National Poetry Month- April 2025
- Ginny Seegmiller
- Apr 10
- 2 min read
I’ve always been someone who feels things deeply; I used to think it was a curse to be more sensitive than others, but I did eventually find my people, and honestly, my people were poets.
What started in grade school with Dr. Suess continued into middle school with Shel Silverstein, and Shel Silverstein turned into Shakespeare and Edgar Allen Poe in high school. From there my love for poetry branched out to Mary Oliver, Maya Angelou, Olivia Gatwood, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, John Keats, Robert Frost, Walt Whitman, Margaret Atwood, Emily Dickenson and the list goes on. I have come to understand that poetry feels like it’s not for everyone, but the truth is, it is for everyone. We all need connection, a place of understanding, validation, relatability, and someone to tug at our heart strings on occasion and to essentially say, “I get it, and I’m here”.
I get excited each April to see not only the resources and expressive ways to showcase poetry, but a chance to again dive into my favorites and share them with the world. So much of our culture is deeply rooted in poetry and we don’t even know it. When we see a cartoon or sitcom where someone says “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways”, that beautiful sentiment is just the opening line of the poem: “How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)” from Elizabeth Barrett Browning in 1845. If you thought the opening line was beautiful, the rest of the Sonnet speaks of a love that feels like it doesn’t exist in this world.
Robert Frost taught us to go against the grain and take the road less traveled. Maya Angelou taught us to still rise when the world is cruel and beats us down. Mary Oliver reminds us to slow down, appreciate a summer day and to ponder what we want to do with our one wild and precious life. Langston Hughes inspires us to hold on to our dreams. And Edgar Allan Poe? Well, he’s just a genius with his prose.
There’s poetry for everyone. There are even books on how to read poetry, understand poetry, and how to write poetry. Some of my favorites are listed below. I have also included a quick poem I wrote about my love of poetry books! See? Poetry is for everyone!
You can learn more about National Poetry Month here: www.poets.org
"Books about poetry, pages unfold,
Stories of words, both timid and bold.
They whisper of muses, of thoughts unspoken,
Of dreams and desires, or hearts broken.
In their spines, a world takes flight,
Of rhyme and verse, of day and night.
Each book a portal, a journey, a key,
Unlocking the soul, setting it free.
So come find a friend, come heal your heart,
Visiting those feelings that tear you apart.
Need someone to understand? No need to look,
Everything you need is in a poetry book."