National Poetry Month
Written by: Elizabeth Patrick
April is known as National Poetry Month, a time to celebrate poets and their craft. Throughout April, various events are held by the Academy of American Poets (https://poets.org/national-poetry-month) and other poetry organizations like the Poetry Society of America (https://poetrysociety.org/), The Poetry Foundation (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/), and National Poetry Writers Month or NaPoWriMo (https://www.napowrimo.net/).
Some of the goals that national poetry month involves include: highlighting the legacy and ongoing achievements of American poets, encouraging the reading of poems, assisting teachers in bringing poetry into their classrooms, and encouraging the reading of poems.
April has been known as national poetry month since the 1990s and has broadened throughout the years.
According to FACTRETRIEVER 31 Interesting but True Poetry Facts, “Poetry is one the oldest forms of communication, dating back to prehistoric times with hunting poetry in Africa and ancient Egypt.”
Poetry is believed to have originated from ancient rituals and chants used for storytelling purposes when performing religious ceremonies or rites of passage such as weddings or funerals. Some of the earliest examples of poetry include cave paintings. Humans typically created these paintings to illustrate spiritual stories or as a way to connect with their environment.
Poetry has become a powerful and significant medium that tells stories about love, loss, and life experiences with deep meaning to readers everywhere.
There are a variety of different types of poems. The oldest known form of poetry is ancient poetry which began over 5000 years ago in Mesopotamia with the invention of cuneiform. These forms of poems were found on clay tablets detailing how the ancient kings would rule their people. The oldest known poem today, The Epic of Gilgamesh, was created in Mesopotamia, and it’s believed he copied them from earlier works that have been lost or never found for future generations to enjoy.
The next oldest form of poetry was Medieval poetry, around 400 AD. During medieval times, new forms of poetry were formed, including rhyming couplets and ballads with refrains. Around 1500 AD, during the Renaissance era, poets had rediscovered many classical texts from ancient Greece and Rome. During this time, poets wrote about love, nature, and religion, emphasizing writing poetry for public performance.
The next type of poetry occurred during 1660-1800 and was known as the non-classical poetry era. During this time, poets wanted to explore writing poetry with integrity which led them back towards more traditional forms like epics, odes, and sonnets instead of experimenting with new styles such as rhyming couplets or free verse.
The next form of poetry took place during the Romantic Era from 1798-to 1850 AD. The poets of this era were considered more accessible than those before them because they wrote about everyday life rather than lofty subjects or themes that were not relatable to most readers. One of the most famous poets from this era was William Wordsworth, who wrote about the natural world and its connections.
The final era of poetry was the modern era that started in 1850 and continues to the present day. This era began with Walt Whitman, whose works were some of the most innovative and influential poems ever written in America. In conclusion, poetry has evolved into many different forms and genres.
