A guest blog by Kaye Wilkinson Barley.
Turns out this person had not read any poetry since their days in school when forced to memorize a poem from the book 101 Famous Poems compiled by Roy J. Cook (in print since 1916).
The answer to the question is, of course, yes there are, indeed, many more poets than the long honored Dickinson, Frost, Shakespeare, Poe, Whitman, Shelley, and Tennyson.
Modern poets being read and recognized more recently include the well-known Mary Oliver, Wendell Berry, Billy Collins, Elizabeth Bishop, Maya Angelou . . . the list is long. Here's BookRiot.com's list of Best Modern Poets, which is short compared to the many poets who have work out there waiting for you to find.
Contemporary poets known for writing some fierce social commentary would include Kim Addonizio, Aja Monet, Louise Glück . . . again, the list is long and worth your research time.
And, then there are the poets writing today who may not be as well-known but might, some day in the future, be in a new version of 101 Famous Poems: Leslé Honoré, Tara M. Stringfellow, Tarriona "Tank" Ball , along with this list of poetry books LitHub.com says you should be reading right now.
And finally, i apologize to those of you who are wondering how on earth I might have forgotten to include your own personal fave. It may be due to concerns of intruding into Marlyn's space. Or, I truly may have forgotten. OR, your fave may be someone I haven't discovered yet!
However, for several years, I have randomly posted poems that have somehow found their way to me at my blog. I dedicate the month of April to posting poetry. I hope you'll join me.
This might be the spot where I can tell you that a favorite place of mine to find new poets (along with writers, musicians, photographers, artists, etc.) is The Bitter Southerner, one of the best on-line magazines available today.
Thank you, Marlyn, for inviting me to write about a subject dear to my hear!
P. S. -
I recommend reading this essay by Courtney Emerson where she discusses elements of poetry which distinguish it from other forms of writing, and the importance it has played in society throughout history, i.e., . . . ."with poets using their words to confront social and political issues."
Kaye lives with Don, her husband of 38 years,
in the North Carolina mountains
along with their Corgi, Annabelle.
You can find Kaye's blog here.
