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Tuesday, May 30, 2023 is National Creativity Day!

May 30, 2023 by Nicola

Whilst we eagerly await the next edition of PoARTy, available this Saturday, let us celebrate CREATIVITY!

National Creativity Day

Unleash your inner artist and let creativity run wild! From painting to poetry, there’s no limit to what you can create. So, grab your brushes, pens, or whatever inspires you, and let the magic of imagination take over.

How to Celebrate? Read More: https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/national-creativity-day/…

 

Here is a fun Poetry Prompt: Cut out headlines or phrases from magazines or newspapers to make a found poem. Bonus points if it is about creativity:)

And, another prompt: “Ode to ….” —> look http://DaysoftheYear.com for inspiration. E.g., World Otter Day (May 31st) inspired this nonsense wordplay:

The mother of the other otter ought to utter another mutter.

The bother of the utter that the other mother muttered might

be better left a letter to unpack.

She may let you pet her when she floats upon her back,

with her little button nose and teeny wiggly toes.

The otter (not the other) is the brother, who got her popcorn,

but her popcorn is unbuttered, what a bother!

(By Nicola Schneider)

 

I’d also like to take a moment to introduce your new Tower Poetry Society Executive Council for 2023/24:

President: Fran Figge
Past President: Jennifer Dunlop
Vice-President: Lisa Borkovich
Editor-in-Chief: G.W. Down
Secretary: Jenny Sorenson
Treasurer: Ed Woods
Website Coordinator: Nicola Schneider
Circulation Manager: Ed Woods
Counsellor at Large: Dean Sinclair

Thank you to the following past executive members for all your hard work: Gaiyle Connolly (past president), Trudi Down (past web coordinator, member-at-large, jumped in as Secretarty), Joanne Menchion, Susanne Noordyk; Thank you to our newsletter creator, Roy Adam; Thank you to my Artwalk Tour Guide Partner, Jim Tomkins; Thank you to Eleanor Krosydar & Gaiyle Connolly for your work with Artwalk; Thank you to Halyna Koba for getting word out about TPS; AND Thank you to all TPS members for writing poems, attending workshops & events, and submitting poems.

 

Filed Under: poetry prompt Tagged With: Canadian Poets, CanadianPoets, creativityday, Hamilton Poets, HamiltonPoets, nationalcreativityday, Ontario Poets, OntarioPoets, poARTry, poetry prompts, Tower Poetry Society Hamilton, TowerPoetrySocietyHamilton, TPS

International Haiku Day & NaPoWriMo Mid-Month Check-in…

April 17, 2023 by Nicola

Poetry everyday? Not quite. Poetry most days? Yes — sometimes editing or reading or teaching* or writing poetry. Or, attending a Tower Poetry Workshop!

My poems don’t usually come about in one sitting, unless they do, but that tends to be the exception to the rule. I often pull out old poems or ideas for a poem or even random jottings and try to rework or edit or merge some together. Whatever happens, happens. The goal of National Poetry Month is simply to enjoy poetry and share that joy with the whole wide world… read your favourite poems, share them and discuss them; write them, whatever floats your boat:)

The NaPoWriMo site is a great way to celebrate poetry month as each day it features a poet (so you can read and enjoy a fellow poet’s work), shares a resource (always useful), and offers a poetic prompt. while I don’t always have time day-to-day to write complete poems daily, I do save the prompts for those times when I’m stuck when trying to write.

** IF YOU FEEL LIKE SHARING YOUR HAIKUS, YOU CAN DO SO IN THE TPS FACEBOOK GROUP DIRECTLY, OR DROP A LINK TO YOUR PERSONAL POST. I, FOR EXAMPLE, OFTEN POST TO MY SITE: HTTPS://WWW.EVERYDAYARTEVERYDAY.COM/IBLOG.

Happy Writing, from the TPS Web Coordinator!

More Content, here…

Link to Haiku Day Blog — https://www.everydayarteveryday.com/iblog/monday-april-17-2023-is-international-haiku-day

Link to Funtastic Teacher Blog — https://funtasticteacher.weebly.com/blog—come-learn-with-me/teaching-poetry-to-middle-school-students-during-national-poetry-writing-month

 

 

Filed Under: Poetry Inspiration, poetry prompt Tagged With: Haiku, Haiku Day, Haiku Poems, Poetry Month, Tower Poetry Society Hamilton, TowerPoetrySocietyHamilton, TPS

Tuesday, March 21st/2023 – World Poetry Day

March 20, 2023 by Nicola

Poetry can change the way people view the world, inspire others, and mend the bonds between people and create harmony with one another.

However, poetry to many can be considered a dying art in a world filled with technology and more advanced ways of conveying messages of art and beauty.

