Welcome to our new interactive Poetry in the Classroom Calendar, designed to inspire ideas for bringing poetry into your classroom throughout the 2020–2021 academic year. Click the linked icons and text to discover related resources.

For more than five decades, we’ve been dedicated to serving K–12 teachers through our programs and resources. Today, we’re the only poetry organization that offers materials for teachers produced by an education expert. Our Educator in Residence, Dr. Madeleine Holzer, ensures that our education content is of the highest quality.

Visit our website, Poets.org, and find over 3,000 biographies of poets, over 11,000 poems discoverable by theme and occasion, plus lesson plans, short essays on poetic terms, guides to poetic schools and movements, and more...

Watch Our Video Guide to Teaching with Primary Sources Browse Our Lesson Plans Read Our Tips for Teaching Poetry Remotely Sign Up for Teach This Poem and Our Educator Newsletter Create a Poetry Anthology to Share with Students Participate in the Dear Poet Project Celebrate National Poetry Month Sign Up for Poem-a-Day Find Poetry Near You Read Poems for Kids Browse Poetry Resources for Teens

We hope you have a great school year. And we’re sincerely grateful for all that you do! Here’s hoping our calendar makes it a little easier.

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THEMES: Back to School National Hispanic Heritage Month National Translation Month

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Labor DayInternational Literacy DayBIRTHDAY Sonia Sanchez (b. 1934)National Poetry Month Poster Contest BeginsBIRTHDAY H. D. (b. 1886)National Arts in Education Week BeginsBIRTHDAY Claude McKay (b. 1889)BIRTHDAY William Carlos Williams (b. 1883)First Day of AutumnNational Punctuation DayBIRTHDAY Shel Silverstein (b. 1930)BIRTHDAY T. S. Eliot (b. 1888)Banned Books Week Beginsv

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links to a related resource on poets.org

links to a related lesson plan on poets.org

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denotes a field trip opportunity to a historic site

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academy ofamerican poets

Poetry in the Classroom Calendar2020–2021

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Each birthday links to the poet’s biography on Poets.org

News from the Academy of American Poets National Poetry Month Poster Contest Begins

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https://poets.org/national-poetry-monthhttps://poets.org/glossary/translationhttps://poets.org/poet/sonia-sanchezhttps://poets.org/poet/h-dhttps://poets.org/poet/claude-mckayhttps://poets.org/poet/william-carlos-williamshttps://poets.org/poet/shel-silversteinhttps://poets.org/poet/t-s-eliothttps://poets.org/text/poetrys-place-history-banned-bookshttps://poets.org/poems/e-e-cummingshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIuY8pHkVlEhttps://poets.org/text/adapting-teach-poem-online-or-hybrid-classroomhttps://poets.org/sign-our-newslettershttps://poets.org/how-create-anthologyhttps://poets.org/national-poetry-month/dear-poet-2020https://poets.org/poem-a-dayhttps://poets.org/national-poetry-month/https://poets.org/poetry-near-youhttps://poets.org/lesson-planshttps://poets.org/poems-kidshttps://poets.org/glossary/translationhttps://poets.org/poems?field_poem_themes_tid=1411https://poets.org/text/autumn-poems-kidshttps://poets.org/text/hispanic-heritage-month-poems-kidshttps://poets.org/text/poems-about-school-subjectshttps://poets.org/national-poetry-month/national-poetry-month-poster-competition-studentshttps://poets.org/national-poetry-month/national-poetry-month-poster-competition-students

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THEMES: Native American Heritage Month Thanksgiving

News from the Academy of American Poets

Fall–Winter American Poets Magazine Released

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BIRTHDAY Stephen Crane (b. 1871)Día de Muertos EndsNational Author’s DayElection DayBIRTHDAY C. K. Williams (b. 1936)BIRTHDAY Anne Sexton (b. 1928)Veterans DayBIRTHDAY Robert Louis Stevenson (b. 1850)BIRTHDAY Wanda Coleman (b. 1946)BIRTHDAY Marianne Moore (b. 1887)BIRTHDAY Ted Berrigan (b. 1934)BIRTHDAY Margaret Atwood (b. 1939)ThanksgivingBIRTHDAY William Blake (b. 1757)

