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Celebrate National Poetry Month
About Blog Post
Apr 1, 2025
by SCLSNJ Staff
Created by Bob Helmbrecht, collection development librarian
April was designated as National Poetry Month by the Academy of American Poets in 1996. It is considered to be the largest literary celebration in the world, as millions of readers, teachers, students, librarians, and more observe the month with live and virtual events.
As noted by the Academy, the goals of the month are to:
- Highlight the extraordinary legacy and ongoing achievement of American poets
- Encourage the reading of poems
- Assist teachers in bringing poetry into their classrooms
- Increase the attention paid to poetry by national and local media
- Encourage increased publication and distribution of poetry books
- Encourage support for poets and poetry
Interested in reading poetry, but not sure where to start? Check out our Celebrate National Poetry Month book list for some great contemporary poetry collections.