April is National Poetry Month and what better time to borrow a book of poetry on the Libby app?

If you’re new to poetry, here are a few quick ideas for how to get started:

🎈 Don’t be afraid to give a kid’s book a try. Even if you don’t have children in your life, your own inner child might appreciate the whimsy and silliness, and often the beautiful illustrations, that come from juvenile poetry. I’ve included some favorites of mine in the list below.

💡 Try an anthology. Anthologies allow you to sample the works of several voices, and you can find great collections about so many topics, ranging from culture and identity to gardening to the state of Indiana.

🎧 Read it out loud to yourself or try a read-along ebook or audiobook to hear the poet speak their words aloud. There can be a striking difference in seeing the words on the page and hearing how they flow in poems.

I love this article from NPR, "We need art right now. Here's how to get into poetry." Andrew Limbong talks about how many people are introduced to poetry through school and therefore view it as something that needs to be dissected and overanalyzed. This can create a mental block where people can lose sight of the enjoyment of poetry. If that sounds like you, I encourage you to try picking up a book of poems or something written in prose to branch out and try poetry again.

Here are 7 excerpts from a few of my favorites:

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

My Head Has a Bellyache by Chris Harris 🎧

Change Sings by Amanda Gorman 🎧

How to Write a Poem by Kwame Alexander and Deanna Nikaido

New and Selected Poems, Volume One by Mary Oliver

You Are Only Just Beginning by Morgan Harper Nichols 🎧

You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith 🎧

*Title availability may vary by library & region.

🌹 Roses are red, violets are blue, read these on Libby, and listen to them too.

RELATED READ: 14 poetry collections to read even if you don’t read poetry