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THEMES: v American Archives Monthv Halloween

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World Teachers Day—Thank you for all you do!BIRTHDAY Amiri Baraka (b. 1934)Teen Read Week BeginsIndigenous Peoples’ DayBIRTHDAY E. E. Cummings (b. 1894)Dictionary DayBIRTHDAY Oscar Wilde (b. 1854)BIRTHDAY Jupiter Hammon (b. 1711)Black Poetry DayBIRTHDAY John Berryman (b. 1914)BIRTHDAY Sylvia Plath (b. 1932) Statue of Liberty Dedicated, 1886BIRTHDAY Ezra Pound (b. 1885)National Poetry Month Poster Contest ClosesHalloween

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https://poets.org/poet/stephen-cranehttps://poets.org/poet/c-k-williamshttps://poets.org/poet/anne-sextonhttps://poets.org/poet/robert-louis-stevensonhttps://poets.org/poet/wanda-colemanhttps://poets.org/poet/marianne-moorehttps://poets.org/poet/ted-berriganhttps://poets.org/poet/margaret-atwoodhttps://poets.org/poet/william-blakehttps://poets.org/collection/lesson-plans-about-politicshttps://poets.org/lesson-plan/teach-poem-poetry-marianne-moorehttp://www.poets.org/poetsorg/collection/we-poetshttps://poets.org/text/halloween-poems-kidshttps://poets.org/poet/amiri-barakahttps://poets.org/poet/e-e-cummingshttps://poets.org/poet/oscar-wildehttps://poets.org/poet/jupiter-hammonhttps://poets.org/poet/john-berrymanhttps://poets.org/poet/sylvia-plathhttps://poets.org/poet/ezra-poundhttps://poets.org/poetry-teenshttps://poets.org/text/ancestors-mapping-indigenous-poetry-and-poetshttps://poets.org/glossaryhttps://poets.org/anthology/black-lives-matterhttps://poets.org/poem/new-colossushttps://poets.org/lesson-plan/ghosts-and-spiritshttps://poets.org/lesson-plan/literature-warhttps://poets.org/poetshttps://poets.org/resources-teachershttps://poets.org/native-american-heritage-monthhttps://poets.org/poems-thanksgivinghttps://poets.org/poem/november-2-dia-de-los-muertoshttps://poets.org/american-poets-magazine/https://poets.org/lesson-plan/thanksgiving-richard-blancos-america

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ary THEMES: New Year, Handwriting

News from the Academy of American PoetsNational Poetry Month Poster Contest Winner Announced

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New Year’s DayBIRTHDAY Carl Sandburg (b. 1878)BIRTHDAY C.D. Wright (b. 1949)BIRTHDAY Robert Duncan (b. 1919) BIRTHDAY Philip Levine (b. 1928) BIRTHDAY Robinson Jeffers (b. 1887)BIRTHDAY Laura Riding Jackson (b. 1901)BIRTHDAY William Stafford (b. 1914)Martin Luther King Jr. DayThesaurus DayBIRTHDAY Edgar Allan Poe (b. 1809)BIRTHDAY George Gordon Byron (b. 1788)National Handwriting DayBIRTHDAY Robert Burns (b. 1759)BIRTHDAY Lewis Carroll (b. 1832)

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Rosa Parks Begins the Montgomery Bus Boycott, 1955World AIDS Day BIRTHDAY Rainer Maria Rilke (b. 1875)BIRTHDAY Christina Rossetti (b. 1830)Attack on Pearl Harbor, 1941 BIRTHDAY James Tate (b. 1943)BIRTHDAY John Milton (b. 1608)BIRTHDAY Emily Dickinson (b. 1830) Human Rights DayBIRTHDAY Lola Ridge (b. 1873)BIRTHDAY James Wright (b. 1927)BIRTHDAY Muriel Rukeyser (b. 1913)Boston Tea Party, 1773President Obama Signs the Native American Apology ResolutionFirst Day of WinterGeorge Washington Crosses the Delaware River, 1776BIRTHDAY Jean Toomer (b. 1894)

