Hi friends,
Happy National Poetry Month!
Poetry is a big deal for me. It, along with drawing, has long been a primary creative outlet. And by “long” I mean for as long as I can remember.
I’ve written before about how Robert Service’s poem “The Cremation of Sam McGee” has influenced my love of both reading and writing poetry. When my mother read that poem and others to me as a child, it was like a seed of poetry planted in me, and it’s been growing ever since. But there have been so many other poets to discover over the years, and I thought I would take some time to share some of my favorites with you.
Robert Service, of course. “The Cremation of Sam McGee” is one of his most famous poems, but there is so much more waiting to be discovered. What I love about his poetry is the rhythm and rhyme, naturally, but also his use of imagery and word play that work together to give his poems such palpable atmosphere.
Shel Silverstein. A staple of every childhood poetry book library. I love his poems for their rhyme and weirdness. Shel Silverstein’s poetry gave me permission to be silly and imaginative and has been a source of delight for not only me, but my children and grandchildren. His poems were among the first I remember memorizing.
Joyce Sidman’s poems about nature are always so captivating. Her book Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold is one of my favorite picture book poetry collections.
Robert Frost can’t be missed, of course. A book of his poems is the first poetry collection I added to my library that wasn’t a book of poetry for children. I love his gift for rhyme and imagery, and how contemplative his poems often are.
Jack Prelutsky. I discovered Jack Prelutsky alongside my children, and appreciate his gift for silliness and rhyme. He’s also got a talent for spookiness, which is fun.
Ted Kooser. You may have read about that time when Ted Kooser taught my husband to appreciate poetry. I discovered Ted Kooser’s poetry as an adult, and he is one of the first poets I truly grew to love whose poems don’t typically rhyme. I love his poetry for how it captures the beauty and wonder in the everyday.
Billy Collins is a poet I discovered through my daughters when they were in high school. Like Ted Kooser, he often writes about ordinary things, but something unique about it is the way it takes you in surprising directions.
Mary Oliver is a recent discovery for me. I had heard so much about her from fellow poets, and finally decided to check out her collection Devotions from the library. I started reading from beginning to end as if it were a novel because I enjoyed the poems so much. I had to return the book before I finished it, so I decided to by a copy myself. I love her keen observations about life an nature.
Here are a few that may not be well known in the wider world of poetry (at least not yet), but are still worth reading:
- , whose poetry I discovered when his poem “Pangs” was published on . I love how raw and real his poems are.
My daughter
writes beautiful, strange poetry that is full of imagery. What I like most about her poems is how accessible yet rich they are. You can enjoy them on the surface, but there is much to discover if you go deeper. Read her poem “Mulberry Season” on The Way Back to Ourselves.My other daughter
who writes poems that are often raw and emotional and full of truth. Read her poem “Trimming a Rosebush” in her most recent substack post.- is a poet I discovered through my daughter Julia (they are friends and write together). Her poems are not only pleasant to read, but they are thought-provoking and often require some digging to get to the heart of them.
Mari in the Margins comes out next month!
My middle grade novel in verse comes out on May 14, but you can preorder the book today! Are you looking forward to reading Mari in the Margins or considering purchasing it for a young person in your life? Would you like to help me spread the word? I’m putting together a launch team to help spread the word about the book. Members will get access to an advanced reader copy of the book, some fun swag when the book releases, and a chance to win prizes! If you’re interested, click the button below.
What a talented family you have! It must be so wonderful to share this creative passion with your daughters <3
It was delightful to read you recommending your daughters’ creative ventures. I have two wonderfully talented adult daughters (so far—the rest of my kids are still minors 🙂) and I would love to see them continue to use their gifts so other people can enjoy them.