April is national poetry month! I love poetry, and I always use this time of year as an excuse to explore it more. Poetry gets a bad rap because it can be very vague or inaccessible at times, but I think a great poet can really cause you to emote and experience the poem just like an expert fiction writer can get you to experience a fictional story. I love raw emotion in poetry. That’s not always something you can find because poetry has been trending away from some of my favorite themes: naturalistic descriptions and confessionalism. Anyway, to honor national poetry month, I wanted to suggest 10 great books of poetry in case anyone is interested in delving into poetry this month.
The Infinitesimals by Laura Kasischke
Prelude to Bruise by Saaed Jones
Blue Horses by Mary Oliver
The History of Anonymity by Jennifer Chang
Metaphysical Dog by Frank Bidart
Stag’s Leap by Sharon Olds
Telephone Ringing in the Labyrinth by Adrienne Rich
The Rain in Portugal by Billy Collins
Head Off & Split by Nikky Finney
Time and Materials by Robert Hass
I hope everyone has a wonderful National Poetry month! Do you have a favorite poet? If so, be sure to let me know in the comments section so that I can check them out!
Tiffany Renee Harmon 