Is poetry dead?

[Deadpoetssociety]

One of my really close girl friends just published a book of poems. I didn't know what to say at first, but love them. Could anyone recommend any other modern poets?

[Trixidoll]

Saul Williams
Kate Tempest
Gwendoline Brooks
Adisa
Shane Koyczan

[Deadpoetssociety]

Thank you. Will check these out now.

[NoraHelmer]

Elizabeth Jennings

[lurcherlover]

Carol Ann Duffy, Simon Armitage, Alice Oswald, Roger McGough...

[Deadpoetssociety]

Thank you. I love Carol Ann Duffy!

[Deadpoetssociety]

And Simon Armitage :)

[Campaspe]

Have a look at Bloodaxe Books. It's a publishing house that concentrates almost exclusively on new poets. They've published some critically acclaimed anthologies of modern poets, called - I think, off the top of my head - "Being Alive" and a couple of sequels - a quick browse on Amazon will reveal. Some names I think might be worth googling to get a sense of their work include:

Racheal Allen
Penny Boxall
Tom Gilliver
Emily Hasler
Charlotte Geater
Oli Hazzard
Helen Mort
Martha Sprackland
Sophie Yeo.

And no, poetry is not dead!

[YouBloodyWolf]

Depends on what you mean by modern but if it's 20th Century poetry you're looking for... Not everyone's cup of tea, but I'm a fan of a lot of Charles Bukowski's stuff. It's quite raw and not for those with a fear of rude themes.

ee cummings is wonderful, too -'Maggie and Milly and Molly and May' sends shivers down my spine every time.

[lurcherlover]

Camp, you're thinking of Staying Alive - Being Alive is the sequel. I love both, but Staying Alive is my favourite. It's a brilliant anthology I'd recommend to anyone.

[IamtheSnorkMaiden]

www.angelacleland.co.uk/home.htm

Angela Cleland - my husband's cousin. I really like her stuff.

[margerykemp]

Miriam Gamble

[EionMcLove]

Andrea Gibson, lots of youtube videos. Published by write bloody books.

[elkiedee]

Brian Patten and the sadly late Adrian Henri (whom I met, he was a nice guy and it changed my view of his poetry, I had at one point thought he was a bit of a dirty old man) worked with Roger McGough and published two shared collections - The Mersey Sound and New Volume. McGough also presents Poetry Please on Radio 4, and you can hear poems and follow up.

I read lots of poetry when I was in my teens, and I still have some of the books - I borrowed a lot from the Central Library in Leeds - I occasionally buy bargain and secondhand anthologies. Douglas Dunn wrote an 80s set of poems about his first wife, an artist who sadly died of cancer, Elegies. I bought another collection from Oxfam today.

The Book People usually has some anthologies and occasionally some nice sets of poetry books.

Does your friend do poetry readings? I really enjoy hearing people read their work, and particularly with poetry you will get to hear good stuff that you might not sit down and read in a book.