In case you haven’t heard, I LOVE Poetry!

I’ve written it for as long as I can remember, and I’ve always found it a source of comfort and inspiration.
Reading poetry, on the other hand, is another matter entirely.

Poets come in all shapes and sizes, and it can get overwhelming when you’re trying to find the ones who increase your appreciation for the art.

Since it often takes one to know one, here’s a list of five poets you NEED to read to have a well-rounded appreciation for poetry as a whole. Some are classic, some are modern, but they all use poetry to explore the world and our place within it.

Enjoy!

Edgar Allen Poe

Known as the “father of the gothic style,” Poe is essential reading for anyone looking to experience fear, madness, and gothic elements within their rhymes.

Poe began publishing poetry around 1825 and continued to produce poems and stories until his death in 1849.

The Raven is his most well-known poem, but all of his poems offer lessons in using sound, repetition, rhymes, and other elements to give your reader a more immersive experience.

Some of my favorites are The Raven and Other Poems by Edgar Allen Poe.

Lewis Carroll

When you think of poetry, you probably don’t think about Lewis Carroll. However, his poems are excellent examples of literary nonsense.

Ever since his first publication in 1856, Carroll has used fantasy, rhyme, and meter to break reality and give his readers an escape from the natural world.

I absolutely love his poem about The Walrus and the Carpenter, but you should definitely check out his poems The Hunting of the Snark and Jabberwocky for some nonsensical, rule-breaking fun!

Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson is one of the greatest American poets of our time. She was also a recluse and wrote most of her work in secret, perfecting her use of concrete images, uncommon meter use, and lyrical style into the poems we know and love today.

And, because her poems are so lyrical and written in a more common meter, they’re some of the easiest to memorize.

Some of my favorites are The Chariot and Other Poems by Emily Dickinson.

Rupi Kaur

Kaur is one of my favorite minimalistic poets because she doesn’t waste a syllable. She carefully picks each word to give her poems an emotionally-charged impact, and I’m always amazed at how a single line can feel like home with the right combination.

I found Kaur’s poetry a few years ago, and her book Home Body changed my life. That, and her collection Milk and Honey, will show you how choosing the right words can give your poetry the emotion it needs to thrive without all the clutter.

Sophocles

Ok, so technically, he’s a playwright, not a poet. However, it’s important to note that Sophocles wrote his plays in rhyme and used them to explore the political unrest of his world- and what is poetry if not an exploration of the things around us?

Obviously, Oedipus Rex is a classic that everyone needs to read at least once, but I want to turn your attention to its sequel, Antigone.

It’s a tragic story about the daughter of Oedipus and how her love and convictions broke all the laws of the land and, eventually, led to the realization that even the best leaders can be wrong.

I added it to this list because poetry is more than pretty rhymes and neat couplets. It’s also messy- rolling in the dirt of society to uncover the injustices and help us find a better future.

Poetry, when done right, has the power to change the world.

That’s why I love it.

Who is your favorite poet? Let me know in the comments!