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https://poets.org/poet/carl-sandburghttps://poets.org/poet/c-d-wrighthttps://poets.org/poet/robert-duncanhttps://poets.org/poet/philip-levinehttps://poets.org/poet/robinson-jeffershttps://poets.org/poet/laura-riding-jacksonhttps://poets.org/poet/william-staffordhttps://poets.org/poet/edgar-allan-poehttps://poets.org/poet/george-gordon-byronhttps://poets.org/poet/robert-burnshttps://poets.org/poet/lewis-carrollhttps://poets.org/poem-a-dayhttps://poets.org/lesson-plan/word-karaokehttps://poets.org/poem/harlem-0https://poets.org/text/poets-post-postcard-archivehttps://poets.org/poet/rainer-maria-rilkehttps://poets.org/poet/christina-rossettihttps://poets.org/poet/james-tatehttps://poets.org/poet/john-miltonhttps://poets.org/poet/emily-dickinsonhttps://poets.org/poet/lola-ridgehttps://poets.org/poet/james-wrighthttps://poets.org/poet/muriel-rukeyserhttps://poets.org/poet/jean-toomerhttps://poets.org/text/kubotahttps://poets.org/lesson-plan/light-dark-and-backhttps://poets.org/poem/seeing-larry-rivers-washington-crossing-delaware-museum-modern-arthttps://poets.org/text/social-justice-poems-kidshttps://poets.org/poem/whereas-whereas-when-offeredhttps://poets.org/listing/carl-sandburg-cottagehttps://poets.org/listing/carl-sandburg-cottagehttps://poets.org/text/walking-tour-edgar-allan-poes-publishers-row-new-york-cityhttps://poets.org/text/walking-tour-edgar-allan-poes-publishers-row-new-york-cityhttps://poets.org/lesson-plan/incredible-bridges-citizen-vi-train-woman-standing-claudia-rankinehttps://poets.org/poem/old-south-meeting-househttps://poets.org/text/winter-poems-kidshttps://poets.org/poem/hospital-writing-workshophttps://poets.org/lesson-plan/teach-poem-winter-good-his-hoar-delights-1316-emily-dickinsonhttps://poets.org/text/beginnings-poems-kidshttps://poets.org/national-poetry-month/national-poetry-month-poster-competition-studentshttps://poets.org/lesson-plan/teach-poem-burning-old-year-naomi-shihab-nye

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THEMES: Women’s History Month Spring

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BIRTHDAY Robert Lowell (b. 1917)BIRTHDAY Dr. Seuss (b. 1904) National Read Across America DayBIRTHDAY James Merrill (b. 1926) National Grammar DayBIRTHDAY Elizabeth Barrett Browning (b. 1806)International Women’s DayBIRTHDAY Jack Kerouac (b. 1922)Pi DaySt. Patrick’s DayFirst Day of SpringWorld Storytelling DayWorld Poetry DayBIRTHDAY Robert Frost (b. 1874)BIRTHDAY Frank O’Hara (b. 1926)World Theatre DayBIRTHDAY Octavio Paz (b. 1914)

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THEMES: Black History Month Valentine’s Day

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BIRTHDAY Langston Hughes (b. 1902)BIRTHDAY James Joyce (b. 1882) BIRTHDAY Gertrude Stein (b. 1874) BIRTHDAY Elizabeth Bishop (b. 1911) Valentine’s DayLibrary Lovers’ DayPresidents DayBIRTHDAY Audre Lorde (b. 1934)World Day of Social JusticeBIRTHDAY W. H. Auden (b. 1907)BIRTHDAY Edna St. Vincent Millay (b. 1892)Tell a Fairy Tale DayBIRTHDAY Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (b. 1807)

