Poem-a-Day - Participate in Dear Poet 2021

Teachers and librarians, every National Poetry Month we present Dear Poet, a multimedia education project that invites young people in grades five through twelve to write letters in response to poems written and read by award-winning poets, including poets who serve on the Academy of American Poets Board of Chancellors and who have received our Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowships.

Students are encouraged to watch the 21 newly-released Dear Poet videos, write letters in response to the poems, and send their letters to dearpoet@poets.org by April 30. Selected letters will be published on Poets.org, one of the most visited sites for poetry on the web, and shared on social media during the twenty-fifth anniversary of National Poetry Month this April. 

“As we’ve seen from the response to Amanda Gorman’s recitation at the Presidential Inauguration, poets are important figures in contemporary culture. The Dear Poet project provides students with an opportunity to learn about some of the leading poets writing today, to read their work and respond to their work through letter writing. Selected students will even receive a personal response from their poet! As many students continue their studies at home for the next few months, we encourage them to be a part of this great project,” said Dr. Madeleine Fuchs Holzer, the Academy of American Poets Educator in Residence. 

For additional resources to assist with the project, visit the Dear Poet lesson plan, read an essay about Dear Poet, and check out one high school’s past participation in the project. For some examples of student letters, visit last year’s Dear Poet page.