To commemorate World Poetry Day, the National Theatre of Ghana is partnering a group of seasoned poets to mark this year’s World Poetry Day with selected schools in Accra today, March 21.
UNESCO first adopted March 21 as World Poetry Day during its 30th General Conference in Paris, with the aim of supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard.
Since its inception, Poetry Day is celebrated globally every year to promote the reading, writing, and teaching of poetry.
It is a day to appreciate the beauty of languages that connect people from different cultures.
The day also aims at preserving indigenous languages and cultures as well as to encourage the translation of poems from different languages to promote cross-cultural understanding.
The theme for this year’s celebration is “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants”.
In a press statement from the National Theatre, it described poetry as a type of literature that conveyed a thought, described a scene or told a story in a concentrated, lyrical arrangement of words.
It added that,the Day is a form of expressing feelings and ideas in a unique and aesthetic manner. It also creates a plethora of feeling and emotions. It explores the human condition and invokes emotion through words.”
The National Theatre in partnership with a group of seasoned poets will engage the students in poetry writing techniques and also share their experience with the schools.
They will further construct poems based on the theme for the year in a form of a competition,” the statement read. On this auspicious occasion of World Poetry Day, the grand stage of the National Theatre of Ghana is set to resonate with the enchanting verses of seasoned poets, as they join hands to celebrate this year’s festivities with selected schools in the vibrant city of Accra on March 21.
The genesis of World Poetry Day traces back to UNESCO’s 30th General Conference in Paris, where March 21 was enshrined as a day to honor the art of poetry. The overarching goal was to champion linguistic diversity through the medium of poetic expression, providing a platform for endangered languages to echo their voices.
Since its inception, World Poetry Day has evolved into a global celebration that kindles a passion for reading, writing, and teaching poetry. It serves as a testament to the intrinsic beauty of languages, bridging cultures and fostering a deeper understanding among diverse communities.
This year, under the theme “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants,” the essence of poetry as a literary marvel that encapsulates thoughts, scenes, and narratives in a symphony of words is magnified. The National Theatre, in a poetic proclamation, describes poetry as a conduit for emotions and ideas, weaving a tapestry of sentiments that resonate with the human soul.
In a harmonious collaboration, the National Theatre and a cadre of esteemed poets will guide students through the intricate art of poetry writing, sharing their profound insights and experiences with eager minds. The culmination of this artistic journey will manifest in a spirited competition, where budding wordsmiths will craft their poetic masterpieces inspired by the theme of the year.
Thus, as the curtains rise on this celebration of verse and expression, the National Theatre of Ghana stands as a beacon of creativity and cultural enrichment, igniting a passion for poetry that transcends borders and unites hearts in a symphony of shared experiences.
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Godfred Sey/ Ahotoronline.com
