25 Must-Reads for National Poetry Month

Devotions, by Mary Oliver
One of America’s classic poets has a new collection of 200 poems. Follow Oliver through her poetic journey starting when she was only 28 years old through today, with themes of belonging, nature, and the importance of asking questions.

Milk and Honey, by Rupi Kaur
If you’re in the mood for emotional vignettes about what it means to be a woman, to be in love, to be marginalized, and to find your strength, this one’s for you. Once you’ve savored it, pick up the more recent The Sun and Her Flowers.
 

Calling a Wolf a Wolf, by Kaveh Akbar
A story of recovery told in verse, this poetry collection is about living with ghosts and learning to love yourself.

Good Bones, by Maggie Smith
One of the most famous poems in 2016 comes from a larger anthology that touches on the unique experience of motherhood that is worth reading no matter your stage in life.

Don’t Call Us Dead, by Danez Smith
A fascinating anthology of poetry about the African-American experience in America. Imagine a world where black men are surrounded by love and happiness…but it exists after death. Themes of death, revolution, police brutality, and so much more are explored in this provocative book.

The Princess Saves Herself In This One, by Amanda Lovelace
Another feminist poetry anthology to start your month off right. This collection tackles issues like body positivity, assault, surviving grief, and so much more.

The Rose That Grew from Concrete, by Tupac Shakur
A wise soul taken from us too soon leaves behind a legacy of beautiful, poignant writing about poverty, systemic racism, violence, and love.

Unbearable Splendor, by Sun Yung Shin
A beautiful collection about identity, family, the immigrant experience, and being a modern woman.

Dalily Called it a Dangerous Moment, by Alessandra Lynch
Trauma is an experience that can rarely be defined in words, but this collection rips open the mechanics of overcoming trauma, specifically sexual assault, through the poet’s modern yet timeless way with words.

Witch Wife, by Kiki Petrosino
This stunning spellbook on love, being a woman in all phases of life, motherhood, and inhabiting the female body will cast a spell on you.

Pillow Thoughts, by Courtney Peppernell
The course of true love never did run smooth, but this poetry collection about heartbreak and finding the courage to move on will smooth over all your rough edges, if you’re feeling particularly jagged after a breakup.

Bull, by David Elliott
Another novel-in-verse based on a myth, this time in the young adult genre: Bull tells the story of Asterion, but you know him by another name: The Minotaur. But who was the boy before he was a monster? Irreverent, with equal amounts of humor and tragedy, this retelling is part tragedy, part villain origin story.

Magic With Skin On, by Morgan Nikola-Wren
Another tome that spins words like magic, this debut poetry collection is about the connection the artist has with her muse, who is currently nowhere to be found.

The Essential Rumi: Selected Poems, by Rumi
Rumi’s poetry is everlasting, and applies to the modern age more and more with reminders to trust yourself, be kind and compassionate, and find love everywhere.

Edgar Allan Poe, by Edgar Allan Poe
A poetry collection by a classic writer whom you may know a little about, but who otherwise remains a mystery. These poems are dark and haunting, bordering on magical, and explore the intersections of humanity, devotion, longing, and obsession.

Selected Poems, by Gwendolyn Brooks
The very first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer prize for poetry definitely deserves to be read. (You may already know one of her famous poems, “We Real Cool”, about the consequences of risky behavior.)

The Poet X, by Elizabeth Acevedo
In this recent New York Times bestseller, an Afro-Latina poet struggles to express herself surrounded by family and culture she often feels at odds with. She likes a boy her family wouldn’t approve of; her mother wants her to be a strict Catholic…and performing her poetry is something she craves, but fears could break her from the world she knows.

Wild Embers, by Nikita Gill
A feminist collection that blends the world of magic with the world of women. You will be inspired by tales of mythic heroines and how their stories connect with your own.

Shakespeare’s Sonnets, by William Shakespeare
He may be known for his plays, but Shakespeare’s sonnets are just as beautiful, tragic, inspiring, and honest about human nature.

Autobiography of Red, by Anne Carson
Switching things up for a novel in verse! This re-telling of a Greek myth is about a boy-monster who flees a tragic upbringing and finds himself turning to a man with a familiar name: Herakles. Geryon finds himself falling for the man, only to be broken-hearted. Love, lust, and coming-of-age can be found in this tale.

Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair, by Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda is one of the 20th Century’s most celebrated poets, infusing his work with Latino history, culture, and imagery. One interesting thing to note about this collection is that the love poems are often tinged with sadness, reflecting the true nature of the feeling we all crave, that can often leave us brokenhearted.

100 Selected Poems, by E.E. Cummings
E.E. Cummings may be a classic poet now, but his work is largely considered experimental and different from the norm. Cummings was also a visual artist, and some of his paintings are collected here!

The Collected Poems, by Langston Hughes
Fifty years’ worth of Langston Hughes’ most moving poems (many of which haven’t been published in book form before) is an incredible survey of the life and passion of one of America’s most celebrated poet.

No Matter the Wreckage, by Sarah Kay
You may have seen her TEDx Talk, but Sarah Kay also has a poetry collection. It’s the perfect anthology of poems about adolescence, femininity, race, culture, and family.

Poems, by Maya Angelou
James Baldwin said of this collection: “Black, bitter, and beautiful, she speaks to our survival.” One of our most important and influential writers, Maya Angelou’s poetry deals with the black experience, womanhood, and so much more.