With spring well underway, the weather warming and the Earth coming back to life, is it any wonder that April is designated National Poetry Month in the United States?
The literary celebration was created in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets to try to highlight the work of American poets and increase the attention given to an ancient art form.
The commemorative month was "inspired by the successful celebrations of Black History Month (February) and Women's History Month (March)," according to the academy's website.
Just like those other celebrations, you don't need permission or anything special to mark National Poetry Month; you can celebrate wherever and however you see fit. But if you want some ideas to get you started, we've got them.
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Here are some ways and places to enjoy poetry in the D.C. area.
D.C. Public Library
The D.C. Public Library has a series of signature events for poetry lovers throughout April. You can find the full list at this webpage, but here are some highlights:
On Tuesday, April 8, teens are invited to hear spoken word poetry performed by one of the DMV’s Youth Poet Laureates, then write poetry of their own. The event runs from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library. Learn more here.
On Saturday, April 19, the Shaw branch building will host local author Kenard Eugene Johnson as he shares stories of growing up in poverty in D.C. through poetry. That event runs from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and you can learn more here.
On Tuesday, April 22, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library will host a panel discussion with Elizabeth Acevedo, Dan Vera, Alexandra Lytton Regalado, and Juan J. Morales. The panel will highlight a newly published book that brings together more than 180 Latino poets — "Latino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology." The event runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and you can learn more here.
Finally, all month long, D.C. residents can craft their own submission to DCPL's annual haiku contest. Entrants must be at least 6 years old to enter, and there's a limit of two entries per person. The contest has age categories for children, teens and adults.
"Prize-winners will take home library swag and have their poem posted in the library and on the DC Public Library's website in May!" the DCPL webpage about the contest reads. Learn more here.
Library of Congress
What better D.C. staple than the Library of Congress — the largest library in the world and organizer of the National Book Festival — to turn to for poems, poets and poetry?
First, there are the library's April events, which include an ongoing display dedicated to Pulitzer Prize– and National Book Award–winning poet Mary Oliver.
Then there's the work of U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón.
Her three-year total tenure comes to an end at the end of the month. Like all poet laureate consultants in poetry to the Library of Congress, Limón was appointed to her position by the librarian of Congress, but she made history as the first to be appointed to two terms.
Limón is the 24th U.S. poet laureate, and her signature project launched last April in honor of that National Poetry Month.
The "You Are Here" project is a two-part initiative comprised of a poetry anthology Limón curated and published a year ago, and poetry-based public art installations in seven national parks across the country. The public art installations brought "site-specific poetry installations" to Cape Cod National Seashore, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Everglades National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Mount Ranier National Park, Redwood National and State Parks, and Saguaro National Park.
It also came with a writing prompt: What would you write in response to the landscape around you? Anyone who wants to try their hand can post their response on social media with the hashtag #YouAreHerePoetry.
“Above all, this project is about rising to this moment with hope, the kind of hope that will echo outwards for years to come,” Limón said in a statement.
The Library of Congress will host a farewell event for Limón on Thursday, April 17, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. She will give a lecture on the art of poetry, and then host a book signing.
The next poet laureate will be announced later this summer, according to a Library of Congress spokesperson.
If you'd rather listen to works from the talented poets of the past, you can comb through the Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature on the Library of Congress website. According to the library, the archive dates back to 1943 and contains nearly 2,000 recordings of poets and writers, including poets like Louise Glück, Maya Angelou and Ray Bradbury.
And if there's a poem that's right on the tip of your tongue or the edge of your brain but you can't quite remember the whole thing, the Library of Congress has a guide to finding a poem whose title and author you can't recall.
Planet Word events
Planet Word, D.C.'s museum for linguists, writers and other word lovers, is recognizing National Poetry Month with workshops and programs all month long.
The highlight of their celebration is Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 10, with an event in Franklin Park starting at noon.
"Find us in our blue shirts with our basket of poems in Franklin Park during lunch to pick up a surprise poem," the site says. "Then, visit Planet Word where our Short Story Dispenser has been stocked with lots of poems just for the day. Print out a poem before you go!"
If you can't make it to Planet Word for the celebration, you can always share your favorite poem on social media with the hashtag #PocketPoem. You can also watch past poetry-related program videos with the museum's YouTube playlist.
The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Busboys and Poets open mic nights
If you want a more casual approach to poetry immersion — or to jump straight in by sharing your writing — Busboys and Poets has open mic nights every week.
"Busboys and Poets is proud to be a venue that provides space and support for poets and spoken word performers and interested audiences," its site says.
The day of the week varies by location, but each open mic night lasts for two hours and comes with a $5 cover charge. Here's the full list:
- 14th & V: Every Tuesday 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- Columbia: Every Thursday 8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
- 450K: Every Wednesday 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- Shirlington: Every Monday 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- Hyattsville: Every Thursday 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- Brookland: Fridays 9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
For more information on other poetry slams and open mics hosted at different Busboys and Poets locations, check out its webpage here.
And if you're more into reading than performing, Busboys and Poets also has a bookstore built in to every location so you can purchase a new book after your meal.
Words, Beats & Life Festival
The 2025 Words, Beats & Life Festival takes place the first week of April this year, and will bring nine events to the District in 4 days.
Check out the festival from April 3 to April 6 for concerts, jazz, DJs, open mics and a series of exhibits featuring everything from art to hip-hop.
Poetry-related highlights include the Combine Poetry All-Stars at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage on Thursday evening, and the Slamtastic Youth Grand Slam Finals open mic and poetry slam at the 14th St. Busboys and Poets location on Saturday.
Learn more about the festival here.
Other ways to celebrate National Poetry Month
The Academy of American Poets has a list of 30 ways to celebrate National Poetry Month on its website.
Included in that list is the Poem-a-Day series, which you can sign up for as either an email newsletter or a podcast. The poems are curated by a different editor each month, and the emails and podcast come out year-round, not just in April.
If you want your poetry to hit, literally, closer to home, you could take a look at your state poet laureate. Almost all 50 states have one, though sometimes they go by the title state poet or writer-in-residence. The Academy of American Poets has the full list here.
Washington, D.C.'s poet laureate position is vacant and has been since Dolores Kendrick died in 2017, according to a 2021 Washington Post opinion piece calling for a new appointee. You can read more about Kendrick here.
Virginia's poet laureate is Mattie Quesenberry Smith, who you can read more about here.
Maryland's poet laureate is Lady Brion, who you can read more about here.
Other ways to appreciate poetry in April include watching movies, lectures or videos featuring a poet; making a poetry playlist; and researching and volunteering with local poetry organizations.
The National Poetry Foundation also has a series of deals and events all month long to celebrate. Learn more here.
And, of course, there's always NBC Washington's favorite beat poet.
