James Baquet

    We’re moving on to April holidays and observances.

    The word “April” is of uncertain origin. One possibility is that it comes from a Latin word meaning “to open,” because this is the month when the flowers start to open. Another is that it was “Aphrilis,” sacred to Aphrodite (the Romans’ Venus), the Goddess of Love.

    These two associations bring to mind the words of the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson, who wrote in his 1842 “Locksley Hall”: “In the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.”

    Appropriately, among the many other monthlong observances, April is National Poetry Month in the United States (one thinks of all the doggerel that April weather must have inspired!) which includes the similarly named National Poetry Writing Month. Budding Byrons and wannabe Wordsworths are encouraged to write one poem every day of the month. Since 2009, the American Academy of Poets has tied this to their annual fundraising drive.

    Another seemingly spring-related event is Jazz Appreciation Month, when the national museum, The Smithsonian, promotes this originally American art form. Amusingly, Jazz Appreciation Month goes by the initials “JAM”; “to jam” is a slang term used by musicians meaning to play music together. The theme of 2017’s JAM is “Women in Jazz,” and the featured musician is (naturally) Ella Fitzgerald, often called the “First Lady of Song.”

    Another worthwhile celebration in April is Donate Life Month sponsored by Donate Life America, an organization which, since 1992, has educated Americans on the issue of donating organs (including eyes) and tissues. Other commonly donated organs include kidneys, hearts, and corneas. These materials may be used for research, but more often they are transplanted into another person.

    Finally, April is National Volunteer Month. As the weather warms up and people become more active, it’s a good time to get out and help others. Statistics show that in one year, more than 64 million Americans volunteered at least once, totaling 8.1 billion hours. The time and expertise donated was valued at US$173 billion.

    Vocabulary:

    Which word above means:

    1. worth

    2. developing

    3. more complex than cells, less than organs

    4. verse so bad it makes people laugh

    5. transparent covering of the eye

    6. two outstanding English poets, used here as examples

    7. campaign, efforts toward a goal

    8. imagination

    9. knowledge or skill

    10. person who desires to be something