Happy National Poetry Day, readers!

As you’ll know by now, I do love my poetry. I believe that there’s a poem out there for everyone. They can be an emotional outlet, a complex creative piece or even just a bit of fun!

What I really wanted to do to celebrate today was to share a new piece of my own creation. Alas, life has been busy, and I haven’t been able to piece together any of my half-written poems in time.

So instead, I thought I would share a few of my favourite poems and poets with you, in the hope that you might find something new to enjoy.

Frank O’Hara

I studied Frank’s poetry in my second year of university and fell in love with his – excuse the phrase – ‘frankness’ and honesty and the buzz of his words. Frank’s poems are modern love letters – odes to relationships, New York and creativity. His imagery is vivid and his style direct.

I recommend checking out Meditations in an Emergency or A Step Away from Them.

Michael Rosen

I firmly believe in celebrating children’s poetry and ‘the silly’, not just the poignant. Poetry should be fun.

I loved Michael Rosen’s poetry when I was younger. My favourite has to be his marvellously expressive Chocolate Cake – I also remember Eddie and the Gerbils  (it reminds me of a boy in my primary school class!). The brilliant thing about Rosen’s ‘Eddie’ poems is that they are from the perspective of a parent – so as adults, we’ll find them funny in a completely new way.

Philip Larkin

I read Larkin’s An Arundel Tomb while at school and it has stuck with me ever since. It’s the image of two people carved in stone, and love everlasting; a performance or show of love which has lasted much longer than intended. I think it’s beautifully written and has a lot more to say than meets the eye.

Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes

Along with his book Dirty Beasts, Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes was a staple on my bookshelf as a child. These unexpected – and sometimes dark! – twists on traditional tales are funny and clever.  Read Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf and see for yourself!

Emily Harrison

I saw Emily perform at So: To Speak 2015 and fell in love with her honest, dark, witty poetry. Her work often focuses on Mental Health, and it nearly always has the quality of a black comedy. I have her book, I can’t sleep ’cause my bed’s on fire, on my shelf for inspiration. See her perform her brilliant poem, Stockholm Syndrome.

Rupi Kaur

I love Rupi’s poetry – she has a beautiful way with words and discusses topics such as migration and femininity through her pieces. Her Instagram feed is fast becoming a favourite as it injects my days with snippets of her poems, which means I’m always exposed to creativity. I’m only just discovering her properly for myself but I have a feeling her new book, The Sun and Her Flowers, should be next on my shopping list.

 

Want more poetry? Why not read some of my own creations?

• Honest Haikus: One
• My Better Half
• Pardon Me
• Today’s Thoughts in Haiku
• Your Trusty Christmas Jumper
• Material Girls
• When I Was Six
• Why I am Not a Poet