Manville Public Library is celebrating the 15th Annual National Poetry Month of April by holding two poetry workshops and hosting guest poet John Trause at the library.
A workshop for children ages 7 to 14 will be held on Tuesday, April 5, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.; and an adult workshop for anyone over the age of 14 will be on held on Tuesday, April 19, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Both events will be held in the Community Room at the library.
Library Director Ed Smith has held the poetry contest for the past few years.
”This year we are going to have first the poetry workshop with the children and that could be an assignment for the students at Weston if possible. The idea is to get them writing,” he said.
Mr. Smith said that during the workshop poems are read, such as “The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams, or another poem that they like. He will then take a few minutes and let them write their own. Mr. Smith said he tries to help the children by “polishing it up.”
Photographs are also taken of the winners and Mr. Smith sends the photos along with the poems to the Academy of American Poets and Poetry Magazine as that is part of the library’s cooperative. Mr. Smith said he does the contest in Manville as he is also a member of the poetry project in New York.
The poems are judged and prizes will be awarded. Winners will receive a T-shirt and some poetry books. Some of the poems may even be published in the Manville News. A reception for the children’s winners will be held on Tuesday, April 12, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Community Room.
Adult poet John Trause will attend and read in the open mic format on April 26 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Mr. Smith gives his gratitude to Don Frank, Jennifer Dietrich and Laura Landau who have all been very helpful.
”I would like to keep it going it seems to work,” he said.
Poems can be written in sonnet form of 14 lines; lyric form with 15 to 25 lines; haiku form of 17 syllables; and quatrain form with four lines. The deadline for poems is Saturday, April 9, at 2 p.m.
Any questions or for more information about the poetry contest call Mr. Smith at (908) 722-9722.

