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April is National Poetry Month: Activities and Daily Poems Below
April 1
The Poetry Foundation's poem for today was Maya Angelou's "Still I Rise," published in 1978 and one of her most celebrated poems. Hear Maya Angelou's powerful poem in her own voice or listen to Nicki Minaj's version.
April 2
IHS' own Ms. Little chose Tracy K. Smith's poem "Sci-Fi," published in 2011. Tracy K. Smith was the Poet Laureate of the United States from 2017 - 2019. Read "Sci-Fi" and find out more about the author at poets.org.
Click the play button below to listen.
Ms. Little reading "Sci Fi".m4aApril 3
Ms. McDonald reads Sara Teasdale's poem "April." Read this short, seasonally appropriate poem or learn more about Sara Teasdale, an American lyric poet who lived from 1884 - 1933. Her poems often focused on nature, love, and death, conveying complex ideas with simple language.
April ST Poem.mp3
April 6
Happy Monday! Anna Westwig, class of 2021, reads "The Thing Is" by Ellen Bass. This poem is from Poetry of Presence: An Anthology of Mindfulness Poems, published by Grayson Books in 2017. Ellen Bass is an accomplished poet and author of non-fiction, teaches in the MFA writing program at Pacific University, and founded poetry workshops in Salinas Valley State Prison and the Santa Cruz, California jails.
Click the play button below to listen.
New Recording (1).m4aapril 7
Ms. McDonald reads Margarita Engle's poem, "Kinship," published in 2015. Margarita Engle is an American-Cuban poet and author who also trains search and rescue dogs. We have several of her books at the IHS Library. In the video at right, Margarita Engle gives advice to teens interested in writing poetry.
Click the play button below to listen to today's poem.
Kinship April 7.mp3April 8
Ms. McDonald reads a poem by Langston Hughes, "April Rain Song." This short poem is a celebration of the rain, and can also be found set to music. To hear Langston Hughes perform "The Weary Blues" in 1958, please watch the video at right.
April Rain Song Apr 8.mp3april 9
Rupi Kaur's collections of poetry are some of the most popular books in our high school library. The Canadian poet sold over a million copies of 2014's Milk and Honey. In 2017, she released The Sun and Her Flowers. Both collections explore love, loss, trauma, migration, and femininity. Rupi Kaur's books feature her drawings as well as her poems. Hear the poem "Timeless" in the video at right.
april 10
Today's poem is Ilya Kaminsky's "We Lived Happily During the War," published in 2013. Ilya Kaminsky was born in the Soviet Union city of Odessa in 1977, lost most of his hearing at age four, and moved to Rochester, NY with his family in 1993. He began to write poetry in 1994, after his father died. Find out more about Ilya Kaminsky and watch the video to hear his powerful poem in a mix of chanting, singing, and speaking.
April 13
Ms. McDonald reads a poem by Brad Aaron Modlin, "What You Missed That Day You Were Absent From Fourth Grade." Published in 2016, this poem is featured on the Poetry Unbound podcast, episode "A Poem For What You Learn Alone." Today Ithaca City School District kicks off Distance Learning 2.0, and this poem serves as a reminder of the varying ways we learn. Brad Aaron Modlin is an American author of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. Read more of his poems on his website.
What You Missed Poem.mp4April 14
Joan Graham is an author and poet. Her poem, "Nature Knows Its Math" was first published in 1997. Watch the time lapse video that combines visual art with the simple lines of the poem, or listen to Ms. McDonald read the poem by clicking the play button below.
april 14 poem 2020.mp3April 15
Pablo Neruda's poem, "Clenched Soul," is read by actor Tom Hiddleston. A Chilean poet and senator, he was born Ricardo Eliécer Neftalà Reyes Basoalto in 1904. He wrote poems under the pen name Pablo Neruda, which later became his legal name. As a diplomat, Pablo Neruda worked in Spain, France, and Latin America. His work mixed the political and personal, and his poems on love and revolution earned him the Nobel prize in 1971. He died in 1973.
April 16
Ithaca High School's own Mr. Slattery reads a poem called "Morning Paper." Watch, listen, and enjoy!
