Can you believe it's already 2020? The start of the year is always a great time to set goals for yourself and think of new things you'd like to try. So today, let's set some goals for poetry in the year 2020!
First, start off by thinking about your last year. Ask yourself:
- What were some favorite poems or books of poetry that you read?
- Did you try writing any poetry? If so, did you have any favorite styles or types of poetry to write?
- What was your all-time-favorite poem from last year (whether your own work or someone else's)?
Now, it's time to create a vision for poetry in 2020! There are a few different areas to think about over the course of the next year.
Reading
Find one new poet to read this year. Check out our list of featured poets (both historical and poets writing today) to give you a head start. Try to read a whole poetry book or at least multiple poems by this poet.
What do you notice about their style? Are there repeated words that they like using across poems? What about rhythms or other patterns? How do they compare to other poets you know?
If you're new to the world of reading poetry, take a look at our step-by-step guide on how to read a poem. It will help you gain confidence in reading and discussing complex poetry with your family!
Writing
Set a goal for writing poetry this year. If you've never tried, check out our guide for how to write a poem. It may seem like a difficult exercise, but all you need is a bit of imagination!
If you've already written lots of poetry last year, why not try to revise 2–5 of your favorite poems? Focus on the most vivid, emotional, and surprising parts of your poem to make it pack a punch. For other revision tips, be sure to read our guide on revising poetry.
Sharing
Now that you've invested your time and energy into reading and writing poetry, don't forget to share your poetry with others! You can give your poems as gifts, throw a poetry slam (a party where everyone reads poetry), host your own multi-family Poetry Teatime, or submit your poetry for publication in contests and magazines.
Wherever this year leads you, we hope your vision for 2020 includes lots of poetry celebrations with family and friends!