Recommend Me Some Good Poetry

Cafe Society
1

I have no real familiarity with what’s going on in contemporary poetry.

Any favorite poets on this board? There’s so much out there…I guess I’m just looking for a good starting point.

I’m especially taken with vivid imagery…but then, who isn’t?

2

I love Stephen Dunn. His language is elegant and spare. His imagery is striking but somehow familiar, as if you have been to the same places he has - and the man has a sense of humor. I don’t think I’ve read a poem of his that didn’t have something in it that I liked. YMMV, of course.

3

I’d check out Louise Edrich - strong imagery and Native American symbolism.

4

You won’t like bp nichol.

5

Check out the The Best American Poetry book series. If I recall correctly, the 2000 edition is pretty good.

6

Vogon poetry.

7

Garrison Keillor has collected the poems that he reads on National Public Radio and published them in a book. The poems are so good they take my breath away! The name of the book is, I think, Good Poems.

8

I’d whole-heartedly recommend Seamus Heaney, if you haven’t already checked him out. His 1996 (I think) opus “The Spirit Level” is a decent introduction to his more recent work.

Sticking with Nobel Prize winners, I’ve always been quite fond of Wislawa Szymborska (preferably the translations by Stanislaw Baranczak and Clair Cavanagh.) “View With a Grain of Sand” is a good survey of her work.

I also quite enjoy Robert Pinsky, Charles Simic and Adrienne Rich, but these names are all fairly canonical, and perhaps you’re looking for some even younger poets?

9

Can you read Spanish?

Even in translation, Pablo Neruda is a fantastic poet. (list of poems in English here)

10

Great link Aro, song number 20 in y opinion looses nothing because of the trasnlation. One of the best thing ever written

You made my day.

11

(I promise this will be my las intervention of the day, ahh by the wasy this belong to the Washington Post)

Fear? what a bunch of moron? do you think that Bush is the only one able to manipulate it’s population? Saddam is better at the game. Let me give you two examples of argentinian history:

  1. In 1982 the military regime was on its way out, massive protest happened every single day, one of those days Galtieri decided to invade Malvinas (Falklands) next day public places were full of people this time supporting the militars. Idiotic but true.

  2. A better example in 1806 the spanish were in their way out. Following the example of the U.S.A and France we were finally going to do something about the king, one morning a british fleet was on Buenos Aires harbour, the Viceroy fleed. Next day all those who have opposed the Royalist were starting resistance movements against the invader. This shocked the english, their intelligence reports claimed that the populace would cheer them. The reason for the resitance against the British forces was best resumed by a later independence war hero, Manuel Belgrano: “If there has to be a master, better the old one”.

12

Auch, sorry

13

De nada.

14

I recomment Margaret Atwood.

15

oops, sorry, that’s recommend

16

I’ll agree with herwono’s recommendation of Margaret Atwood and pulykamell’s recommendation of Seamus Heaney and suggest Carolyn Forche.

17

I speak nor read no Spanish, but recently have been moving through some Neruda. My favorite, which was introduced to me in the film Mindwalk, is The Enigmas

I’ve read that stanza many a time, and it just removes my breath every time.

I was just thinking today how Stephen Dunn was my next project, funny.

18

Though I don’t know the exact link, please find and check out the Favorite Poem project (through the Library of Congress, I think); has a good website & good books of some the favorite poems submitted. While there are quite a few chestnuts, there are some striking inclusions also. Worth the time.