April is National Poetry Month! This is one of my favorite times of year because poetry can be so beautiful, but I don’t usually reach for it. Being encouraged in the spring when the sun comes out and the flowers are blooming to take a moment and slow down to enjoy some poetry is exactly what I need. Maybe you do too.
Of course, no poetry list in 2021 is complete without Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman. The Hill We Climb, the poem she read at the 2021 Presidential Inauguration, has been published and is currently being translated for publication in many other countries. I personally love the cover too– understated but stylish, reminiscent of the coat she wore back in January. Ours are all checked out, of course, but you can get on the list to borrow it yourself in print or digitally. She has more poetry and a children’s book coming later this year, so her fans are sure to be satisfied.
Pulitzer Prizewinning poet Mary Oliver (1935-2019) is one of my long-time favorites and a must for anyone new to poetry. I’m particularly fond of Devotions, a selection of her work spanning her lengthy and wonderful career. She wrote a lot about nature and spirituality, so if you like being gently told that you would be happier if you took a walk, her beautiful work is for you.
Your taste may skew to a more youthful depiction of trauma and healing, and if so the lightly-illustrated Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur might be just your speed. Kaur rose to popularity on Tumblr several years back, and her poetry is as raw and hopeful now as it was then. You can read Milk and Honey in print, on OverDrive, or on hoopla.
Another personal favorite of mine is Richard Siken. He writes with passion and eloquence about desire and the beauty all around us. His collection War of the Foxes is available in print or on hoopla.
My final recommendation is for Poisoned Apples by Christine Heppermann. Subtitled “poems for you, my pretty,” this collection contains fairy-tale inspired poems on femininity, relationships, and bodies. And, again, the cover is gorgeous. You can read it in print or on hoopla.
Happy reading!
