While April may be commonly known for its showers, it is also National Poetry Month! Poetry is a beautiful, lyrical art form that is used to express one’s feelings of nature, life, and society.  There are many different types of poetry; in fact, there are over fifty types! The most common and well-known being sonnets, haikus, free verse, shape poems and epic poems. It is also a time to honor the works of great poets such as Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, Emily Dickens, Edgar Allen Poe and of course, Shakespeare!

     As a matter of fact, one of the reasons National Poetry Month is celebrated in April is because of Shakespeare’s birthday- which is on the 23rd of this month. While he is mainly known for his plays, Shakespeare also wrote stunning poetry and coined his style of poetry as the sonnets we know today! One marvelous and popular example is Sonnet 18, or called by the first line of the stanza, “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?” The British poet and playwright is still renowned today for his phenomenal works, especially during this month!

     Though, National Poetry Month celebrates more than just sonnets, there are many more types of poems like we mentioned earlier. For example, the short and sweet haiku that typically describes nature in a 5-7-5 syllable pattern. Free verse poems that do not restrict the writer to any specific form, or shape poems; where the poet’s words form an image to show what the poem is about. There’s the oldest type of recorded poetry, epic poems, that typically tell the journey of a hero. Of course, there are still many more styles of poetry other than the ones we have named!

      Poetry is a splendid art form that touches the souls of those who read it. This month is dedicated to those who create these lyrical pieces, and those who appreciate them. In spirit, Tuscarora Times’ will be posting poetry throughout April!