By Hdyt
In a world that often values perfection, there exists a particular day that serves as a reminder that there is room in the cacophony of artistic endeavour for the imperfect, unconventional, and openly distinctive. To begin with, the adventure of creating poetry illuminates a path marked by rules and directions. It is a realm in which the intricacies of rhyme, the artistry of word choice, and the orchestration of literary devices all play an important role in constructing a good stanza. But, let us be realistic though, not everyone who embarks on this creative journey can adhere to each of these established ideals flawlessly, and be a distinguished poet. For this reason, National Bad Poetry exists, to embrace the imperfectness of poetry.
National Bad Poetry Day which falls on 18 August every year is a day where anyone can freely write poetry that defies conventional norms of form, rhyme and meaning. It inspires people to discover the whimsical and creative side of writing. On this peculiar occasion, good poets, terrible poets, amateur poets, and anyone else come together to celebrate the craft of bad and nonsensical poems, serving as a reminder that even the most disorganised artistic creations may be seen as beautiful.
This amusing observation is proof that creativity does not always have to be perfect, well-executed, or even understandable to be valuable. Instead, it celebrates the raw, unfiltered, and sometimes terrifying expression of thoughts and feelings. So on this special day, everyone can freely express their thoughts and feelings without fear of being judged and embrace their inner poet. By pushing aside our fears, we can enter uncharted territory where inspiration soars and unlikely masterpieces can emerge from among the rubble of "bad" poetry.
If you are not sure what to read on National Bad Poetry Day, here's a list of books that might interest you: Very Bad Poetry, edited by Kathryn and Ross Petras, B is for Bad Poetry, by Pamela August Russell and The Joy of Bad Verse, by Nicholas T. Parsons. If a collection of poems seems a lot to you, perhaps you can read "The Tay Bridge Disaster,” by William Topaz McGonagall, and "Ode to a Small Lump of Green Putty I Found in My Armpit One Midsummer Morning,” by Grunthos the Flatulent (Douglas Adams), or you can read any poem that will be shared by others on their social media like “Instagram” and “X”. For example, a poem shared by @hungryshark on his Instagram:
“If I were a dog and not a shark,
I’d chase a ball in the park,
I'd chew and often bark,
But I’m actually a Shark”
Therefore, everyone should mark August 18 on your calendars and join the world in celebrating National Bad Poetry Day. A day that deserves much more attention from everyone and provides us with an opportunity to embark on a vibrant journey of self-expression. This is the chance for us to wield our pens and pick up the parchment, break the locks that guard our imaginary regions, and write freely as we will. Take this moment to show your creativity in writing poetry and share it with your peers through the BENL Chronicle. And do not worry, if you are shy, you can publish your masterpiece anonymously or under a pseudonym.
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