After the harsh winter we had this year, the District’s spring flowers and warm temperatures are so lovely we’re starting to understand why poets have been writing about this time of year for centuries.
Luckily, ’tis the season: April is National Poetry Month, and 2026 is the 30th anniversary.
The literary celebration was created in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets to try to highlight the work of American poets and increase the attention given to an ancient art form.
The commemorative month was “inspired by the successful celebrations of Black History Month (February) and Women’s History Month (March),” according to the academy’s website.
Just like those other celebrations, you don’t need permission or anything special to mark National Poetry Month; you can celebrate wherever and however you see fit. But if you want some ideas to get you started, we’ve got them.
Here are some ways and places to enjoy poetry in the D.C. area.
D.C. Public Library
The D.C. Public Library has a series of signature events for poetry lovers throughout April. You can find the full list at this webpage, but here are some highlights:
On Wednesday, April 8, the Capitol View Neighborhood Library is hosting a poetry-focused creative writing workshop, open to anyone ages 13 to 19. The event runs from 4 to 5 p.m. and will teach participants “how to craft compelling poetry, develop deeper meaning in your writing and express your unique voice through the power of poetry.” Learn more here.
On Saturday, April 11, the Bellevue Neighborhood Library is hosting a Saturday Cinema event that focuses on “the power of the poetic art form.” From 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., visitors can watch the “Don’t Be Nice” documentary, which follows a team of slam poets from New York City during the 2016 national championship. Learn more here.
On Sunday, April 19, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library will host “More Black,” a poetry workshop featuring award-winning poet MarÃa Fernanda. Attendees will learn to write in two poetry forms, the pantoum and the ghazal, while reflecting on their teenage years. Learn more here.
On Monday, April 27, visitors age 5 to 8 (and their accompanying adults) can read and act out “Kiyoshi’s Walk” by Mark Karlins to celebrate National Poetry Month. After reading the story, kids can participate in a haiku writing project. Learn more here.
On Tuesday, April 28, visitors to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library can see a spoken word performance by poet Jasmine Mans. Mans will be joined by six up-and-coming local poets. The event runs from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and you can learn more here.
Finally, all month long, D.C. residents can craft their own submission to DCPL’s annual haiku contest. Entrants must be at least 6 years old to enter, and there’s a limit of two entries per person. The contest has age categories for children, teens and adults.
“Prize-winners will take home library swag and have their poem posted in the library and on the DC Public Library’s website in May!” the DCPL webpage about the contest reads. Learn more here.
Library of Congress
What better D.C. staple than the Library of Congress — the largest library in the world and organizer of the National Book Festival — to turn to for poems, poets and poetry?
Since March and through the month of April, the library has an ongoing display dedicated to Ojibwe poet and knowledge keeper Jane Johnston Schoolcraft, who lived from 1800–1842 in what is now Michigan. Also known as Bamewawagezhikaquay, which translates to Woman of the Sound the Stars Make Rushing Through the Sky, she was one of the earliest Native American literary writers.
On Thursday, April 16, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., visitors to the library can stop by a drop-in black-out poetry craft station. The event is free, but tickets are required. Learn more here.
On Thursday, April 30, new U.S. Poet Laureate Arthur Sze will take the stage for the first time — alongside U.K. Poet Laureate Simon Armitage — to discuss their new books in celebration of National Poetry Month. The event is free, but tickets are required. Learn more here.
If you’d rather listen to works from the talented poets of the past, you can comb through the Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature on the Library of Congress website. According to the library, the archive dates back to 1943 and contains nearly 2,000 recordings of poets and writers, including poets like Louise Glück, Maya Angelou and Ray Bradbury.
And if there’s a poem that’s right on the tip of your tongue or the edge of your brain but you can’t quite remember the whole thing, the Library of Congress has a guide to finding a poem whose title and author you can’t recall.
Planet Word events
Planet Word, D.C.’s museum for linguists, writers and other word lovers, is recognizing National Poetry Month with a two-hour event hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Tracy K. Smith.
“Language and Liberty: Poetry as Civic Inheritance with Tracy K. Smith” promises “an evening revisiting and reinterpreting the Declaration of Independence.” The poet will show “how interacting with our founding documents allows us to uncover voices long silenced,” breathing new life into well-examined piece of writing.
After the program, visitors can take part in a standing reception, book signing and meet-and-greet. Tickets are $15, and the event runs from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 11.
And for anyone enthused by words in general, Planet Word is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
National Museum of African American History and Culture events
The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is focusing on poetry for its April programs, with two especially poetry-centered events at the start of the month.