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https://poets.org/poet/robert-lowellhttps://poets.org/text/poetry-dr-seusshttps://poets.org/poet/james-merrillhttps://poets.org/poet/elizabeth-barrett-browninghttps://poets.org/poet/jack-kerouachttps://poets.org/poet/robert-frosthttps://poets.org/poet/frank-oharahttps://poets.org/poet/octavio-pazhttps://poets.org/text/womens-history-month-poems-kidshttps://poets.org/text/spring-poems-kidshttps://poets.org/collection/poetry-irelandhttps://poets.org/lesson-plan/infinite-recesshttps://poets.org/text/world-poetry-day-march-21https://poets.org/poem/you-it-act-ii-scene-vii-all-worlds-stagehttps://poets.org/poet/langston-hugheshttps://poets.org/poet/james-joycehttps://poets.org/poet/gertrude-steinhttps://poets.org/poet/elizabeth-bishophttps://poets.org/poet/audre-lordehttps://poets.org/poet/w-h-audenhttps://poets.org/poet/edna-st-vincent-millayhttps://poets.org/poet/henry-wadsworth-longfellowhttps://poets.org/text/langston-hughes-discussion-questionshttps://poets.org/text/presidential-picks-abraham-lincolns-favorite-poetryhttps://poets.org/text/myths-and-fairy-tales-poems-kidshttps://poets.org/collection/lesson-plans-about-lovehttps://poets.org/text/libraries-poems-kidshttps://poets.org/text/video-civic-responsibility-poet-america-todayhttps://poets.org/listing/langston-hughess-hometown-lawrence-kshttps://poets.org/listing/langston-hughess-hometown-lawrence-kshttps://poets.org/listing/longfellow-househttps://poets.org/listing/longfellow-househttps://poets.org/listing/frost-placehttps://poets.org/bookshttps://poets.org/text/black-history-month-poems-kidshttps://poets.org/text/love-poems-kidshttps://poets.org/collection/lesson-plans-black-history-monthhttps://poets.org/text/womens-history-month-poems-kidshttps://poets.org/text/spring-poems-kidshttps://poets.org/collection/lesson-plans-womens-history-monthhttps://poets.org/collection/lesson-plans-springhttps://poets.org/text/grammar-poets

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THEMES: National Poetry Month! Arab American Heritage Month

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BIRTHDAY George Herbert (b. 1593)BIRTHDAY Maya Angelou (b. 1928) National Library Week BeginsBIRTHDAY William Wordsworth (b. 1770) BIRTHDAY Seamus Heaney (b. 1939)Abraham Lincoln Dies, 1865BIRTHDAY Tracy K. Smith (b. 1972)Haiku Poetry DayPaul Revere's Ride, 1775BIRTHDAY Etheridge Knight (b. 1931) BIRTHDAY Charlotte Brontë (b. 1816) Earth DayBIRTHDAY Louise Glück (b. 1943) BIRTHDAY William Shakespeare (b. 1564) BIRTHDAY Yusef Komunyakaa (b. 1947)

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Have your class participate in our multimedia project Dear Poet.Download our guide to celebrating Poem in Your Pocket Day.Display the new National Poetry Month poster.Read “How to Read a Poem” by Edward Hirsch. Host a student spoken word event at your school.Have your students read and write sonnets.Read an excerpt of The Life of Poetry by Muriel Rukeyser.Sign up for Poem-a-Day to keep reading all year long.Sign up for Teach This Poem for free lesson plans.Share your activities with us on social media: #NationalPoetryMonthFeatured Digital Lesson Plan: Dear PoetLesson Plans for Introducing Poetry30 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month is a Virtual Classroom

Featured Resources for National Poetry Month Visit Poets.org for Ways to Celebrate

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https://poets.org/national-poetry-month/https://poets.org/poet/george-herberthttps://poets.org/poet/maya-angelouhttps://poets.org/poet/william-wordsworthhttps://poets.org/poet/seamus-heaneyhttps://poets.org/poet/tracy-k-smithhttps://poets.org/poet/etheridge-knighthttps://poets.org/poet/charlotte-brontehttps://poets.org/poet/louise-gluckhttps://poets.org/poet/william-shakespearehttps://poets.org/poet/yusef-komunyakaahttps://poets.org/glossary/haikuhttps://poets.org/poem/libraryhttps://poets.org/poem/when-lilacs-last-door-yard-bloomdhttps://poets.org/poem/paul-reveres-ridehttps://poets.org/text/environment-poems-kidshttps://twitter.com/poetsorghttps://poets.org/national-poetry-month/dear-poethttps://poets.org/national-poetry-month/poem-your-pocket-dayhttps://poets.org/national-poetry-month/get-official-posterhttps://poets.org/text/how-read-poem-0https://poets.org/text/brief-guide-slam-poetryhttps://poets.org/glossary/sonnethttps://poets.org/text/life-poetry-chapter-1https://poets.org/lesson-plan/dear-poet-2020-lesson-planhttps://poets.org/collection/lesson-plans-introducing-poetryhttps://poets.org/collection/lesson-plans-about-environmenthttps://poets.org/poem-a-dayhttps://poets.org/lesson-plan/teach-poem-arabs-finland-naomi-shihab-nyehttps://poets.org/lesson-plan/mutant-shakespearehttps://poets.org/national-poetry-month/30-ways-celebrate-national-poetry-month-classroomhttps://poets.org/national-poetry-month/30-ways-celebrate-national-poetry-monthhttps://poets.org/teach-poem

