Poem In Your Pocket Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Poetry

Every year on April 29, the United States celebrates Poem in Your Pocket Day to encourage people to express themselves through poetry. In 2002, the Office of the Mayor of New York City, in conjunction with the city’s Departments of Cultural Affairs and Education, declared this day to be Poem in Your Pocket Day. Individuals are encouraged to compose their own poetry, perform their own works, and create their own works of art inspired by poetry. Obviously, the objective is to remind individuals of their participation in the living art of poetry.

The background of Poem in Your Pocket Day

Poetry dates back to a time before humans were able to write. It is believed that the first poems were spoken words handed down through oral tradition. The earliest poetry is composed of hymns and choruses. Other surviving poetry recounts historical occurrences, instructions for activities, and declarations of love. The earliest examples of written poetry indicate the existence of prior oral traditions, according to historians.

Poetry sprang up throughout the world at various times. In Africa, for instance, the art dates back to prehistoric periods, when people composed poetry in the Nile, Niger, and Volta river valleys. The “Pyramid Texts” were composed as early as the 25th century B.C. and contain some of the region’s earliest poetry. The “Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor,” composed in Hieratic around 2500 B.C., is believed to be the earliest work of science fiction poetry. Other scholars believe that “The Epic of Gilgamesh” is the earliest example of this type of composition. Other compositions considered to be among the oldest include the Greek “Iliad” and “Odyssey,” as well as the Sanskrit “Mahabharata” and “Ramayana.” “Mahabharata” is regarded as the longest composition ever composed.

Numerous structural traditions and literary movements have come and gone over the years, as the nature of poetry has evolved. Poetry exists today in a variety of forms, from song lyrics to stanzas of postmodern, free-form poetry.

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5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT POETRY

The term ‘poetry’ is derived from the Greek word ‘poiesis,’ which means’making.’

Poet’s Day is celebrated every year on August 21.

Sully Prudhomme, a French essayist and poet, was the first recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Poetry phobia is metrophobia.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and author Pablo Neruda hand-wrote his compositions in green ink.

POEM IN YOUR POCKET DAY DATES

Year	Date	Day
2023	April 29	Saturday
2024	April 29	Monday
2025	April 29	Tuesday
2026	April 29	Wednesday
2027	April 29	Thursday