Poetry is an art form that has been explored for centuries. According to National Today, National Poetry Month has been celebrated since 1996 but the art dates back thousands of years. To this day poems are used to express all kinds of emotions and thoughts. The month of April is taken to commemorate the art of poetry.
“In terms of creativity, poetry allows you to express yourself in different ways. And only those ways are limited by yourself. So overall it provided me with an unlimited sandbox for my creativity,” said senior Cameron Nguyen.

Although poetry’s popularity has declined over the years due to the rise of other forms of expression, the month of April still celebrates it. There are many ways that poetry can be appreciated such as discovering new and old poets, writing your own poetry, or doing research on poems that one can relate to.

“Poetry has really had a big impact on me; it’s like a way for me to decompress and express myself. I think my mom first introduced [to poetry] because she used to write a lot,” said sophomore Hannah Shelby.

Here at Mission Hills, we have plenty of students who actively participate in writing and sharing their poetry. Recently a poetry club was formed by a group of students who wanted to see more poetry appreciation within our school.
This year, there has also been a poetry award included in the annual Kaleidoscope Festival. The recent inclusion of this category has not only allowed for the art to be more openly appreciated, but can also create new appreciators.

“It can be such a complex straightforward way of expressing yourself, and it is truly exciting when you’re able to put your thoughts into words,” said sophomore Dhruv Ajit.
Although the formal name of poetry has been less commonly used, poems and poetry are everywhere. With the stories that are read, the songs played on the radio, and the journal entries sitting on a desk can all be considered poetry. More information about poetry can be found on Mission Hills’s Instagram page @mhhs.poetry.club.