Most Influential Poet(s)

I don't know about "most influential".... but favorites?

Emily Dickinson- she's absolutely BRILLIANT. She fascinates me both as a poet and as a person. I wish I had her ability to write so eloquently using so few words...

Shakespeare- I recently recited "My Mistress' Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun"- very sweet sonnet.

W.B. Yeats- Irish pride! ^_^ but seriously, he has a lovely style.

W.H Auden- I actually only know one of his poems, but it made me want to cry. It was about his boyfriend dying, I believe.

Maya Angelou- Beautiful, particularly "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." She's a really admirable person as well- she's had a difficult life.

Langston Hughes- I like the way some of his poems sound like blues lyrics.

e.e. cummings- alot of people hate him, but I like the way his poetry is fun and quirky, but also meaningful. I like how it's open to interpretation- you can't really tell what he was trying to say, so you just find your own personal meaning.

Yay! *is a poetry geek*

Shel Silverstein, and a little bit Dr. Seuss. But mostly "J. C. Belding" of YWS with his awesome "The Lone Templar" poem. That's what started me writing poetry.

Songwriting was inspired by all of the artists I've listened to... but does that not belong here?

I guess that I really haven't read all that much poetry...

Robert Burns.

Cat Stevens isnt a poet, but i think he deserves to be mentioned. he rocks.
he's a singer in case you didnt know.

This is a nice thread. I'm glad you made it. :]

My most influential poets are Walt Whitman (for the free verse), Robert Frost (for expressing hidden meanings), and William Shakespeare (for being my sonnet role-model).

Summerless <3~

Definitely Jack Kerouac and Tom Waits!

Jim Morrison.

Trent Reznor.

John Lennon.

Paul McCartney.

George Harrison.

Eric Clapton.

William Shakespeare.

Bob Dylan.

Longfellow.

Francis Scott Key.


Almost all musicians.
I just find poetry meant for song is more enoyable.

The person who inspired me to write poetry was Jack Frost after I read his poem "The Road Not Taken". Even though my poetry is nothing like his, he is the one that helpd me start writing.

Jack Frost? I think you mean Robert Frost... For me, the most influential poet is Mattie Stepanek (i don't know if I spelled that right). He died a few years ago at age 15 (I think), and wrote great free-verse, in my opinion. He wrote poetry since he was 4 years old, even though he had a life-threatening illness that would one day kill him, he was always so optimistic. He focused on the good part of life, and trying to better the bad parts. His poems are always so inspirational, he's definitly my favorite poet.


~Jenni

Allen Ginsberg, Wallace Stevens, William Carlos Williams, John Berryman, Charles Bukowski, Walt Whitman, Frost, Langston Hughes, JO

hm
my great aunt eva
bc we look alike and share a passion for writing