may

THEMES: Asian/Pacific American HeritageMonth Get Caught Reading

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May DayNational Teacher Appreciation Week BeginsChildren’s Book Week BeginsBIRTHDAY Robert Browning (b. 1812)Mother’s DayBIRTHDAY U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo (b. 1951)BIRTHDAY Mona Van Duyn (b. 1921) BIRTHDAY Jayne Cortez (b. 1934) Limerick DayBIRTHDAY Bernadette Mayer (b. 1945)BIRTHDAY Adrienne Rich (b. 1929)BIRTHDAY Robert Creeley (b. 1926)Brooklyn Bridge Opened, 1883BIRTHDAY Ralph Waldo Emerson (b. 1803) BIRTHDAY Frank Bidart (b. 1939)BIRTHDAY May Swenson (b. 1913)BIRTHDAY Countee Cullen (b. 1903)BIRTHDAY Walt Whitman (b. 1819)

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THEMES: LGBTQ Pride Month Graduation Summer

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BIRTHDAY Thomas Hardy (b. 1840)BIRTHDAY Allen Ginsberg (b. 1926) BIRTHDAY Federico García Lorca (b. 1898) BIRTHDAY Gwendolyn Brooks (b. 1917) BIRTHDAY Nikki Giovanni (b. 1943) BIRTHDAY W. B. Yeats (b. 1865) JuneteenthFather’s DayFirst Day of SummerBIRTHDAY Lucille Clifton (b. 1936)BIRTHDAY Paul Laurence Dunbar (b. 1872)

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Summer Reading Sign up to receive Summer Camp, a weekly newsletter with po-ems and fun activities for kids. Browse other summer reading activities.

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https://poets.org/poet/robert-browninghttps://poets.org/poet/joy-harjohttps://poets.org/poet/mona-van-duynhttps://poets.org/poet/jayne-cortezhttps://poets.org/poet/bernadette-mayerhttps://poets.org/poet/adrienne-richhttps://poets.org/poet/robert-creeleyhttps://poets.org/poet/ralph-waldo-emersonhttps://poets.org/poet/frank-bidarthttps://poets.org/poet/may-swensonhttps://poets.org/poet/countee-cullenhttps://poets.org/poet/walt-whitmanhttps://poets.org/poem/reveillehttps://poets.org/text/mothers-day-poems-kidshttps://poets.org/poet/shel-silversteinhttps://poets.org/glossary/limerickhttps://poets.org/poet/thomas-hardyhttps://poets.org/poet/allen-ginsberghttps://poets.org/poet/federico-garcia-lorcahttps://poets.org/poet/gwendolyn-brookshttps://poets.org/poet/nikki-giovannihttps://poets.org/poet/w-b-yeatshttps://poets.org/poet/lucille-cliftonhttps://poets.org/poet/paul-laurence-dunbarhttps://poets.org/text/six-teachers-how-they-teach-poetryhttps://poets.org/listing/brooklyn-bridgehttps://poets.org/collection/lesson-plans-about-walt-whitmanhttps://poets.org/poems?field_occasion_tid=495https://poets.org/text/fathers-day-poems-kidshttps://poets.org/black-lives-matterhttps://poets.org/text/asianpacific-american-heritage-month-poems-kidshttps://poets.org/poems-kidshttps://poets.org/text/lgbtq-pride-month-poems-kidshttps://poets.org/text/graduation-poems-kidshttps://poets.org/text/summer-poems-kidshttps://poets.org/lesson-plan/teach-poem-knoxville-tennessee-nikki-giovannihttps://poets.org/summer-camphttps://poets.org/lesson-plan/summer-reading-activities