for people who want to read more poetry but don't know where to start
non-intimidating poetry collections to read + your weekly song and poem recs
hi, friends!
i’ve had no time to write/edit any essays between graduate school (i’m in the last semester (!!) of my MFA in poetry), revising a super time-intensive project i’ve been working on, and my day job. i did, however, want to hop on to share a resource.
my poetry friends and i often discuss how non-poets either 1) don’t like poetry at all, 2) want to read poetry but find it wildly inaccessible, or 3) don’t like the poetry they read. these feelings make sense, especially as we mostly only learn about old/old white poets in school — many of whom are dead today or whose style is difficult to understand. not great if you’re looking to casually read poems or start your poetry reading journey!
i strongly believe there’s a poem for everyone, but it can be hard to find what types of poetry resonate with you as a reader.
i’ve created this resource — a document of poetry that i call the Entry Point. These books contain poetry that isn’t super commercial/related to by the masses (think: not traditional “instagram poetry**”), but contains easy-to-follow narratives, relatable topics/themes, and demonstrate a brilliant use of the poetic craft.
you’ll read sonnets, ghazals, haibuns, in addition to some funky forms, but you don’t need to understand anything about craft to understand (and enjoy) the poems. these picks are designed to be accessible so you can dive into the beauty of poetry without feeling overwhelmed. if you do pick up on the craft of it all, brilliant — but you won’t need to be a poetry expert to get something from these collections.
happy reading!
**i think “instagram poetry” has a gross connotation; poetry exists — and is needed — everywhere. to me, this category mostly references poems that are posted with the distinct intent to go viral, and are typically recognized by their extremely short form. i used to post a lot of poetry on instagram, and many of my friends still do — the picks on this list go a little beyond the very quickly digestible poetry often seen on social media.
with love + poetry,
a poem to get you through the weekend
Lines Written During My Second Pandemic by Eduardo C. Corral
a song for the heartbroken
i love a good breakup song, but when i heard this lyric, i literally had to pause the song and stare at the wall with my mouth open (i am not joking!):
silly tweets for your monday
housekeeping:
don’t forget to complete your one click today to support aid efforts in Palestine
unfold: poetry + prose, is available on amazon, bookshop, indigo, b&n, or wherever you get books <3
you can still buy paper girl from amazon, barnes & noble, indigo, or your local indie.
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who i am: a writer, a lover, and a very Black + queer person. i love deeply, forget rarely, and spend most of my time cuddling with my dog, my cat, and my partner.
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This is such an incredible resource!!
What a great list! Thank you for putting it together!