Take Back Poetry!

Well, it's that time of year again! Break out your favorite poems. Read some new ones. Share the joy of poetry with your family and friends.

You see, some people still think poetry is an acquired taste. Some old fogies back in class years ago told us that poetry is old and dusty, hard to read, and even harder to understand. A lot of people hear the word "poetry" and vaguely remember being forced to memorize one of Shakespeare's Sonnets. Nothing against Shakespeare, but poetry is alive and well and being written in 2011. It's accessible and brilliant and needs your voice to carry it to others.

This April (National Poetry Month), I say "Take Back Poetry!" Check out some of my links, Google your hearts out, or stop by your local bookstore and visit the poetry section. It's lonely and wants your attention. Then, mail, email, or Twitter your friends. Share a poem that makes you feel happy, sad, even confused. Marvel at the way the words sound as you read it to your family over dinner.

And if you're still not sold on the poetry thing, there's always next year! Happy National Poetry Month everyone. Enjoy.

P is for Poetry!

I think we can agree that the poetry being produced and published in today's reputable journals and literary magazines is top-notch. But what about children's poetry? Maybe it's not something you've given much thought to. As a kid, I loved Shel Siverstein but never read any other children's poets. In the past several years, children's story-books have seen a mega increase and, for the most part, are quite good. But what about poetry?

I recently had a baby, and I've been reading him Poetry and Tin House, but once he starts understanding language, I'll need a back-up plan. Here's where a little Googling comes in handy.

The first website I stumbled upon is Poetry4Kids at poetry4kids.com:

Kenn Nesbitt's poems are not only funny, they spark an interest in the world and subtly teach poetry's most basic lessons. "Bouncing off the Windows" is a poem that uses similes to make connections between ideas and things. He says "I'm jumping like a kangaroo / or like a jumping bean." The website also has poetry lessons, games, and a rhyming dictionary. It is an interactive dynamo designed to get, and keep, kids interested in the greatest literary genre in existence (I may be biased).

Another site is The Children's Poetry Archive at poetryarchive.org/childrensarchive:

Kids can search for poems based on theme (animals, school, nature, peace, war), form (nonsense, prose, short, rhyming), or poet (there are around fifty from classic to contemporary along with links to poets' websites). These poems are geared more to older kids, even taking "adult" poetry and encouraging kids to interpret it for themselves. Out of curiosity, I looked up the poems under the heading "War" and found a poem by Adrian Mitchell called "Playground." It's about a boy sitting on a swing thinking about some ambiguous dark remembrance. It says "the chains of the swing / they clank they creak / the boy's head fills / with explosions // a boy on a swing." It's a lonely, ominous poem that kids can relate to whether or not they've seen an actual war zone. There are always fears and worries for kids, whether in their home or school lives.

If you're a poetry-lover like me, then you'll recognize the need to introduce poetry early to children. If you have kids or know someone who has kids, this is your chance. I encourage you to check out these links and share any other links you may find.