Can poetry survive in the era of Twitter?

How can poets capture new audiences using digital media? (Photo: CBC Books)

April represents different things to different people. But unless you're a writer or part of a community of readers and organizers, you probably didn't know that April is celebrated as National Poetry Month both here and in the States.

Although events have been taking place across the country throughout the month, from readings and conferences to write-offs, there is little public awareness of Poetry Month, a 15-year-old tradition.

While readers turn to digital for their reading, and long form writers are increasingly experimenting with digital story telling techniques, poets have largely remained attachment to the printed page. Although poetry books are available for e-readers, the majority of mainstream poets haven't embraced the language of multimedia and interactivity. And the limits and hashtags of a platform like Twitter seem to be lost in translation.

Is there a way poets and poetry evangelists can harness the digital environment to creatively engage their readers? How can social media be used to foster genuine excitement for reading and hearing poetry, rather than nominally designating April as poetry month and assume a wider audience is listening?

As poetry month comes to a close, CBC Community wants to hear both from poets and poetry lovers. What does poetry in the digital era look like or mean to you? Tweet your answers to @CBCCommunity with the hashtag #digitalpoetry.

We'll use your responses in an upcoming feature and a live chat to further discuss the nature of poetry in the digital environment. Collaboration is the essential ingredient, so any comments, feedback and suggestions are welcome.