Welcome…

to the Poetry Friday roundup! I’m doing a self-service linky list today, so please add your link and description to the list at the end of the post.

Dear poetry bloggers,

Over the past year I have received several inquiries from interested poetry lovers who aren’t really sure what Poetry Friday is or even if they are “allowed” to join in — and if they are, what exactly do they need to do? Although Kidlitosphere Central has a bit of information, I thought I would answer those questions more in depth here so I’d have a place to direct people in the future.

If you are a regular Poetry Friday participant, I hope you will bookmark this page and share it with people who may come to you with the same questions. I have added it to the “Poetry Resources” tab in the navigation bar for easy reference or, if you prefer, feel free to copy or reblog this post to your own blog. This post is for everyone!

On to the questions…

What is Poetry Friday?

Poetry Friday is a weekly blogging event in which poets, writers, readers, and lovers of poetry share blog posts about poetry.

Who can participate? Do I need a blog?

Anyone is welcome to join in at any time! There is no “in crowd,” no prerequisites, no need to be a poet. All you need is a blog and something poetic to share and you’re in! There’s no easier club to join.

If you are not a blogger, you can still participate by visiting the Poetry Friday blogs, enjoying the poetic goodness they have to offer, and, if the spirit moves you, commenting on their posts. No need to be shy! It’s a warm and welcoming community that you’ll be glad you joined.

How does it work?

Each week, one blogger volunteers to be the “host” for that week and do the poetry “roundup.” All the other bloggers go to the host’s Poetry Friday post for that day and leave their links and a little blurb in the comments on the host’s blog. The host will then gather those links throughout the day and place them directly in her post so they are easy to find and click on.

Click here for an example of when I hosted and manually added links from the comments to the body of the post. I prefer this way because I can add a personal touch, but it is very time consuming.

If time is an issue, you may choose to use an automated widget like Simply Linked, which is embedded on the host post itself. In that case you just enter your link in the widget instead of leaving it in the comments. This is what I have used for this post, so just see below! Click here for an example of one of my widget roundups.

(Note: There are several free link widgets out there, but be sure to read the fine print. Some of them expire after a while, so all the links disappear.)

How do I become a Poetry Friday host? Is it mandatory?

Mary Lee Hahn is in charge of coordinating hosts. She puts out a call on her blog in June and December, and people sign up for a date to host sometime in the subsequent six months. Being a host is a great way to meet all the participants and become known yourself in the poetry community, but it is by no means mandatory.

The current schedule of hosts is always updated and available at Kidlitosphere Central. Most Poetry Friday bloggers also keep the current schedule in their sidebars, so just look to the right and you’ll find it!

What should my post be about?

There are no weekly themes for Poetry Friday, so just post whatever you like that has to do with children’s poetry. Here are a few examples to give you an idea of the variety:

Find your inspiration wherever your interest in poetry lies!

At the bottom of your Poetry Friday posts, include the PF graphic, the name of the host, and a link to the host’s specific roundup post. For example:

poetry+friday+button

Robyn has the roundup at Life on the Deckle Edge!

Do I have to post on Fridays?

Nope! I used to post on Mondays and then add my link to the roundup on Fridays. If a different day works better for your schedule, then publish your post when you want and just remember to visit the host on Friday to add your link.

Further questions?

  • If you are new to Poetry Friday and still have a question, please leave it in the comments and I will add it to this post along with an answer.
  • If you are a veteran Poetry Friday participant and have any suggestions to make this post more useful to interested bloggers, please let me know in the comments.

Now bring on the poetry links!

AW, SHUCKS!
You’d like to receive my weekly posts in your inbox, you say? Sign up in the email subscription field in the sidebar!

[divider top=”0″]
See more poems in my poetry video library. 

© 2015 Renee M. LaTulippe