PoemsThese contemporary American poems (published since 1950) reflect cultural backgrounds, socioeconomic realities, gender identities, sexual orientations, or experiences of oppression, violence, abuse, illness, or loss, underrepresented - and sometimes silent - in standard literature anthologies and history textbooks.
Invite these poets into your imagination with the whole kaleidoscope of identities, affinities, and experiences which inform their art. Some poems focus on silenced experiences or facets of identity, while others explore experiences shared across many identities, such as love, and diversify the voices addressing such topics. I check these links periodically (usually over winter and summer break) but if you find one that's broken, please let me know by emailing wendy [at] poetryriver.org. |
Tracy K. Smith reading Seamus Heaney's "Digging" and an original poem, "My God, It's Full of Stars," from her Pulitzer-winning collection Life on Mars. Part of the Poets on Poetry video series.
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