorite ways to celebrate. Not only can you read poetry, but you may also write it.