Who's your favorite contemporary poet?

Question

ok...last 25-50 years max?

Answer 1

PABLO NERUDA
Universally considered as one of the greatest and most influential poets of the 20th century. His works was accomplished in a wide variety of styles, ranging from erotically charged love poems, surrealist poems, historical epics, and overtly political manifestos. I especially loved his work, IL Postino, which was later on turned into a film.

E. E. CUMMINGS
He is an American poet and essayist. Considered as an avant garde for his poetry’s unusual typography and style, but much of his work is traditional. Many of his poems are sonnets, and he occasionally made use of the blues form and acrostics as well. His works often deals with themes of love and nature, as well as satire and the relationship of the individual to the masses and to the world. But, while his poetic forms and even themes show a close continuity with the romantic tradition, his work universally shows a particular idiosyncrasy of syntax or way of arranging individual words into larger phrases and sentences. Many of his most striking poems do not involve any typographical or punctuational innovations at all, but purely syntactic ones. I like his works for its eccentric styles.

JIM MORRISON
The lead singer and lyricist of the popular American rock band The Doors. Considered to be one of the most charismatic frontmen in the history of rock music. Also a poet, I consider Jim's works as full of mysticism. The Doors indeed wed rock music unlike any ever heard before with poetry and with a hybrid of theater and drama.

Answer 2

Alan Ginsberg

Answer 3

Blake - no other. Just read "The Sick Rose" - and you will be hooked. His work does demand careful reading - but most of the poems are relatively short - many suitable for very young readers! Always seek the "hidden meaning" in his writing--it is always there - sometimes obscure but can be determined.

Answer 4

Adult poet: Robert Pinsky is amazing. So is Billy Collins.

Children's poet: Jack Prelutsky makes me laugh out loud. Still.

Answer 5

Dr. Maya Angelou

Answer 6

Maya Angelou--Her poem, "Phenomenal Woman," came to me at a time when I needed it most.

Gary Soto--His work helped me teach 8th graders that poetry makes sense. Plus, I met Soto at a book fair in Los Angeles and he is remarkably down to earth. His smile is fantastic.

Answer 7

Merrit Malloy especially her first book "My Songs For Him Who Never Sang To Me"

Answer 8

Charles Bukowski " love is a dog from Hell"
Ginsberg " howl"

Answer 9

Nell Altizer's "Thin Place." She just did a reading in Seattle.

Answer 10

saul williams. poet laureate of the hip hop generation.