Poetry Is Not That Bad

Rising from the ashes of decaying trees and lifeless grounds is the delicate beauty of blooming flowers and the flurry of pollen. Spring is here, and so was the month of stanzas and reader interpretation. 

In 1996, the Academy of American Poets deemed April as the month to emphasize the importance of poetry in culture and artistic expression. In recent years, @escapril, an Instagram account run by poet and author Savannah Brown, has created a community where participants write a poem every day based on the daily prompt. Poets can post their work with the hashtag #escapril. The goal of the challenge is to encourage the creation of authentic poetry. Many posts include video clips as well as raw artwork and photography. 

While some people have taken a more unusual and direct approach to poetry, it is a refreshing change in artistic freedom. It is common to satirize a poem at first, but it is important to remember that the value of art resides with the creator. 

West Orange High School has its own collection of poetry coming out soon with the Cobblestone Literary Magazine. Cobblestone is a place for students to showcase their poetry and artwork. The magazine is currently in the process of being created, and all submissions have been finalized.