# Recommend Me Some Good Poetry **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 25, 2003, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-poetry/163937 "2003-03-25T02:45:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Vorae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@Vorae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vorae)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-poetry/163937/1 "2003-03-25T02:45:33Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-poetry/163937/2 "2003-03-25T04:39:41Z")
I love [Stephen Dunn](http://www.nortonpoets.com/dunns.htm). 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. ---
**Author:** ![magog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/fbc32d/32.png) [@magog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magog)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-poetry/163937/3 "2003-03-25T04:49:35Z")
I’d check out Louise Edrich - strong imagery and Native American symbolism. ---
**Author:** ![Gr8wight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/da6949/32.png) [@Gr8wight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gr8wight)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-poetry/163937/4 "2003-03-25T04:50:43Z")
You won’t like bp nichol. ---
**Author:** ![one\_energy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f6c823/32.png) [@one\_energy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/one_energy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-poetry/163937/5 "2003-03-25T05:15:31Z")
Check out the The Best American Poetry book series. If I recall correctly, the 2000 edition is pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Mook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Mr.Mook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Mook)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-poetry/163937/6 "2003-03-25T05:25:24Z")
Vogon poetry. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-poetry/163937/7 "2003-03-25T07:31:26Z")
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_. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-poetry/163937/8 "2003-03-25T08:48:16Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-poetry/163937/9 "2003-03-25T11:24:01Z")
Can you read Spanish? Even in translation, [Pablo Neruda](http://boppin.com/poets/neruda.html) is a fantastic poet. (list of poems in English [here](http://www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/freeman/)) ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-poetry/163937/10 "2003-03-25T13:42:49Z")
Great link Aro, song number 20 in y opinion looses nothing because of the trasnlation. One of the best thing ever written > [@](#): > > Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer > and these the last verses that I write for her. You made my day. ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-poetry/163937/11 "2003-03-25T14:01:30Z")
> [@](#): > > But so far, no such popular insurrection has taken place. In addition, the civilian population in general has been reserved toward the U.S. and British forces, many of whom expected to be greeted as liberators. Army Gen. Tommy R. Franks, the head of the U.S. Central Command who is directing the war, said in a news conference at command headquarters in Doha, Qatar, that the reason for their restraint is simple: “It’s fear,” he declared. “Fear. The practice of this regime over a long time.” > > Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain said in London another reason is the failure of U.S. forces to assist the Shiite rebellion in 1991. “They cannot be sure in their own minds yet that we mean what we say,” Blair said. “In their own minds, they have to be very circumspect until they’re sure the regime’s gone.” (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”. ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-poetry/163937/12 "2003-03-25T14:05:11Z")
Auch, sorry ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-poetry/163937/13 "2003-03-25T14:07:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Estilicon \* > \*\*You made my day. \*\* De nada. ---
**Author:** ![herwono](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/9f8e36/32.png) [@herwono](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herwono)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-poetry/163937/14 "2003-03-27T02:53:36Z")
I recomment Margaret Atwood. ---
**Author:** ![herwono](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/9f8e36/32.png) [@herwono](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herwono)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-poetry/163937/15 "2003-03-27T02:54:57Z")
oops, sorry, that’s _recommend_ ---
**Author:** ![slice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@slice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slice)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-poetry/163937/16 "2003-03-27T03:15:23Z")
I’ll agree with **herwono’s** recommendation of Margaret Atwood and **pulykamell’s** recommendation of Seamus Heaney and suggest Carolyn Forche. ---
**Author:** ![SwimmingRiddles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SwimmingRiddles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingRiddles)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-poetry/163937/17 "2003-03-27T06:18:41Z")
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 lived like you probing > the interminable star, > and in my net, at night, I awakened naked, > the only catch, a fish trapped in the wind. 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. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-good-poetry/163937/18 "2003-03-27T14:33:32Z")
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.