Contemporary poets

[aviv chadash]

Hello!

I was wondering if anyone could recommend any modern poets that they feel are particularly good; any that, perhaps, could rival some of the more 'famous' poets of bygone times...

Any new poets that have similar styles to Emily Dickinson would be quite interesting.

[BookJumper]

I'm afraid I have no answer for you (seventeenth to nineteenth century is more my field); so much so that I too would love to hear out anyone with an opinion on the subject .

[Chrissy]

Aside from the War Poets, Wilfred Owen and Sigfried Sassoon, I could recommend writers such as Geoffrey Hill, TS Eliot, Ted Hughes, WH AUden, Dylan Thomas, Yeats.

 

Are these writers who you mean by Modern? Or are we talking more recent?

[aviv chadash]

Thanks for the responses.

I was thinking of recent poets, those publishing new work within the last few years, perhaps. Geoffrey Hill appears to have recently published works, but I was thinking of 'younger' poets. I'm intrigued to learn the current state of poetry.

Once again, many thanks!

[sirinrob]

Thomas Kinsella, though by no means young, is still writing damn good poetry. The Pepincaster poems take some beating for their depth in my view.

[aviv chadash]

Thomas Kinsella

 

Thanks for the suggestion. It's difficult to find the names of young poets. Searching Wiki (is an apology necessary for doing this? There always seems to be with science subjects), there isn't any born in the 1980s. I found a couple of names through The Poetry Society website. Would add a link, but I can't find it a second time.

 

It seems that poets are a rare breed nowadays.

Is this so? More so than before?

Edited January 19, 2010 by BookJumper

[BookJumper]

It seems that poets are a rare breed nowadays.

Is this so? More so than before?

Oh, poets are still very much out there; the problem is as follows:

 

Not much new poetry is published nowadays, because publishers are afraid it won't sell as much as fiction ---> what poetry does get published has a smallish run, and is therefore quite expensive ---> the buying public is put off by the price tag ---> which leads publishers to believe there's no market for poetry.

[sirinrob]

Thomas Kinsella solved that problem by setting up Pepincaster publishing. Admittedly (tut tut I used an adverb) it was to promote his own poetry, but at least it is new poetry ( still writing).

 

The tut-tut re adverbs is an allusion to the fact that virtually all US ,and some UK copyeditors hate adverbs for no sound reason.

[aviv chadash]

Not much new poetry is published nowadays, because publishers are afraid it won't sell as much as fiction ---> what poetry does get published has a smallish run, and is therefore quite expensive ---> the buying public is put off by the price tag ---> which leads publishers to believe there's no market for poetry.

 

I don't think poetry is taught 'properly' in schools, anyhow. I'm only just learning what poetry actually is. I think this may be responsible for the current perception of poetry, as I think it is percieved: "If it doesn't rhyme, what's the point?". I think I'm going on about nothing in particular now...

[sirinrob]

Another poet who is currently writing is Christopher Reid. His latest offering is 'Scattering', in memory of his wife. I have read some of these and they are rather good.

[Fruska]

I've recently been looking at a bit of more modern poetry. The most accessible one I've found is Simon Armitage. I read his modern translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight which I really enjoyed. I want his Book of Matches next, but you're right, modern poetry is expensive.

 

Currently reading Andrew Motion's In The Blood, which is wonderful. It's the memoir of his childhood and although it is prose it feels like poetry, it is so beautifully written and I'm really encouraged to try his poetry next.

[aviv chadash]

It's funny. All that time I spent searchiong for a list of contemporary poets, and I found one (or, at least I think I have) in an indirect way. There's a film on TV, Three men and a Baby, and it's directed by Leonard Nimoy. I recognised the name as being the chap who played Spock, and Wikied him. I found out he writes poetry, and there's a link to a website that lists contemporary poets.

 

I'm forbidden from posting the link , but it's called Hyper Texts.

 

Thanks for the suggestions, I also found out Seamus Heaney won a nobel prize whilst browsing in Waterstone's (I like to look at all the books and imagine what it would be like if I read them all, I think: I want that one, and that one, and that one would be interesting! I think I need to retire to a secluded cottage in Italy and spend my days reading, now I just need a large sum of money to live off of... Anyone want to donate to my charity? ).