Thank you for this list. I'm new to poetry, or at least to an intentioned attention to poetry now in my 40s. This Substack and the Poetry for All podcast are two of my primary teachers, in addition to some works on my shelf by Wendell Berry, Mary Oliver, Malcolm Guite, Langston Hughes, Michael O'Siadhail, and Shel Silverstein. All that said, I would be grateful for your list of poets/books for us rookies who are late to the game and are still learning the basics. Thank you.
Good call— Berry is a writer I adore as an essayist (and prophet?) but less so as a poet. I get the draw, but it’s just not my bag. Oliver I’d put on a list for people brand new to poetry, which I think I’m about to assemble…
Ahhhh.....I see. That makes sense. Berry's 'Standing by Words' could definitely be seen as the words of a prophet :-)
And to your next project, if I may... I wrote to subscribers earlier about Making Friends with Poetry and included my own list of top 25 Christian poets to read :-)
Thank you, Mischa! This is very helpful indeed. I agree with your thoughtful defense of this kind of lists. I already read and enjoy poetry, but English is not my mother tongue, so I would appreciate the entry-level list, if you don't mind. No rush. No pressure. You don't have to write it, but if you do want and can, I'd surely profit from it—and I'm sure many more.
My email subject line was “The Top 25 Poetry Books of the Century Acc…” When I opened the email and saw it was according to you, I laughed out loud and then paid attention. Now I’ll check out The Atlantic to see what constitutes political poetry, and to enjoy the fact that your list will be better.
Oh, this is helpful! I tend to avoid any book that is under a hundred years old, and that is especially true of poetry. Frost is probably the most current poet I feel safe loving.
Thank you for this list. I'm new to poetry, or at least to an intentioned attention to poetry now in my 40s. This Substack and the Poetry for All podcast are two of my primary teachers, in addition to some works on my shelf by Wendell Berry, Mary Oliver, Malcolm Guite, Langston Hughes, Michael O'Siadhail, and Shel Silverstein. All that said, I would be grateful for your list of poets/books for us rookies who are late to the game and are still learning the basics. Thank you.
Sounds like an assignment! I’ll cook something up and send it it out 🥸
Mischa, I am struck by 1) the names NOT on this list only because you didn't go with the usual--Wendell Berry or Mary Oliver. 2) the names that are.
Scott's is the only small volume I have from your list; I'm intrigued by the Richard Wilbur title. Thank you!
Good call— Berry is a writer I adore as an essayist (and prophet?) but less so as a poet. I get the draw, but it’s just not my bag. Oliver I’d put on a list for people brand new to poetry, which I think I’m about to assemble…
Ahhhh.....I see. That makes sense. Berry's 'Standing by Words' could definitely be seen as the words of a prophet :-)
And to your next project, if I may... I wrote to subscribers earlier about Making Friends with Poetry and included my own list of top 25 Christian poets to read :-)
https://open.substack.com/pub/jodycollins/p/three-reasons-you-should-be-reading?r=2retg&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Where’s Pádraig Ó Tuama? ❤️
O he’s wonderful as a curator, anthologist, and editor, but I don’t know him as a writer of original verse. I’ll seek it out!
Thank you, Mischa! This is very helpful indeed. I agree with your thoughtful defense of this kind of lists. I already read and enjoy poetry, but English is not my mother tongue, so I would appreciate the entry-level list, if you don't mind. No rush. No pressure. You don't have to write it, but if you do want and can, I'd surely profit from it—and I'm sure many more.
Stay tuned—I’ll put one together over the next week or so. 😇
Wow! Thank you very much! Looking forward to it! May the Lord bless you.
My email subject line was “The Top 25 Poetry Books of the Century Acc…” When I opened the email and saw it was according to you, I laughed out loud and then paid attention. Now I’ll check out The Atlantic to see what constitutes political poetry, and to enjoy the fact that your list will be better.
Oh, this is helpful! I tend to avoid any book that is under a hundred years old, and that is especially true of poetry. Frost is probably the most current poet I feel safe loving.
ah, well if you like older poetry, you should read Festus--the greatest theological poem since Milton. Here's my intro: https://newcriterion.com/article/the-life-afterlife-of-festus/
I accept. I, too, am driven by and constantly curating lists! Because they are essential! If you want to geek out over lists…
I’m only semi familiar with one name on this list! I better get reading.
May it be blessed!