Poetry is inherently connected to nature, it serves as our literary reminder to stop and smell the roses. Poetry forces intimacy with its readers, urging them to pause, take breaths, think it all over, and continue. Poetry, with its built-in time-outs and rhythmic dance, is timeless. April is National Poetry Month, so here are some of VALLEY’s favorite poems and poets.
What You Missed That Day You Were Absent from Fourth Grade by Brad Aaron Modlin
A nostalgic favorite, this poem teaches kindness to oneself and a humanity that exists throughout us all.
Stopping by Woods on A Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
Maybe Robert Frost was part of your high school English curriculum, maybe not. Either way, meet him with a new perspective, one of tranquility and respect for our surroundings. This poem may have lulled you to sleep in the fourth period long ago but find comfort in its pace and picturesque words now.
Buffalo Bills by E.E. Cummings
Speaking of high school English class, here is E.E. Cummings, a radical poet still admired today. He is difficult to understand and a rule-breaker of basic formatting beliefs, but his word lives on and remains an inspiration for personal style
chances are you have already read Milk and Honey, or feel like you have after seeing so much of it on social media a few years back, but this segmented book of poems deserves a second go-around. These poems come together to tell a story of pain and heartbreak and the bittersweetness that exists in everyday life.
Those are VALLEY’s interpretations of these poems, but of course, the beauty of poetry is that most of the time, the meaning is up for the reader to dictate. Do not let the complexity and hierarchy of poetry stop you from reading something you love. Poetry can be quite difficult to understand, but you have to dance with it. flow along with the pauses it bodes and the breathing it guides you with and you will come to a better understanding of the poem and the world around you.
This April, think of reading as taking a walk. You sneak into another balanced world and admire all that surrounds you. This is the experience that good poems leave you with. This National Poetry Month- falls into that experience.
Have any other poetry recommendations? Let us know by tweeting us @VALLEYmag on X!
