Poetry for 15yo girl?

[franch]

My friend's (pretty grown-up) 15yo daughter is really getting into poetry and I'd like to get her a volume for her birthday (either a collection or a single poet). Any ideas? It would need to be fairly accessible and contemporary, but adult themes would be OK.

Carol Ann Duffy would be good.

Brian Patten does some lovely stuff.

Stevie Smith is quite fun.

I suppose the ultimate would be Sylvia Plath though.

Yes Brian Patten or any of the Liverpool Poets

Great ideas janeite, thanks

And squeaver

Hard to beat (har har)the liverpool three in the beat poets anthology.I loved that as a teen "beautiful boys with bright red guitars in the spaces between the stars" aaaw.lovely.
would secong Carol Anne duffy too but Sylvia Plath very grim at fifteen.Pablo Neruda?Louis Macniece?

Carol Ann Duffy - funny and relevant. Sylvia perhaps a little intense? Now don't get mad anyone, but those Daisy Goodwin anthologies are small and cute, contain lots of really good poems and you can find stuff on subjects you're interested in. I know people hate them because we should buy real poetry, but maybe good introductions??

15 year old girls are often very intense too (I know I was!) hence the Plath rec!

Some of the Liverpool stuff hasn't aged terribly well, although some of it is superb.

Simon Armitage? Although I must admit a lot of his stuff bores/irritates me.

I have a collection called 10 Poems to Change Your Life, which might be a good introduction to different poets.

I also think anthologies can be great.The poems on the underground book has some amazing poems that led me to reading things I had never heard of.

Very grateful for all the suggestions everyone. Have plumped for Carol Ann Duffy, and also a book on writing poetry by Stephen Fry, as she's a prolific writer too at the moment. Will let you know how these go down! And will keep the other ideas up my sleeve for future gifts.

Oh that sounds such a lovely present. In future, if she's into writing poetry, it might be worth getting her a proper rhyming dictionary and some less contemporary poetry too, so she can play around with styles.

Also Maya Angelou might be worth a look.

Wendy Cope?

Oh gosh yes Maya Angelou and Wendy Cope - yes yes definitely. Wish I could afford to buy her all of these!

Emily Dickinson
Dorothy Parker
Christina Rossetti

John Donne

The metaphysical poets are wonderful when you are a teenager.

Also really agree with Dickinson and Rosetti as suggested by abraid

Or for contemporary - how about Leontia Flynn?

Maya Angelou? I think 'Phenomenal Woman' was my favourite poem at that age.

Agree with DeeBlindMice re: Donne, too.

Sylvia Plath?

Absolutely loved the first world war poets at 15 (actually I still do).

All brilliant suggestions thanks - I placed my order last night and am kicking myself a bit about Angelou (I love her and we even had one of her poems read at our wedding) but will hang onto this list for future gifts

It's fantastic to hear of a teenager who loves poetry! Hurray.

There is an anthology called 'Heaven on Earth - 100 Happy Poems' edited by Wendy Cope which she might like.

It is great isn't it abraid

... She actually "didn't like reading" till about a year ago when I went on a bit of a mission to entice her - I had to resort to a bit of Dave Pelzer but the end justifies the means and all that ...

I have had to resort to the Princess Diaries with my ten-year-old. Not really suitable for her age group and much too pink for my tastes, but she likes them and her enthusiasm is heartening. I'm hoping to move her on to something more imaginatively stretching...

Yep, the trick is to keep reading (to coin a phrase). Hey, you're talking to an ex-Sweet Valley High reader who ended up with a PhD in English Literature.