Calling all poets! April is National Poetry Month! April first became the month of poetry back in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets. It is also considered to be one of the biggest literary celebrations in the world of poets, writers, booksellers, libraries, schools, publishers, and more.

If you are a writer or poet you probably have a copious amount of ways to celebrate this month. If you are stuck on ideas, here are some, ten to be exact.

1. Write your own poems.

2. Write a poem in your favorite style and in a style you have never written in before.

3. Find a poet you are not familiar with and read their poems.

4. Select a short and long poem and memorize it.

5. Purchase a magazine or book full of poetry.

6. Find and register for available poetry classes or workshops.

7. Write poetry with friends.

8. Pick a famous poem and add onto it.

9. Pick a title of a famous poem and write your own version.

10. Write a poem without using a certain word. Make it a

challenge!

Having trouble coming up with ideas? Here are ten prompts to inspire you!

1. Your favorite thing about nature.

2. Open a dictionary, pick a random page and select a few words off that page and incorporate them into your poem.

3. A setting that takes place in a fantasy land.

4. Where the title is the last line of your poem.

5. A poem that can be read from top to bottom and bottom to top and still make sense.

6. About your favorite memory.

7. Describe what it would be like to live inside a classic novel.

8. A poem all about color.

9. A sad poem that turns into a happy poem.

10. A poem that could also be a song.

We all have our favorite poets and poems. Here are a few of my favorites.

Happy National Poetry Month!