On Sunday, April 6, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., ““each other’s harvest”: an afternoon of poetry, community, and address” will provide visitors with an afternoon of poetry and conversation. The event includes readings; commentary from the leader of Cave Canem, a literary organization supporting Black poets; and a keynote address from New York Times-bestselling author and public historian Jermaine Fowler.
The event is free, and will take place in person and online, but attendees must register first. Learn more here.
On Tuesday, April 8, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., the museum will host an online symposium focused on poet Phillis Wheatley Peters. Known as the first African American to publish a book of poetry, she was also one of the best-known poets in pre-19th century America, according to the Poetry Foundation.
“The Feast of Genius and the Play of Art”: The Legacies and Communities of Phillis Wheatley Peters” will showcase Wheatley Peters’s global influence. The virtual event is free, but attendees must register first. Learn more here.
Rock Creek Park events
The National Park Service is going big for National Poetry Month’s 30th anniversary, with a series of programs and workshops in the park that has “significant ties to the history of poetry.”
All events are free and open to the public, though some may require registration. You can check the Rock Creek Park calendar to see.
The series starts with a combo National Poetry Month and America 250 celebration of “The Star Spangled Banner,” the Francis Scott Key poem that became the U.S. national anthem in 1931.
Visitors to the Francis Scott Key Memorial in Georgetown on April 5 between 2 and 4 p.m. can lean about the battle that inspired the poem, and the process of the poem’s adoption.
On Saturday, April 11, from 2 to 4 p.m., Dumbarton Oaks Park will be the site of a “Plein Air Poetry Workshop,” which will let visitors flex their creative muscles, explore sonnets inspired by nature and enjoy the spring.
On Sunday, April 12, between 2 and 4 p.m., visitors to Fort Stevens can learn how American poets used writing to process the loss and trauma of the American Civil War.
On Saturday, April 18, from 2 to 4 p.m., haiku lovers can visit poet Maggie Dewane at Picnic Grove #6 for a nature-inspired poetry workshop and reading. Why not give nature journaling a try while you’re at it?
On Sunday, April 19, from 10 a.m. to noon, visitors can revisit the wonder of childhood for poetic inspiration at the Nature Center. Read examples of children’s poetry, then write your own.
To end the series, visitors to the Kahlil Gibran Memorial on April 25 between 2 and 4 p.m. can learn more about his hugely popular work, “The Prophet,” which has been translated into more than 100 languages.
Busboys and Poets open mic nights
If you want a more casual approach to poetry immersion — or to jump straight in by sharing your writing — Busboys and Poets has open mic nights every week.
“Busboys and Poets is proud to be a venue that provides space and support for poets and spoken word performers and interested audiences,” its site says.
The day of the week varies by location, but each open mic night lasts for two hours and comes with a $5 cover charge online, or $8 at the door. Here’s the full list:
- 14th & V: Every Tuesday 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- Columbia: Every Thursday 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- 450K: Every Wednesday 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- Shirlington: Every Monday 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- Hyattsville: Every Thursday 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- Brookland: Fridays 9:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
For more information on other poetry slams and open mics hosted at different Busboys and Poets locations, check out its webpage here.
And if you’re more into reading than performing, Busboys and Poets also has a bookstore built in to every location so you can purchase a new book after your meal.
Other ways to celebrate National Poetry Month
The Academy of American Poets has a list of 30 ways to celebrate National Poetry Month on its website.
Included in that list is the Poem-a-Day series, which you can sign up for as either an email newsletter or a podcast. The poems are curated by a different editor each month, and the emails and podcast come out year-round, not just in April.
If you want your poetry to hit, literally, closer to home, you could take a look at your state poet laureate. Almost all 50 states have one, though sometimes they go by the title state poet or writer-in-residence. The Academy of American Poets has the full list here.
Washington, D.C.’s poet laureate position is vacant and has been since Dolores Kendrick died in 2017, according to a 2021 Washington Post opinion piece calling for a new appointee. You can read more about Kendrick here.
Virginia’s poet laureate is Mattie Quesenberry Smith, who you can read more about here.
Maryland’s poet laureate is Lady Brion, who you can read more about here.
Other ways to appreciate poetry in April include watching movies, lectures or videos featuring a poet; making a poetry playlist; and researching and volunteering with local poetry organizations.
The National Poetry Foundation also has a series of deals and events all month long to celebrate. Learn more here.
And, of course, there’s always NBC Washington’s favorite beat poet.
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