1 . If the poems you read as part of the curriculum at school made you think poetry is old-fashioned, has to use fancy language, must always rhyme or is simply out-dated, then you’ll be pleased to know it doesn’t have to do any of these things.
Here are four poets whose work will make you look at poetry in a different and more positive light.
Misha CollinsFans of Misha Collins may know him as Castiel in the TV show Supernatural, but he has never hidden the fact that he also writes poetry. Last year, he released his first book, Some Things I Still Can’t Tell You. This contains many of his poems that are expressed as simple thoughts and experiences, making them easy to read.
Most are about his wife and are bittersweet because at the end of the book, he reveals that they have parted ways.
Tracy K SmithTracy was the winner of the Cave Canem prize for the best first book by an African American poet, with her 2003 collection, The Body’s Question.
Her poems cover important issues around race, family, transcending from childhood into adulthood and much more. Each is easy to understand and relate to, while at the same time, deeply personal.
Rupi KaurRupi Kaur has connected with a large audience, partly because her collection, Milk and Honey, has been translated into 42 languages to reach readers throughout the world. Her universal themes of migration, healing, loss, grief and trauma are another reason for her success.
While more traditional poetry also talks about some of these subjects, Kaur’s work is brutally honest and hard-hitting in ways that wouldn’t have been acceptable in earlier poetry.
Mel Wardle WoodendMel was the poet Laureate of Staffordshire between 2019 and 2022. She has several published collections to her name. This includes two dyslexic-friendly books for children, making poetry more accessible to them.
She also has a collection called Just a Thought, which raises awareness of mental health issues. This topic was rarely discussed at school, so Mel’s work is progressive and inviting to those who may not tick the typical boxes of someone who enjoys poetry.
1. In which book has the poet conveyed his/ her mixed feelings of pleasure and pain based on his/ her own personal experience?
| A．Some Things I Still Can’t Tell You. | B．The Body’s Question. |
| C．Milk and Honey. | D．Just a Thought. |
2. What contributes to the popularity of Rupi Kaur’s poems?
| A．Themes of romance. | B．Conventional styles. |
| C．Narrative techniques. | D．Multi-language versions. |
3. What feature do the four poets’ works share?
| A．They are incomprehensible. | B．They are accessible. |
| C．They are personal. | D．They are rhyming. |
