What thoughts run through your mind when you hear the word “poetry”?

Love Poetry?

Hate Poetry?

Like to read it?

Hate to write it?

Ambivalent?

Those thoughts are probably directly connected to your previous experiences.  If you remember “being required” to write in iambic pentameter for example, you might not be on the “love” side.  If you believed that free verse or the way poetry “looked” was as important as what it said like Anastasia Krupnik, poetry may not have been your favorite writing unit. (Creativity week excerpt from Lois Lowry’s Anastasia Krupnik here)  Encountering a real-life Mrs. Westvessel may have harmed the poetry writer in you.  But don’t despair! You can still read, write and enjoy poetry and yes, even change your attitude about poetry!

April is National Poetry month.  I hope that poetry is embedded into your English Language Arts work every month of the year because poetry is included in CCSS.Reading Anchor 10.  April might just be that month to “Celebrate” the joy of poetry and turn to poetry writing as another way for students to share specific work with language, rhyme and rhythm.

Amy Ludwig VanDerwater has a whole month of celebration going on that includes song at Poetry Farm here.  Continue to scroll down the left hand side of her blog for the vast resources available including the Poetry Friday links.

Mary Lee Hahn at Poetrepository is another great source of poetry ideas for teachers and students. Her April Po-emotions series is quite fun!

Steve Peterson also is posting poems here at Inside the Dog. 

One of my favorite posts from Reading At the Core is this one featuring Walt Whitman.

Who are some of your favorite poets?

What poetry anthologies do you recommend?

Are you celebrating Poetry Month?