World Poetry Day aims to appreciate the sentiment that poetry can create, forming meaningful relationships and expand one’s mind about history and cultures.

Learn about World Poetry Day

World Poetry Day takes place every year to promote the teaching of poetry, as well as the publishing, writing, and reading of this form of writing around the world. It was declared by UNESCO in 1999 and they stated that their purpose for creating this day was:

“with the aim of supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard”

They also stated in their original declaration that World Poetry Day was about giving fresh impetus and recognition to international, regional, and national poetry movements.

All in all, this is a day that is designed to inspire and educate, as well as giving poets all around the world recognition for their creative brilliance!

History of World Poetry Day

World Poetry Day was conceived during the 30th General Conference in Paris in 1999. Those at the conference had the ambition to support the growth of linguistic diversity through poetics and help in increasing awareness of endangered and dying so they can be heard.

World Poetry Day also honors poets, revives the practice of poetry recitals, and promotes poetry as a form of art that connects people to their humanity. With generations upon generations of poets and time periods to choose from, poetry can gain insight into the ideas and feelings of that time.

By also attending poetry recitals, people can experience the languages that words and emotions are spoken through and experience emotional bonds with others.

World Poetry Day is hosted by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, a subsection of the United Nations that promotes the advancement of culture through effort, communication, and passion.

World Poetry Day is annually celebrated by schools, organizations, libraries, and publishers all over the globe through teaching about poets, styles of poetry, and the languages that they’re read through.

Throughout the day, people host festivals, talk about their favorite poets and learn about the different ways that poetry can be written and spoken. UNESCO also offers social media kits and other resources to help those around the world learn about how to read poetry and understand its meaning in day to day life.

How to celebrate World Poetry Day

Celebrate World Poetry Day by reading some poetry. Look up poets such as Sylvia Plath, John Keats, William Wordsworth, and Ezra Pound. If you want to learn more about poets out there, then attend a college class on poetry, or head on over to a spoken word event to catch up on the latest poets on the stage.

There are lots of other exciting ways that you can celebrate World Poetry Day. Rather than reading a poem, why not watch a poetry reading? Thanks to the likes of YouTube, we have access to all sorts of videos today, and so it should not be difficult to find a poetry reading that interests you. The live recital of a poem, especially from the author who has written it, is extremely powerful. It takes the depth of meaning of the words to a whole other level. We would recommend taking a look at readings from the likes of Hera Lindsay Bird and Jay Bernard. They’re pretty incredible!

If you have children, World Poetry Day is the perfect opportunity for you to increase their awareness of this literary form and show them how fun and exciting poetry can be. After all, not all poems are serious! Poems can make us laugh, especially those that use clever wordplay and puns.

You can find lots of great books of poems that have been specifically designed for children. We would recommend Roger McGough’s Poetry Pie, which features more than 50 poems that will make your child laugh. Other good options include Cat Among the Pigeons by Kit Wright and Gargling with Jelly by Brian Patten.

If World Poetry Day has got you feeling inspired, why not write your own poem? You don’t need to be the next Shakespeare to enjoy writing poetry! Whether you decide to share it with other people or keep your poems to yourself is entirely up to you. If you’re feeling at a loss, don’t worry. It can seem a bit overwhelming if you have never written a poem before! It is always good to start with a goal in mind. What are you hoping to achieve by writing the poem?

Some other types include communicating your theme, using concrete words rather than abstract words, using similes and metaphors, using images, and avoiding sentimentality and cliches. You will find lots of interesting books and videos online about writing poems, so you can look up some of these to help you. There is no right or wrong way to write a poem or to begin the process, it is all about finding what works for you, and so it can definitely help to listen to some of the different methods that people use.

Find your favorite poet and share them on social media using the hashtag #WorldPoetryDay. Let your friends and family know today’s a day to appreciate language and the way we communicate with one another.

Source: World Poetry Day (March 21st) | Days Of The Year

 

Check out my other Blogs for Poetry Prompts:

Everyday Art Every Day Prompts — Write Like Your Fav Poet: World Poetry Day – Tuesday, March 21st, 2023 – Everyday Art Every Day

World Poetry Day — Tuesday, March 21st – Nicola Schneider, OCT – a spot of reflection (weebly.com) for an “I am Music” poetry prompt…

Filed Under: Poetry Inspiration, poetry prompt Tagged With: #worldpoetryday, Canadian Poets, CanadianPoets, Hamilton Poets, HamiltonPoets, Ontario Poets, OntarioPoets, poetry, poetry prompts, Tower Poetry Society Hamilton, TowerPoetrySocietyHamilton, world poetry day