It's National Poetry Month! Here's Your Assignment...

The Brian Lehrer Show | Apr 6, 2016

Did you know that the last four winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry all work and teach in the greater New York area?

April is National Poetry Month, and we're taking advantage of the fact that we have many masters of Poetry among us! Throughout the month, we'll host a series of conversations and on-air classes with Tracey K. Smith, Sharon Olds, Gregory Pardlo, and Vijay Seshadri.

So to kick things off, Vijay has an assignment for you. 

Write a short poem that includes these elements: 

  • A dog barking in the night
  • A generalization about the state of the world
  • A moment of being blinded by the sun

That's it. Short and sweet. Drop your poem in the comments below!

And you can listen to our conversation with Vijay Seshadri below (he reads 3 of his favorite listener-submissions!):

Top Stories

NYC could see hottest July 4 since 2010 as dangerous heat approaches

Supreme Court Opinions

The Fantasy of America at 250

America at 250: A View from Britain, with “The Rest Is History”

YOU ARE ONLINE