Today's post is written by Library Graduate Assistant Kimberly Braet.
This April, the Lehman Library is celebrating National Poetry Month. The Academy of American Poets launched National Poetry Month in 1996 to celebrate poetry’s role in society and culture. In addition to an annual celebration, the Library of Congress also elects an official poet of the United States every two years to advocate for poetry appreciation year-round. The current holder of this position is Ada Limón, an author of six poetry collections with an impressive background of fellowships and national awards. To learn more about Limón’s work, visit https://www.loc.gov/programs/poetry-and-literature/poet-laureate/.
The expression and appreciation of poetry takes on many forms, whether you are a poet or a reader. In honor of this month-long celebration, the library will have an interactive blackout poetry activity and display on the main floor of the library, resources and information about poetry, and information about the Reflector Undergraduate Journal of the Arts, which annually supports undergraduate students’ poetry, prose, and art.
Unlike some forms of literature, which are more consistent and constrictive in their traditional structuring, poetry offers an artistically diverse array of forms for writers to experiment with. Poetic forms generally fall into a wide range of new, traditional, and experimental styles that can all be appreciated for their uniqueness. Some take advantage of the auditory elements of language, such as sound, rhythm, and rhyme, while others may focus more on the visual elements of written language to enhance the poetic experience. For more information about poetic styles and an in-depth list of over 100 recognized poetic forms, visit the Writer’s Digest website here.
One such form that the Lehman Library will be incorporating in this year’s poetry display is black-out poetry. Black-out poetry is described by the History of Blackout Poetry Organization as poetry that utilizes pre-existing texts to create newly realized poetry through the erasure, highlighting, or rearrangement of words. On the main floor of the library, patrons will have access to book paper, cut-out words, sharpies, and various crafting tools to fuel creative blackout poems. Come to the Lehman Library to participate in this activity, post your creations online, and tag us on your Facebook or Instagram @shiplibrary. Visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/shiplibrary and our Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/shiplibrary/.
Some famous blackout poets include Thomas Phillips, author of A Humument, Janet Holmes, author of The Ms of M Y Kin, Will Ashford, and Austin Kleon, author of Newspaper Blackout. The full list of authors and artists that practice blackout poetry is constantly expanding, and through a simple google search of blackout poetry, you can find thousands of inspirational works by poets and artists all over the world.
Whether you appreciate poetic form as a poet or a reader, you may be seeking inspiration and opportunities to increase your regular exposure to poetry. Poets.org offers a poem a day delivered to your email inbox at https://poets.org/poem-a-day, or if you are a podcast fan, you can receive daily poetry podcasts at https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/poem-a-day?selected=POETS4875982945#:~:text=. If you are a poet looking for writing prompts or daily inspiration, you may like to explore National Poetry Writing Month’s daily prompts for the month of April. Information about their organization and these prompts can be found at https://www.napowrimo.net/.
To increase your engagement with poetry on campus, check out the Shippensburg University Reflector Journal of the Arts at https://shipthereflector.wixsite.com/reflector or visit their Instagram @shippensburg.reflector. The Reflector has been an active, on-campus journal of the arts since 1957. The organization accepts writing and art submissions from undergraduate students in any program of study on campus and publishes work in an annual journal every Spring. If you have prose, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or artwork that you would like to submit, email reflect@ship.edu with your submissions. If you are interested in joining the reflector team, visit their ship-link at https://shiplink.ship.edu/reflector/home/.
Whether you participate in our blackout poetry event, explore our poetry resources, or contribute to the Reflector Journal of the Arts, there's a place for you to participate in this month’s poetry celebration. We hope you’ll take part as we celebrate poetry's power to inspire creativity, connection, and change.
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