Untitled: Apr 15, 2020 3:57 PM.webmapril 17
Ms. McDonald reads Rumi's poem, "The Guest House." A 13th Century poet, mystic, and scholar of Islam and the Quran, Rumi's continued popularity 800 years after he lived is a testament to the lasting power of his poetry. His works have been repeatedly translated into English, and this poem is from the Coleman Barks translation. Rumi's vivid, simple imagery and ability to find the divine in ordinary moments are part of why his poetry remains so popular today.
April 17 Rumi.mp4April 20
The power of slam poetry in undeniable. Although the IHS Poetry Slam is not taking place this year, there are national and regional slams that have shifted entirely online. Today's poem is a slam poem by Aiya, at the 2019 Youth Speaks Poetry Finals for teen slam poets in the San Francisco Bay Area (California).
April 21
Today's poem is from Poets.org's Poem-a-Day. American poet and essayist, Rita Dove, reads her poem, "Testimony: 1968." Rita Dove was chosen to be US poet laureate in 1993, and was 40 years old, the youngest poet ever elected to the position.
April 22
Happy Earth Day, today is the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day, which was held in 1970 and kicked off the modern environmental movement. Today's poem is "Earth Day" by Jane Yolen. Jane Yolen has written 386 books for children and adults and has won numerous awards.
Interested in celebrating Earth Day 2020 online? Check out the virtual programming on the EarthDay.org website.
April 23
Today's poem is Ranier Maria Rilke's "In April." A German poet, Rilke lived from 1875 - 1926, and his intense, lyrical poetry was shaped by his commitment to art above all else in life. Rilke traveled throughout Europe and was inspired by his trips to Russia and doubts about religion. The poem expresses the contrast between the hope of springtime and the gray reality of April. Click below to listen to Ms. McDonald read "In April."
April 23 Poem.mp3
April 24
Maia Mayor performing "I Want to Be" at the Get Lit Classic Slam in 2019. The tension between the reality of being and a multitude of "I wants" provides humor, insight, and food for thought. Maia Mayor is a young American poet, and an emeritus member of the Get Lit Players, an award winning classic teen poetry troupe based in Los Angeles. Read more about Maia and her early poems.
April 27
Happy Monday! Today's poem is read by IHS's own Mr. Heurich, "I Forgive You, New York." This poem originally appeared as an opinion piece by Roger Cohen in the New York Times on April 24th, 2020. The original instrumental music that accompanies the reading is by Mr. Heurich as well. View the transcript of Roger Cohen's podcast, and click the button below to listen to the poem of the day.
I Forgive You, New York.mp3
April 28
Poem in Your Pocket Day is April 30th, 2020. Learn how to participate, or watch the video to get inspired by haiku poems, perfectly pocket-sized, animated, and set to music. Poem in Your Pocket Day was started in New York City in 2002, and grew into a national initiative by 2008. In 2016, Canadian Poets extended the celebration to Canada. Discover ways to mark Poem in Your Pocket Day at home or connecting virtually.
April 29
"Desiderata - Words for Life" is a prose poem by Max Ehrmann, copyrighted in 1927. He wrote it during the early 1920s, and there is an urban legend surrounding this poem that has been debunked on Snopes. A lawyer from Indiana, Ehrmann's poetry did not attract much attention during his lifetime (1872 - 1945). Desiderata is Latin for "things desired," and the words of the poem are profound and practical life advice.
April 30
Today's poem is "Introduction to Poetry" by Billy Collins. Published in 1988, this short, imaginative poem is typical of Billy Collins' humorous, conversational style. He was born in 1941, served as Poet Laureate of the United States twice, and has been called "the most popular poet in America." Click the link below to hear the poem read by Ms. McDonald.
April 30 poem.mp3
Activities
- Magnetic Poetry Online: Create, save, and share your own magnetic-style poetry
- Get Lit YouTube Channel: Nationwide annual slam poetry event
- Glossary of Poetic Terms: Explore different styles of poetry as defined by 246 terms
- Book Spine Poetry: Grab books with interesting titles, make a poem by stacking them
- Poetry Unbound: Short and unhurried podcasts, each featuring a single poem to think about connections between the real and written worlds
- Poem Picture: Watch the short video and create your own
- Power Poetry: A mobile/teen poetry community
- Poem in Your Pocket Day: April 30, 2020
- Types of Poetry: Explore interesting and unique forms of poetry
12 Types of Poetry.pdf
Book spine poetry with a bonus puppy
Watch this short video from TED-Ed and think about what poetry means to you.