Cassidy Bessa
Many people enjoy poetry, but English modules have presented poetry as something that is difficult and needs to be analysed. This puts a lot of people off of the genre. Recently, easier-to-read poetry has made a comeback. These poems are often short and tell a story with a lot of depth. If you are looking to reach your Goodreads goal or if you are simply looking for some new poetry books, here is a selection of poetry books that everyone can enjoy.
Women Are Some Kind of Magic-series, by Amanda Lovelace.
This series includes: The Princess Saves Herself in This One, The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One, and The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One. It is a small collection of poetry books that are full of important and hard-hitting poems. The Princess Saves Herself in This One is divided into four different parts – The Princess, The Damsel, The Queen and You. The first three parts narrate the story of the speaker’s life and the last part, You, serves as a letter to the reader and humankind. This poetry book explores life, love and much more. The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One, is a poetry book aimed at showing women how they are indestructible, just like the witch in this story. Despite the marginalisation that the witch receives, she doesn’t burn. Amanda Lovelace won a Goodreads award for her collection, The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One. This poetry book takes us to the ocean and plays on the idea of sirens losing their song and then rediscovering it.
Whiskey Words and a Shovel 1-3, by R.H. Sin
R.H. Sin is an award-winning author. His eloquent poems centre around love and life. They inspire strength and power through simplistic and easy-to-read prose. The poems are usually only a few short lines long but deliver an emotional impact and a heightened sense of vulnerability.
Pillow Thoughts 1-3, by Courtney Peppernell
These books are divided into sections for when you need them most. It is full of raw emotion about love and heartbreak. Pillow Thoughts 2: Healing the Heart, is about going through a heartbreak and how to get out of that pain and heal while working through it. Pillow Thoughts 3: Mending the Mind, shows a journey from hurt to healing. Courtney Peppernell is a very popular LGBTQ+ author and poet and focuses on a young adult audience.
Pretty Dirty Things, by Michael Faudet
Through short but intricate poems, Faudet is able to depict beautiful scenes that capture the imagination and bring back ideas about real love, loss, relationships and sex. The book is full of poems, prose, quotes and short stories and is the perfect short read. Faudet’s work has been nominated in the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Poetry.
When You Ask Me Where I’m Going, by Jasmin Kaur
This collection of poetry, prose and illustrations is Jasmin Kaur’s debut novel. This book deals with women living in a world that does not always accept them or take them seriously and is divided into six sections. It deals greatly with empowerment and the story of immigrants living illegally in North America. It discusses important current topics such as sexual assault, feminism and mental health. It is also about love and loss. Kaur is also a teacher, spoken word artist and illustrator.
Flux, by Orion Carloto
This selection of poetry is about change. It is written through different stages of grief and change that one experiences through a broken heart. The poems are easy to read and easy to understand. Not only is this volume filled with lots of great poetry, but it also boasts beautiful cover art that truly reflects what is waiting within. This is Carloto’s debut novel. The book is full of illustrations by Katie Roberts.
Sea of Strangers, by Lang Leav
Lang Leav is known for her previous bestsellers, such as Love & Misadventure and The Universe of Us. Sea of Strangers is just as wonderful as its predecessors. The main themes that are covered in this poetry book are self-discovery and empowerment. Throughout the book, you navigate the human heart and how it allows you to go beyond love and loss. Leav is the winner of a Qantas Spirit of Youth Award and a Goodreads Choice Award and her book and poetry collections continue to top charts all over the world.
This list is an introduction into the modern world of poetry and offers a starting point to dig deeper into the new era of poems.
Image: Ksenia Makagonova – https://unsplash.com/
