Poet/Poetry Recommendations?

[Wadcutter]

I’m into my 70’s now and I don’t think I’ve read any poetry that I have really understood and enjoyed. I’m not a big poetry fan mind you, but I do feel that poetry has something to offer even to guys like me who being into my 7th decade on the planet would like to read some poetry by someone that the average Joe can understand. Every time I read poetry I always end up scratching my head and thinking to myself “what the heck is he talking about or trying to say?” I picked up a book of poetry by Oscar Wilde at a yard sale a while back and man I have no idea what in the world he’s trying to say so I gave up on it. I was just wondering if their any poetry fans here on the forum and if you could recommend something that the average person without a degree in literature could read and enjoy. Thanks amigos.

[Mr. Paul]

We have a program at our local radio station where folks come in and we record them reading poetry. Often it is original work but there are readings of established works as well. This is how I learned about Billy Collins. I would recommend his work as exactly what you are looking for. He was Poet Laureate for the United States from 2001 - 2003.

Here is a page with a few samples of his work.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/billy-collins

[brad4d8]

A couple of poets that are very approachable, IMO, are Edwin Arlington Robinson and Robert Service. The former was nominated for a Nobel.

[Cypress Knee]

Some suggestions:

"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" - Samuel Taylor Coleridge
"The Cremation of Sam MaGee" - Robert Service
"The Charge of the Light Brigade" - Alfred Lord Tennyson

[upsidedown]

Changed my mind about recommending…

[Feste]

Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are good, understandable poets by and large. They are also opposites in many ways.

[Silurian]

Wilfred Owen.

Generally acknowledged to be the greatest of the British "War Poets".

Owen served in WW1 and his poetry details the horrors of trench warfare and what he viewed as the futility of the conflict. Owen himself was killed a week before the armistice. A lot of his work was published posthumously. His most well known poem is Dulce Et Decorum Est.

His work is easy to read and understand but is not an easy read due to nature of the subject matter.

[Wadcutter]

Originally Posted by Mr. Paul

We have a program at our local radio station where folks come in and we record them reading poetry. Often it is original work but there are readings of established works as well. This is how I learned about Billy Collins. I would recommend his work as exactly what you are looking for. He was Poet Laureate for the United States from 2001 - 2003.

Here is a page with a few samples of his work.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/billy-collins

Thanks very much, I will definitely check him out.

[jpd]

Wadcutter....get Paul Simons lyrics

[Aimelie]

Originally Posted by Feste

Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman are good, understandable poets by and large. They are also opposites in many ways.

Another vote for Walt Whitman. He came immediately to mind when reading the OP.

[Wadcutter]

Getting lots of great leads and suggestions here. Really appreciate it guys.

[Glennwillow]

This is a book of poems my adult daughter authored in 2019. Her poems are all written in sonnet form, along the lines of John Donne. They take work to understand but they are quite deep, a lot of layers of meaning.

- Glenn

[elninobaby]

I hear you. There’s a lot of poetry I don’t understand. One poet I like a lot is Delmore Schwartz. Here’s one I love:

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poe...o-goes-with-me

And here’s another, which I think is delightful:

https://writersite.org/tag/i-am-cherry-alive/

I also really like this one, by Edna St. Vincent Millay:

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poe...-all-have-lied

Enjoy!

[GCWaters]

Try the compilations that Garrison Keiler put together

[Wadcutter]

Originally Posted by jpd

Wadcutter....get Paul Simons lyrics

Wow, I forgot about that. Thanks jpd.