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National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month, a month-long celebration designed to increase the visibility of poetry and poets in our culture.

Rhode Island Poet Laureate 2016 -

Tina Cane

Rhode Island State Poet Laureate, 2016 - 

"It is an honor to be selected as Rhode Island's Poet Laureate," said Cane. "In schools and communities across the state, poetry can be a significant force for public good and personal growth. During my tenure, I hope every Rhode Islander gets a chance to develop a love of literature, to explore self-expression and to understand that poetry, because it is such a flexible form, truly belongs to everyone."

Rhode Island Poet Laureate 2012 - 2016

Rick Benjamin

Rhode Island State Poet Laureate, 2012 - 2016

Photo by Bobbie Hunger from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts website.

"I am honored and humbled to be named Poet Laureate of Rhode Island," Benjamin said. "My deepest wish during my tenure will be to saturate this small state with poetry - in schools, community and assisted living centers, in places where poetry already has a presence and in some other ones where it is desperately needed. I am delighted to accept this position."

History of Rhode Island Poet Laureates