Poetry can be many things. Reading and writing poetry can help heal emotional pain, create greater self-awareness, and express feelings for loved ones. From classic poets like William Shakespeare and Henry David Thoreau to new modern writers like Rupi Kaur and Amanda Gorman, poets have often used their work as a way to celebrate great achievements or as calls for peace during times of tension. This National Poetry Month, we invite you to check out poetry in all its forms!
To get you started, we have compiled a booklist showcasing the diverse world of poetry.
Call Us What We Carry: Poems, by Amanda Gorman
Complete Poetry of Maya Angelou
The Princess Saves Herself in This One, by Amanda Lovelace
There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé, by Morgan Parker
The Robert Frost Reader: Poetry and Prose
Poetry speaks Who I Am, edited by Ellen Paschen
Collected Essays and Poems, by Henry David Thoreau
National Poetry Month was established in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets to celebrate poetry and its influence on American culture and is celebrated every April.