Even though I mostly just write fiction, I am interested in learning how to write poetry. I've read through the explanations in the Poetry section and that helped. I was wondering if you guys had any other tips for a beginner? Also, to begin reading good poetry, what poets would you recommend? The only poet I've heard of is Allen Ginsburg. I'm sure his poetry is far from my understanding though.
I have a pretty decent literature text at home, which not onlly contains a wide variety of poetry styles, it also has a pretty extensive discussion of poter in general. Its title is simply Literature, by James H. Pickering and Jeffrey D. Hoeper.[MacMillan, 1982]
i'm a pretty full time poet myself and i mentor lots of aspiring poets, so if you want any help or whatever, just drop me an email any time... herea are links to a couple of sites you'll find helpful and where you can browse the work of the best poets of all time... http://www.theotherpages.org/poems/index.html http://www.poetryconnection.net/ i have lots more info that would be too much to include in a post, but i'll be glad to pass on as email attachments... you might get started on seeing the incredibly wide range there is in the finest poetry, by reading the works of these masters of the art: langston hughes ogden nash e e cummings edgar allen poe robert louis stevenson rudyard kipling maya angelou alfred noyes william blake love and hugs, maia maia3maia@hotmail.com