In a world oversaturated with noise, poetry cuts through with a whisper: a demand to hear the language of poets. This month is a moment for creative writers nationwide to celebrate and uplift the art of poetry.
“National Poetry Month is a busy month,” said Ángel García, assistant professor in LAS. “April is such a wonderful month to dive in and find new work, discover new poets.”
Started in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, National Poetry Month is recognized every April across the United States. Intended to spotlight poets both past and present, the celebration extends to uplifting new voices and exploring the impacts poetry has on culture, education and our everyday lives.
Katherine Gaffney, lecturer in LAS, said that, by using the musicality of language, poets are “capturing humanity” through their own unique lens of the world around them.
There are many reasons why poetry is as beloved as it is today. It’s a cathartic way of allowing individuals to creatively process their emotions, preserve memories or even spark conversations.
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“Many poets, thankfully, are doing work that reflects an ever-growing concern for activism, mobilization and consciousness-raising,” García said.
García highlighted the importance of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ poets bringing “more diverse” readers and writers to the genre of literature. He stated that there is a growing population of readers who write poetry as a means to effect change in the world.
According to García, poets can use the art form to engage readers in a political conversation that creates space for people to “resist and revolt” in different ways.
García expanded by stating diversity in poetry can “empower” future generations of writers, allowing them to see themselves taking up space in the art.
“It reinforces the idea that there are many narratives, many voices, that need to find an audience,” García said.
García cited a few poets who have inspired him on his journey with poetry, such as Anne Sexton, Yusef Komunyakaa, Philip Levine, Sharon Olds and Gary Soto.
Gaffney named Sylvia Plath, Carolyn Forché and Angela Ball as some authors who have been important to her growth as a poet.
Their confessions to literary influences underscore a broader truth about the art: if one thing is true about the poetry community, it’s that consuming the work of other poets is just as crucial as working on your own craft.
Christopher Kempf, assistant professor in LAS, discussed how writing also serves as an act of discerning our inner being to get to know ourselves better.
“Poetry is about community, but it’s also about being alone and slowing down,” Kempf said. “We’re all trying to understand our place in this universe. Seek out community, go to readings, find your peers.”
He shared that poetry requires people to sit with what’s in front of them, which can be both challenging and rewarding when living in a culture that demands us to speed up all the time, by looking at the “beautiful” world around us.
Gaffney suggested a few different ways for writers or other creatives to join the celebration of National Poetry Month — by writing a poem a day, reading one or purchasing a collection in support of a poet whose work you enjoy.
Another way to join the celebration is by visiting the Champaign Public Library’s extensive range of poetry collections, which are free to check out.
