April is set aside as National Poetry Month.
Set aside by whom, you may ask?
We don’t know, it just happens every year in April, but parents should be aware of the effect poetry has on teenagers.
As a public service, we here at Airdrie Public Library would like to use this space to inform parents of the signs that their teenagers are dabbling in poetry.
Research by the American writer Russel Jones suggests that one in five teenagers will experiment with poetry at some time in their pre-adult years.
It is imperative that parents know the signs of poetry experimentation.
If you see your child rhyming or free versing, or quoting Dickinson, Shakespeare, Rumi, or Gunesekara, don’t despair; there is hope.
Rhyming is a gateway to sonnets, but as a parent you can put a stop to this by pulling out your old Dr. Suess books and reminding your teenager that green eggs and ham, we do not like them.
Free versing may appeal to your teenager as an expression of their growing sense of personal freedom but remind them that this form of poetry does not rhyme or have meter, thus it is just natural speech.
Nothing to fear, no rhyming here.
If your teenager looks at you one morning, and quotes Emily Dickinson, “Forever is composed of nows,” or Romesh Gunesekara, “My host is a monk on a long journey,” don’t freak out, it’s merely a sign of early poetry use.
As a parent, you can prevent any further damage by insisting your child quote pop culture phrases.
Awesome possum, fake it ‘til you make it, or see you later alligator should calm the poetry urge.
Unfortunately, if you find poetry drafts hidden in their mattress or notice they’ve been thinking, it might be time to give up and send them to the library for our teens and adults Poetry Month Poem Pop-up, held every Tuesday in April at 6:30 p.m.
