What poems have you read for National Poetry Month? Can’t decide where to start? We’re already halfway through this annual literary celebration, but poetry editor Stephen Collis has an exciting announcement to make:
When T. S. Eliot dubbed April
the cruellest month,he had something about the inseparability of birth and death in mind. In the evolution of April as National Poetry Month, however, we tend to emphasize the birth side of that equation. At Canadian Literature, we certainly look forward to the arrival of dozens of new poetry titles at this time of year, and the reviews and intellectual discussion that should soon follow in their wake. From where we are standing, Canadian small presses and their poets have never seemed so robust.Maybe we have resurrection on our minds too. This month we will dig into our archives to share a number of poems from past issues of Canadian Literature—some greatest hits that might stoke the fires of new production. We certainly have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to our online archive. Watch for reminders about some of the fine poems we have published, and watch for the excellent poems that will be appearing in upcoming issues.
This year, National Poetry Month focuses around the theme of food and poetry, as inspired by Vancouver Poet Laureate Rachel Rose’s inaugural speech: Food is personal, political, sensual, and powerful.
We hope you’ll enjoy this journey through our archives as we serve up some delicious poems on Twitter, every day until the end of the month starting next Monday.
To learn more about Canadian poetry, visit CanLit Guides for an exploration of Poetic Visuality and Experimentation.
Happy readings!