AMESBURY — National Poetry Month kicked off across the country Wednesday, and the Amesbury Cultural Council is ready to celebrate locally.
Throughout the month, the council, the Amesbury Poet Laureate and local organizations like the John Greenleaf Whittier Home will host and engage in poetry-themed events.
The Greenleaf Whittier Home is hosting its annual “Gathering of Verses” high school poetry contest, with submissions due on April 20.
The contest is open to high school students who can submit up to three poems either individually or as part of a class group. The poems must be 30 lines or less and original, unpublished work, according to the contest rules and guidelines.
The winners of the contest will be asked to read their poems at an awards ceremony that will coincide with another event, the annual Tapestry of Voices, where poets will read Whittier’s poetry as well their own on Aug. 9, at the Greenleaf Whittier Home.
Winners will also receive a certificate of excellence in poetry and prizes, including $100 for first prize, $75 for second prize, $50 for third prize and $25 for an honorable mention.
The Greenleaf Whittier Home will also be the site of the “Poemapalooza” event on April 25 which will be held through the cultural council by Amesbury Poet Laureate Bryan Riley.
Riley, who was inaugurated this year, said he is thrilled to engage in National Poetry Month events in his new role.
“I’m very excited. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate poetry and poets,” he said.
Poemapalooza is a free event that will allow poets time to read their work and listen to the pieces written by their fellow poets.
“Just come as you are, be ready to read for 10 minutes or more depending on how many people show up,” Riley said.
Riley also said events like Poemapalooza are beneficial to changing public opinion about poetry.
“I think people have a very outdated perception of what poetry is. And, I think having these events kind of helps people gain awareness that there’s more to it than just rhyming schemes,” he said.
Amesbury Cultural Council Communications Chair Bailey Campbell said it is important for the council to highlight poets and bring attention to their work.
“It’s an opportunity for us to showcase the art of the written word. We do have some really amazing poets in the area. And, I think poetry is one where especially with the youth poets, it tends to be a little bit of a quieter practice,” she said.
Campbell also said National Poetry Month celebrations can serve as a reminder of the beauty of writing created without any technological help.
“Especially in a world with so much tech and AI generating the spoken word for us, it’s really refreshing to hear it from a human, and hear the creativity just pour out of them in the spoken word form,” she said.
To learn more about local National Poetry Month celebrations, visit the cultural council’s website: www.amesburyculturalcouncil.org/poetrymonth