Rupi Kaur is a bestselling contemporary poet. I personally am not a fan, but she has a big following for a reason– it’s accessible and some of it pretty (just not for me).
I’m not as well-read as I would like in terms of poets who are actively publishing these days, but my personal favorite collection from recent years was “Night Sky with Exit Wounds” by Ocean Vuong. They’re more narrative, free-form, gorgeous figurative language IMO.
Also, Amanda Gorman is fantastic. I can’t vouch for entire collections, because I’ve only read stray poems here and there, plus the poem she wrote for the presidential inauguration, but I think she’s a great writer, especially considering how young she is.
There’s a lot of classic poets out there who are frequently anthologized, but I’m sure someone else will list them, I’ll stick with some Modernists.
Robert Creeley’s collection “For Love” is excellent and a pretty good taste of the feel of Modernism poetry.
I also think Robert Frost is great: romantic imagery, sentimental, usually written in verse.
Mary Oliver. I have yet to read a poem of hers I didn’t like.
I love Joshua Clover, considered a post-modernist. “Totality for Kids” came out while I was in school and I was obsessed. A lot of social commentary. Kinda makes you think of the state of the world.
Alan Williamson: also a post-modernist, but reads like he’s from a different era. “Planetarium” is his most famous and it it’s one of my favorite poems, ever.
Anyway, hope that helps, happy reading!
Unique-Peanut-9852 on
Promises of Gold by José Olivarez is one of the only poetry books that I constantly reminisce on.
The Dead and the Living by Sharon Olds is also a very good one.
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The Poetry of Pablo Neruda
Rupi Kaur is a bestselling contemporary poet. I personally am not a fan, but she has a big following for a reason– it’s accessible and some of it pretty (just not for me).
I’m not as well-read as I would like in terms of poets who are actively publishing these days, but my personal favorite collection from recent years was “Night Sky with Exit Wounds” by Ocean Vuong. They’re more narrative, free-form, gorgeous figurative language IMO.
Also, Amanda Gorman is fantastic. I can’t vouch for entire collections, because I’ve only read stray poems here and there, plus the poem she wrote for the presidential inauguration, but I think she’s a great writer, especially considering how young she is.
There’s a lot of classic poets out there who are frequently anthologized, but I’m sure someone else will list them, I’ll stick with some Modernists.
Robert Creeley’s collection “For Love” is excellent and a pretty good taste of the feel of Modernism poetry.
I also think Robert Frost is great: romantic imagery, sentimental, usually written in verse.
Mary Oliver. I have yet to read a poem of hers I didn’t like.
I love Joshua Clover, considered a post-modernist. “Totality for Kids” came out while I was in school and I was obsessed. A lot of social commentary. Kinda makes you think of the state of the world.
Alan Williamson: also a post-modernist, but reads like he’s from a different era. “Planetarium” is his most famous and it it’s one of my favorite poems, ever.
Anyway, hope that helps, happy reading!
Promises of Gold by José Olivarez is one of the only poetry books that I constantly reminisce on.
The Dead and the Living by Sharon Olds is also a very good one.
The Complete Works of William Blake