April is National Poetry Month in Canada. Never read poetry before? There’s no better time to start – there’s so much to explore. We have a tremendous variety to choose from, you can start small with one poem or dive into a whole collection. And don’t forget that April 29th is Poem in Your Pocket Day. Surprise your family and friends with your favourite poem!
Adult Books
Her first book of poetry in over a decade. This collection addresses love, loss, nature, the passage of time and aliens.
Home Body by Rupi Kaur
Kaur wrote, illustrated and published her first book of poetry, milk and honey when she was 21. Her third collection contains poems focused on mind, heart, rest and awake.
The Poetry Pharmacy: Tried-and-true Prescriptions for the Heart, Mind and Soul edited by William Sieghart
Do you need help with mental wellbeing, love or loss? Sieghart will prescribe a poem to help. Look for poems to help with loneliness, lack of courage, heartbreak, and more.
Dog-eared: Poems about Humanity’s Best Friend edited by Duncan Wu
Poetry about humans and dogs and what they mean to one another. Features classic poets like Homer and Ovid to contemporary poets like A.E. Stallings and Simon Armitage.
Together in a Sudden Strangeness: America’s Poets Respond to the Pandemic edited by Alice Quinn
Poems by contemporary American poets trying to make sense of the Covid-19 pandemic. Themes include suffering from illness, living in quarantine, and being separated from family.
African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle & Song edited by Kevin Young
An anthology featuring African American poetry from its beginnings in the eighteenth century to the present. Includes photos of the poets, brief biographies and notes to help the reader understand poetic references to historical events.
Coming to Age: Growing Older with Poetry edited by Mary Ann Hoberman and Carolyn Hopley
Poetry focused on age and aging reveals the wisdom of writers who found power and growth in later life. Poets include, Emily Dickinson, W.H. Auden and Li-Young Lee.
Teen Poetry
When the World Didn’t End: Poems by Caroline Kaufman
Kaufman’s second poetry collection features short, powerful poems about love, forgiveness, self-discovery and depression.
Ink Knows No Borders: Poems of the Immigrant and Refugee Experience edited by Patrice Vecchione and Alyssa Raymond
This collection addresses issues such as language differences, human rights and racism that confront first and second generations of young adult immigrants and refugees.
Children’s Poetry
Changes: A Child’s First Poetry Collection by Charlotte Zolotow.
Simple poems depicting the different seasons with lovely illustrations by Tiphanie Beeke.
Jumping Off Library Shelves: A Book of Poems compiled by Lee Bennett Hopkins
Poems about visiting the library include getting a library card, reading to a dog, using the computer and selecting a special book of poetry. Fun illustrations by Jane Manning.
Grumbles from the Forest: Fairy-Tale Voices with a Twist: Poems by Jane Yolen and Rebecca Kai Dotlich
A series of bewitching poems told from the perspective of fairy-tale characters – the gingerbread boy, Cinderella, the little mermaid, Rumpelstiltskin and more. With charming illustrations by Matt Mahurin.
Forget-Me-Nots: Poems to Learn by Heart by Mary Ann Hoberman
Poems from classic and contemporary poets that are easy to remember and say out loud. The poems are grouped into themes such as beautiful beasts, happiness is, and delicious dishes. Charming illustrations by Michael Emberley.
Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems by Gail Carson Levine
Inspired by a famous poem by William Carlos Williams, every poem in this collection starts with “This is just to say” and offers a false apology. Perfect for children who have apologized and not really meant it. Funny poems with cute illustrations by Matthew Cordell.
