I love poetry; I have since I was very young. But when I think of the years leading up to my first publication (coming sometime this year - wahoo!), I always think of the short stories, essays, and unfinished novels I wrote. It hit me the other day that I've actually been writing poetry longer than I have books. I dug through my chest of old notebooks and found my first poetry journal. That journal has over 20 poems in it; all written before I reached middle school. I shouldn't have been surprised.
Poetry has always come naturally to me. Whenever I was bored I was writing poetry. Whenever I was sad, mad, frustrated, dejected, hopeless or furious, I was writing poetry.
So in honor of my love for poetry, here is my Top 20 Poems list. I am a fan of both slam and classic poetry, so I tried to include an equal blend of both. In the interest of fairness I didn't choose more than one poem from each poet (or else this whole article would have been dominated by Neil Hilborn and Langston Hughes). I highly suggest you check out more works by these poets though, since many of them have a number of fantastic pieces.
Each poem listed below also has three descriptive words that I feel encompass the feel of it. Everyone interprets poems differently though, so I encourage you to read/listen to these poems on your own and formulate your own opinion of them!
Poetry has always come naturally to me. Whenever I was bored I was writing poetry. Whenever I was sad, mad, frustrated, dejected, hopeless or furious, I was writing poetry.
So in honor of my love for poetry, here is my Top 20 Poems list. I am a fan of both slam and classic poetry, so I tried to include an equal blend of both. In the interest of fairness I didn't choose more than one poem from each poet (or else this whole article would have been dominated by Neil Hilborn and Langston Hughes). I highly suggest you check out more works by these poets though, since many of them have a number of fantastic pieces.
Each poem listed below also has three descriptive words that I feel encompass the feel of it. Everyone interprets poems differently though, so I encourage you to read/listen to these poems on your own and formulate your own opinion of them!
20. "The Author to Her Book" by Anne Bradstreet
-cute
-relatable
-timid
19. "The Arrow and the Song" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
-lovely
-charming
-heart-warming
18. "Sonnet 18" by William Shakespeare
-romantic
-descriptive
-classic
17. "Listen to the Mustn’ts" by Shel Silverstein
-inspirational
-powerful
-wise
16. "Let the Light Enter" by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
-content
-sentimental
-longing
15. "My Father is an Oyster" by Clint Smith
-homey
-regretful
-tribute
14. "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
-liberating
-hopeful
-enlightening
13. "Social Anxiety at 130 BPM" by Aaron Burstein
-funny
-understandable
-intriguing
12. "I, too" by Langston Hughes
-dynamic
-refreshing
-empowering
11. "Explaining My Depression to My Mother" by Sabrina Benaim
-heartbreaking
-sorrowful
-eye-opening
10. "If I Was Your God" by Dave McAlinden
-humorous
-cryptic
-uplifting
9. "From the Perspective of Chanukah" by Eric Sirota
-cultural
-clever
-informative
8. "Properly Scholarly Attitude" by Adelaide Crapsey
-remorseful
-strict
-cautionary
7. "Working Retail During the Holiday Season" by Ben Wenzl
-light-hearted
-relaxing
-creative
6. "Dear Straight People" by Denice Frohman
-powerful
-memorable
-witty
5. "OCD" by Neil Hilborn
-mind-opening
-thought-provoking
-deep
4. "Couples Therapy" by Patrick Roche
-heart-wrenching
-descriptive
-compelling
3. "Solitude" by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
-lonely
-cautionary
-motivational
2. "What Teachers Make" by Taylor Mali
-accusatory
-defensive
-memorable
1. "Silence" by Edgar Allan Poe
-thought-provoking
-gentle
-soothing
What are your favorite poems? Are there any you feel I missed? Please, share your thoughts with me in the comments below!