I am looking for a list of five non-American Twentieth Century English Language poets to start me out beyond my present narrow focus on American English Language poets.
Thanks to you all.
Peter
Try John Betjeman (UK), Charles Causley (UK), Bruce Dawe (Australia), & Roy Campbell (S Afrcia?) and U A Fanthorpe (UK - female) for starters
Thanks, marian2, I'll make a trip to the library and bookstore tomorrow.
Peter
Can I add A Shropshire Lad by A E Housman. It's beautifully written in simple language and very easy to read, a great surprise considering that he was an earnest Professor of Latin at Cambridge.
It's said that every subaltern in the First World War kept a copy in his pocket. It's just as relevant today as it was a hundred years ago. You can actually buy a Dover edition for 3 or 4 dollars, an absolute bargain!
Kipling is another suggestion; he also expresses the view of the ordinary person/soldier.
Banjo Patterson is a favorite from Australia. The University of Toronto has compiled a website for Canadian poets here:
[www.library.utoronto.ca] />
Les
Post Edited (08-25-04 13:44)
As well as those already listed, how about Yeats, Ted Hughes, Larkin, John Masefield and Derek Walcott?
If you are interested in Australian poets I would also recommend Judith Wright, J. P. McAuley, Kenneth Slessor and A.D.Hope.
[www.infoplease.com] />
rikki
Larkin certainly, and Ted Hughes and maybe Thom Gunn.
Personally, I often end up reading A S J Tessimond though there's nothing in print currently.
(You can always read my stuff on the USP forum. It's crap, though. But at least I'm English.)
Stephen
SphenFryer,
I do not know what the USP forum is, but you could educate me so I can see your stuff. I missed Gunn the last time he was scheduled to give a reading in Washington Square, San Francisco. What a loss. I have still to finish his 1993-4 Collected Poems.
There is so much good poetry to read.
Peter
Peter - USP is the User Submitted Poetry forum on this site. Here's a link to my stuff:
[www.emule.com] />
Stephen
If you want to try something more adventurous, try:
Lee Harwood
Denise Riley
John Tranter (Aus)
Edwin Morgan
Ken Smith
Veronica Forrest-Thompson
Peter, in case you have been Googling unsuccessfully for that Australian favourite mentioned by Les, his surname is spelled Paterson (with one t). A good link is:
[home.vicnet.net.au]
Paterson was such a master exponent of popular balladry in many different forms that he made it look easy.
A very different Australian poet, who just might appeal to you, is Francis Webb. He isn't everyone's cup of tea. He spent his adult life in an out of psychiatric hospitals. Many of his poems are difficult and obscure; but he was an original and brilliant wordsmith, and his poet contemporaries had no doubt about his genius.
Webb's collected work was published in paperback by Angus & Robertson in 1991 as 'Cap And Bells'.
I'm working on poets and titles in libraries and bookstores. Found some. I see what you mean about the utter dominance of world culture by things American. Before I forget, much thanks and warm feeling to each person who has taken the time to respond to my enquiry.
Peter
The Australian poet LES MURRAY is highly praised (I haven't read him).
His anthology is called "Learning Human: Selected Poems"
(good title!)
"Best New Zealand poets" for the past three years (chosen by editors appointed by the International Institute of Modern Letters), are listed here:
[www.vuw.ac.nz]
Thanks, I'll add you suggestions to the list I'm working on from the oher repondents. It certainly is a pleaure to have people to help on a task like this. Some years ago, I decided to get away from dead white male poets to teach a class on women poets, and I had to depend upon only my own devices. It was a pleasent chore, but a chore -- given time restraints -- nonotheless.
Thanks, again,
Peter
Peter, go here -
[www.thepoem.co.uk] />
Stephen