Did you know that April is National Poetry Month?

At NDB, students have all seen and studied a fair share of poetry across the Humanities’ department English courses. Relating to making our own in class projects, analyzing them vigorously in TPCASTTs and writing comparative essays of each poetry literary era and style can be very easy.

Most likely, the names that are the quickest to recall are timeless classics such as Walt Whitman, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson and Langston Hughes. However, there are so many descriptive, thought-provoking types of poetry left to explore and understand!

So today, in honor of National Poetry Month, here are 3 poems that are lesser-known gems which will hopefully inspire you for a creative writing adventure or give you a positive message to carry throughout your day.

“Mushrooms” by Sylvia Plath: (Mushrooms)

Although Sylvia Plath is a highly-lauded author and poet, “Mushrooms” was one of her first, slightly less-famous poems before her popular poetry collection “Ariel”.

“Mushrooms” describes how the marginalized – interpreted as women in a patriarchal 1950s – will rise from the shadows of darkness and neglect as the forefront of society. Plath’s quote “We shall by morning inherit the Earth / Our foot’s in the door” (Plath, line 31-33) beautifully portrays a new dawn of change arising once it knocks on an unsuspecting door. No matter how much the door is locked or barricaded, true power will come pouring down upon it. It doesn’t matter if that power takes seconds, hours, or years, but it will one day happen. She includes how this change happens not through thundering proclamations, but “Overnight, very / Whitely, discreetly / Very Quietly” (Plath, line 1-3).This is an important message for society: true change will always happen when justice needs to be rightfully served, and one does not need to hear trumpeting blasts of news to become aware of it.

“blessing the boats” by Lucille Clifton: (blessing the boats)

In honor of the graduating class of 2026, this poem is a guiding north star for how to approach new experiences in life. The past is always great to cherish and remember, and the future, with all of its uncertainties, isn’t always a pleasant, calming thought. Nevertheless, strive to remember that every day is a clean slate, a new beginning to improve from the past.

Lucille Clifton’s comforting advice in her poem “blessing the boats” helps us view another way to move forward. By encouraging sailing through the waters of life with innocence and to trust the wind guiding the sails, she instills hope and calm into the human being as it learns to ride along the bumps of the journey and continue being optimistic.

“Over the Wintry” by Natsume Sōseki: (Over the Wintry)

“Overy the Wintry” by Natsume Sōseki is a Japanese haiku. Haikus traditionally are 3 lined poems with 17 syllables arranged in a 5-7-5 pattern. Main themes regard nature and seasons (kigo), and a juxtaposition – two contrasting ideas portrayed very symbolically – between the lines. The juxtaposition helps the reader build emotion with simultaneously conflicting yet intertwined concepts.

In this poem, Sōseki describes how in the cold storms of a winter forest, winds howl with ferocity in the entire surrounding area. However, no matter how great the wind wishes to claim a commanding presence, there are no leaves for it to blow around. Although this short, simple poem has only 3 lines, it has a very deep connection with human desolation. The wind blows alone, demanding to none. This sense of anger grows ever frustrating as nothing gets anywhere: the winter forest is a barren wasteland, and there are no leaves hearing the roars of the brisk air. When people become this wind, continuing to fight and brawl over things that have lost their vitality, what becomes of the purpose in doing so?

Happy National Poetry Month!