Saturday, October 21, 2006

poetry book tips

my birthday is coming up next month, sooo ... i might ask for some reading material - which poetry collections do you think are a must-read, and why? tell me. you have my undivided attention.

music of the day: don't forget by martha wainwright.

4 comments:

Lauren Brazeal said...

Hi Michi,

Here's a list of my "top 3". If you haven't read any of these, I'm sure you'd like them:

1. Carolyn Forche's "The Country Between Us"

2. Rainer Maria Rilke's Collected Poems (if you don't speak German, Stephen Mitchell has a lovely english translation)

3. Richard Siken's "Crush"

michi said...

lauren - i've got rilke. and yes i do read him in german, it is my native tongue after all. thought you might suggest forche, but i was curious to see which one. thanks!

la nicoletta - i have the complete sexton, but when i returned to it after a longer absence, a little while ago, i could not really get into it. i don't know. i used to like her poetry better in the past. i've got some glück (you know that means luck, happiness in english?). thanks for the tips.

m xx

Hedgie said...

Rob MacKenzie and I have both posted some lists that might give you some ideas:

http://robmack.blogspot.com/2006/10/poetry-list.html

http://compost-hedgie.blogspot.com/2006/10/poetry-lists.html

For a few volumes that didn't make my list:

Homage to the Lame Wolf: Selected Poems -- Vasko Popa

The Night of Akhenaton: Selected Poems -- Agnes Nemes Nagy

Mischief Night: New & Selected Poems Roddy Lumsden

Collected Poems -- Derek Mahon

Landing Light -- Don Patterson

Portrait of My Lover as a Horse -- Selima Hill

Talking to My Body -- Anna Swir

Crafty Green Poet said...

You must read all of Margaret Attwoods poetry because each of her poems is perfect, deep and beautiful. A must read collection os Responsibility to Awe by Rebecca Elson, who died tragically young a few years ago. Her poetry is stunning and manages to combine science with emotion and beauty and the true meaning of life. Another must read poet (though I don't know which collection to recommend) is Ruth Padel, who writes with great passion about the natural world and love.