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National Poetry Month: A World of Poetry | Periscope

Poetry is a language spoken around the world.

Although you may not regularly sit down and read poetry, chances are you are exposed to some form of it every day. Do you jump rope? If you do, you may sing a song like this to keep your feet moving.

Down by the seashore, down by the sea,
Johnny broke a bottle and blamed it on me.
I told ma, ma told pa,
Johnny got a spanking, ha-ha-ha!

If you jump rope, sing or rap, you are participating in a form of language art that has been around for thousands of years! Recently, poetry has been reinvented through poetry "slams." At poetry slams, poets perform to a lively, critical audience. But, no matter what form poetry takes, all poems use words to express ideas, feelings, thoughts and images.

National Poetry Month is celebrated in April each year.

 

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Comparisons, Part 2 | Tools of the Trade

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Comparisons, Part 2 | Tools of the Trade
Episode 6
So, Tom used simile and metaphor in his poem. He even gave it a name! Small Victory Like enormous snails a bunch of munching cows cross the road, chewing their cuds as green, gloppy paste drips from...
Comparisons, Part 1 | Tools of the Trade

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Comparisons, Part 1 | Tools of the Trade
Episode 5
Michael Carey's two most basic tools for saying more with less are simile and metaphor. Michael teaches that these tools of comparison add even more meaning to a poem. A simile is a comparison that...
Rhythm and Line Breaks | Tools of the Trade

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Rhythm and Line Breaks | Tools of the Trade
Episode 4
Rhythm and Line Breaks There are even more ways that Tom Slack can improve on his word "painting." Michael Carey teaches that rhythm and line breaks are basic tools that add meaning to poems. Like a...
Say the Most You Can...Fewest Words | Tools of the Trade

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Say the Most You Can...Fewest Words | Tools of the Trade
Episode 1
"Say the most you can in the fewest words." - Michael Carey, Poet and Teacher We have explored the importance of poetry to people around the world. There are as many, or more, different types of...
What Is Haiku? What Are the Rules?

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What Is Haiku? What Are the Rules?
Episode 1
What Is Haiku? "Simply what is happening in this place at this moment." - Matsuo Basho Traditional haiku describes a moment in time using words that awaken the senses. Matsuo Basho, a famous haiku...
Grace Freeman | Poets Laureate

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Grace Freeman | Poets Laureate
Episode 5
Grace Freeman S.C. Poet Laureate 1985 - 1986 Grace Freeman was named poet laureate of South Carolina by Governor Dick Riley in 1985. Grace was born in Greenville County, and her poems, stories, plays...
Ennis Rees | Poets Laureate

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Ennis Rees | Poets Laureate
Episode 4
Ennis Rees S.C. Poet Laureate 1984 - 1985 In 1984, Ennis Rees was named the third poet laureate of South Carolina by Governor Dick Riley. At the time, Ennis had been an English professor at the...
Helen von Kolnitz Hyer | Poets Laureate

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Helen von Kolnitz Hyer | Poets Laureate
Episode 3
Helen von Kolnitz Hyer S.C. Poet Laureate 1974 - 1983 Like Archibald Rutledge, Helen von Kolnitz Hyer had a calling to be a poet at a very young age. As a girl, she memorized poems from her aunt's...
Archibald Rutledge | Poets Laureate

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Archibald Rutledge | Poets Laureate
Episode 2
Archibald Rutledge S.C. Poet Laureate 1936-1949 It has been said that "Archie" Rutledge was a born poet. He composed his first piece of poetry at the age of three. It exists in print to this very day...
What Is a Poet Laureate? | Poets Laureate

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What Is a Poet Laureate? | Poets Laureate
Episode 1
Poets Laureate of England The tradition of employing a poet as "poet laureate" began with the royalty of England in the 16th century. Poets laureate held an official position in the royal court. The...
Emily Dickinson | Poetry All-Stars

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Emily Dickinson | Poetry All-Stars
Episode 8
Emily Dickinson 1830 - 1886 Emily Dickinson rarely left her home in Massachusetts, and her connection to the outside world was usually through letter writing. But Dickinson's creativity seemed to...
Pat Mora | Poetry All-Stars

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Pat Mora | Poetry All-Stars
Episode 7
Pat Mora (1942 - ) Pat Mora is a writer of numerous children's books of poetry and prose. Mora is a native of El Paso, Texas and her work often features local interests, such as her family, the...
Edgar Allan Poe | Poetry All-Stars

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Edgar Allan Poe | Poetry All-Stars
Episode 6
Edgar Allan Poe 1809 - 1849 In 1826, Edgar Allan Poe entered the University of Virginia. He was a successful student, but had a problem with gambling, for which he was forced to leave. After a short...
Rita Dove | Poetry All-Stars

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Rita Dove | Poetry All-Stars
Episode 5
Rita Dove 1952 - In 1987, Rita Dove was one of the youngest poets to win a Pulitzer Prize for poetry. Dove also became the youngest poet laureate of the United States in 1993. Currently, Dove is a...
Robert Frost | Poetry All-Stars

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Robert Frost | Poetry All-Stars
Episode 4
Robert Frost 1874-1963 After a failed attempt at farming in New Hampshire, Frost moved with his wife to England in 1912. There, he was influenced by the great English poets of the day. His friend Ezra...
Maya Angelou | Poetry All-Stars

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Maya Angelou | Poetry All-Stars
Episode 3
Maya Angelou (April 4, 1928 - May 28, 2014) Dr. Maya Angelou's busy career has included work as a poet, historian, songwriter, playwright, dancer, film producer, director, actress, singer, and civil...
Walt Whitman | Poetry All-Stars

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Walt Whitman | Poetry All-Stars
Episode 2
Walt Whitman 1819 - 1892 Walt Whitman, "The Great Grey Poet," was born in 1819 on Long Island in New York. At an early age, Whitman began reading the work of Shakespeare and Homer. His love of words...
Langston Hughes | Poetry All-Stars

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Langston Hughes | Poetry All-Stars
Episode 1
Langston Hughes 1902-1967 Langston's father once discouraged him from writing poetry. He believed discrimination would keep the young Langston from finding success as a poet. But Langston continued to...
Poetry Comes in Many Shapes and Colors | A World of Poetry

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Poetry Comes in Many Shapes and Colors | A World of Poetry
Episode 22
These are only a few types of poetry found throughout the history of the world. In this month's issue of Periscope, you will find that poetry comes in many shapes and colors. It is written for...
Africa, Part 2 | A World of Poetry

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Africa, Part 2 | A World of Poetry
Episode 15
To The Rain Bringer of wealth Feeder of orphans Fall gently Come and feed us peacefully Oh, fall gently. - Acoli