Of the many poetry-related events to attend this month, several are happening right here on campus, including a female empowerment concert featuring spoken word poetry in Stamp on Friday.

This month marks National Poetry Month, a 30-day span dedicated to the appreciation of all things poetic. Many people shy away from poetry because it seems scary or snobby, but there’s some accessible style of poetry for everyone, as the genre ranges from Roman literature to absurdist musings, from spoken word to the lyrics in music. The power of this art form in reaching such a wide audience is something that deserves to be celebrated. Whether you are a poetic novice or a Shakespeare-in-training, here’s a game plan for the best ways to celebrate this month. Follow as many or as few steps as desired.

• The first and perhaps easiest way to participate is to read. Borrow a book of poems from the library. Ask family and friends about their favorite poems or poets. Look up some interesting poets on Wikipedia. Find an Internet forum where you can read work by unpublished authors. Google the word “poetry,” and read the first page that turns up.

• Next, write. It’s important to note that there is no real right way to do this. Make a carefully detailed plan or scribble thoughts with reckless abandon. Print out a page from a book and circle random words, then turn those words into a meta-poem. Write a 1,000-word diary entry, and then try to condense it to 100. Pick one word and riff on it for 20 minutes. Write down the first word every person says to you for one day, and make a poem out of that. Use a randomized poetry generator to create a nonsensical haiku, and then analyze it for meaning. Write a poem with a friend, switching off after every verse, line or even word.

• Then, share poetry. Talk about interesting stuff you’ve read with your friends — you might learn something you didn’t know, and you’ll have the added bonus of sounding really intelligent to all the people around you. Post your favorite poem on Facebook or Twitter and encourage dialogue. If you’re feeling brave, hold a poetry reading with your friends, either learning other people’s poems or maybe even reading your own. You could also encourage your friends to share constructive criticism on your own poem.

• Finally, get out into the world and celebrate poetry all around the area. April 18 is National Poetry Month’s Poem in Your Pocket Day, when poetry fans all over the country are encouraged to keep a copy of their favorite work in their back pocket for a day so it’s easily accessible for sharing with friends and family. Outside of the organization’s events, there are plenty of other ways to immerse yourself in poetry. The Maryland Shakespeare Players at this university will be performing “Lysistrata” in the Nyumburu Amphitheater Stamp Student Union on Saturday and Sunday. On Friday, there will also be a women’s empowerment concert featuring spoken word poetry in Stamp. Furthermore, the Jimenez-Porter Writers’ House hosts a bi-monthly open-mic poetry night featuring headlining poets. And poetry readings are held all over Washington — places like Busboys and Poets and Bridge Street Books frequently host poets who do readings of their work. Attending a university with a large and diverse student population while living outside a major city has its perks. Take advantage of them.

It’s not difficult to celebrate poetry. Write, read, share or watch; there are countless opportunities for everyone to be involved.