Thank goodness April is National Poetry Month. It serves as a reminder to go to my poetry shelf and catch up with a few friends, and get to know some new ones. In the midst of a very busy chapter in my life, making time to read poetry slows me down, gives my brain some space and brings me a sense of balance.
The Writer's Almanac and the Poetry Foundation are both great online resources for finding poetry. One of my favorite books is an anthology "in celebration of women's spirituality" entitled Cries of the Spirit, edited by Marilyn Sewell.
I love Rumi, Wendell Berry, Richard Brautigan, Marge Piercy, Mary Oliver, Richard Wilbur, Dana Faulds, Tracy K Smith, Denise Levertov, and May Sarton. My buddy Melinda Morris Perrin, from our Chicagoland days is a fave too. Earlhamite and Vermonter Julie Cadwallader-Staub's collection Face to Face is a gem. Vermonters David Budbill and Katrina Van Tassel are wonderful too.
Do you have favorite poets? I'd love to hear about them. Please leave a comment!
I love the Robert Frost quote that you used for the title of this blog piece. Immediately, I came to see another side of the quote: Poetry is what gets found in the translation.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to the poets you mention, I love Gary Snyder.
My number one favourite poems and poets are (in) Dutch, (by) Ida Gerhardt and Vasalis.
ReplyDeleteBut there is also modern poetry I appreciate, admire and love. Not that I am literary woman...
Cheers,
Jeanneke.
i love emily dickinson, ee cummings, billy collins,and robert frost. glad you reminded me of richard brautigan - haven't read him in ages. tqoe
ReplyDeleteI love the last strofe of a poem of Leo Vroman , the name of the poem is peace. It's in Dutch:
ReplyDeleteKom vanavond met verhalen
hoe de oorlog is verdwenen
herhaal ze honderd malen
alle malen zal ik wenen