written by Leah F, staff member, Woodlawn Public Library
Merriam-Webster defines poetry as:
- ‘metrical writing’
- ‘the productions of a poet’
- ‘writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in language chosen and arranged to create a specific emotional response through meaning, sound, and rhythm’
The power and history of poetry
However it is defined, poetry is something that I fell in love with from a very young age; it remains a vital part of my writing practice. Since 1998 (Centre for Social Innovation), people have been celebrating poetry during the month of April; April is National Poetry Month. Poetry is a cultural pathway for many, bringing them that much closer to their roots and ancestry through the art of speaking and writing, as exquisitely depicted in Live From the Afrikan Resistance! by Dr. El Jones. For others, this cultural pathway is a way for them to explore and learn how poetry has been present and significant in specific cultures.
Live From the Afrikan Resistance!
Creative Flexibility: Teaching poetry to new generations
Cultural relevance is vital when educating children and youth about the history, origins, and present significance of poetry. Art and language have faced numerous human battles in their right to preservation, culturally appropriate representation and existence. There continue to be several ethnocultural efforts made to honour, preserve, and teach the art and language of folks of various origins—some of whom were the original masters of poetry. Poetry has long existed as a Chinese art; recent studies show that creative practices are being used in the instruction of ancient Chinese poetry. Children are discovering this art form through the integration of ‘verbal and pictorial representation,’ as noted in Drawing as a strategy for children to learn ancient Chinese Poetry (Xie and Dung 2).
Rooted in accessibility, creative flexibility allows progress to be made in educational performance while learning and retaining a poem through drawing. (Xie and Dung 1).
The Epic of Gilgamesh is consistently known as the world’s oldest recorded poem; it remains on 12 incomplete tablets that were located in and around the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh, which is present-day (Northern) Iraq (Britannica). Poetry has a vast historical presence across the Middle East, where Arabic poems demonstrated some of the earliest forms of literature. These poems were used as a pre-Islamic and Islamic art form and also as a tool for self-expression. Halifax Public Libraries remains committed to providing multilingual options for all readers and listeners of our collections, including Arabic collections of poetry.
Finding the right poem for you
Many people hear or read poetry every day without realizing it—lyrics, for example, are a form of poetry. Sometimes, lyrics receive a warmer welcome than traditional poetry. But it’s all poetry, whether it be slam poetry, lyrics, spoken word, verse, or otherwise.
I believe that there is a poem for each person, even for those who are not typically fond of poetry or reading. It may take some time for someone to find the poem that resonates with them, makes them critically think or deepens their perspective on a specific subject. For a non-poetry reader, it may take a while—but I assure you, there is a set of words waiting for you.
Here are some Atlantic Canadian poetry collections I recommend you explore:
Rebecca Thomas continues to succeed as a notable Mi’kmaw poet and spoken word artist; she served as the Municipal Poet Laureate from 2016–2018. She is well known for her children’s book, I'm Finding My Talk. Be sure to check out Thomas' documentary, Words Matter.
"An Elder once told me,
if you don't step into the water,
how will it feel your sincerity?" (Thomas 101)
These Are Not the Potatoes of My Youth
Matthew Walsh opens this collection with the dedication, "For all my friends who are family," a statement as raw and authentic as the poems that follow. This collection tells stories crafted about Nova Scotia, identity, mental health, family, and more.
"There was a green cassette tape with uncles singing
very scratch sounds in 1987..." (Walsh 30)
And I Alone Escaped to Tell You
Much like in her filmmaking, Sylvia D. Hamilton is a master at making a page echo many voices, especially those of women.
"Realizing you can
swim upstream
just as the stream..." (Hamilton 80)
Hailing from St. John's, Newfoundland, Heather Nolan is a multidisciplinary artist who captures beauty through photography—and carries that same careful attention into her poetry.
"patches of sun like pools
of gold, dazzling." (Nolan 18)
Songs That Remind Us of Factories – Danny Jacobs
Featured in this beautiful 2013 poetry collection is SEED SONG, for sarah.
"The pulp, the mash:
silver and wedge
brown like old prints..." (Jacobs 18)
Keeping life poetic
There is a common saying that poetry is for the page and spoken word is for the stage. Spoken word is a type of poetry intended for performance. Whether written for the page or the stage, all poets and spoken word artists deserve to be recognized—and celebrated.
Support local artists and stay connected with free poetry events by checking Halifax Public Libraries’ What's On Calendar frequently.
Take a stab at writing a poem with the template below for a cinquain poem, a type of poem with medieval, french roots. (Original document here, opens a new window)
Enjoy poetry this April—and year-round!
Works Cited
2025 Cable News Network, Inc., CNN. “Celebrating the transcendent power of Arabic Poetry.” CNN -Content by Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Culture, https://sponsorcontent.cnn.com/int/kingdom-of-saudi-arabia-ministry-of-culture/celebrating-the-transcendent-power-of-arabic-poetry/. Accessed 11 04 2025.
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopædia. “Epic of Gilgamesh | Summary, Characters, & Facts.” Britannica, Britannica, 27 March 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Epic-of-Gilgamesh. Accessed 11 April 2025.
Centre for Social Innovation, League of Canadian Poets. “National Poetry Month | Le Mois national de la poésie.” League of Canadian Poets, 2025, https://poets.ca/offerings/programs/npm-mnp/. Accessed 4 April 2025.
Hamilton, Sylvia D. And I Alone Escaped to Tell You. Gaspereau Press, 2014.
Jacobs, Danny. Songs That Remind Us of Factories. Nightwood Editions, 2013.
Nolan, Heather. Land of the Rock: Talamh an Carraig. Breakwater Books, 2022.
Thomas, Rebecca. I Place You Into the Fire: Poems. Nimbus Publishing Limited, 2020.
Walsh, Matthew. These are Not the Potatoes of My Youth. Goose Lane Editions, 2019.
Xie, Heping, and Sue Dung. “Drawing as a strategy for children to learn ancient Chinese poetry.” Acta Psychologica, vol. 240, no. 2023, 2023, pp. 1-11.
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