Thirty years ago, the Academy of American Poets launched the first-ever National Poetry Month in April to celebrate the art form and honor poets' crucial place within our cultural landscape.
This year, Vermont Public joined in the poetry party with a weekly reading from Vermont Poet Laureate Bianca Stone.
Stone joined Morning Edition host Jenn Jarecki each week in April to share a poem and her thoughts on it before the two dove into the piece further.
Vermont Public Classical got in on the celebration, too. Host Helen Lyons paired each week's poem with a music selection inspired by the work.
Below you'll find each installment of our series alongside a link to its matching musical selection.
Week 1: "Dear Reader" by James Tate
"Dear Reader" comes fom the collection The Route as Briefed published in 1999 by the University of Michigan Press. It was paired with Ludwig van Beethoven's "Piano Sonata #17 'Tempest' in d Op. 31/2" performed by Annemieke McLane from the album Birds and Beethoven.
Week 2: "Tell all the truth but tell it slant — (1263)" by Emily Dickinson
Dickinson's poem was paired with Trevor Weston's "Truth Tones" performed by the Choir of Trinity Wall Street featuring the Trinity Youth Chorus with Hamilton Berry on cello.
Week 3: "Don't Write History As Poetry" by Mahmoud Darwish
This poem is included in The Butterfly's Burden published by Copper Canyon. It was paired with "O Splendissima Gemma" composed Stef Connor from an existing piece by Hildegard von Bingen. It was performed by Blossom Street led by conductor Hilary Campbell.
Week 4: "Avoiding News by the River" by W. S. Merwin
Currently collected in THE SECOND FOUR BOOKS OF POEMS, copyright by W. S. Merwin, used by permission of The Wylie Agency L-L-C. It was paired Arvo Pärt's "Fratres " from Tabula Rasa featuring the cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic.
